Project Management Support – Senior Assistant (two regular positions), Multiple positions

The PRO-Local Governance for People and Nature Programme, is designed to contribute to improving the well-being and quality of life of citizens through improved local governance, social inclusion and environmental protection in 99 cities and municipalities in two regions: Šumadija and Western Serbia and Southern and Eastern Serbia. The Government of Switzerland has allocated CHF 9 million to fund the Programme which will be implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in partnership with UN agencies (1) over a period of 48 months. 

To achieve the Programme’s Objective, the intervention will focus on three key Pillars and Outcomes: 

1. Pillar Good Governance, Outcome 1: LGs improve capacities and apply good governance principles in practice;

2. Pillar Social Inclusion, Outcome 2: LGs and other relevant local actors improve capacities and develop evidence-based local social protection policies;

3. Pillar Environmental Governance, Outcome 3: LGs improve capacities and apply environmental governance processes in practice. 

The key stakeholders, but also direct users of support at the local level, will be local governments (cities and municipalities), including their administrations/staff, organisations, and local institutions (Centres for Social Work - CSWs, Primary Health Centres - PHCs, pre-school institutions and schools), local Civil Society Organisations – CSOs. The final users of support will be the citizens from participating LGs from the Region of Šumadija and Western Serbia, and the Region of Southern and Eastern Serbia.

All Programme activities will be undertaken in partnership with the Government of Serbia, especially the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Governments (MPALSG), the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs (MLEVSA), the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM).

The Programme will coordinate its activities with the key line-national-level institutions, while observing the national strategies, laws and relevant development documents, which will contribute to sustainability, ensure national ownership and develop national capacities.

UNOPS Serbia Multi-Country Office is planning to fill two positions based on this Vacancy in the following cities: Novi Pazar and Nis

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Management Support – Senior Assistant will provide assistance in implementation of activities within the Pillars for Good Governance, Social Inclusion and Environmental Governance. He/she will work closely with the Officers in order to contribute to efficient and effective monitoring of implementation of projects and activities within the Pillars in the Project Area of Responsibility (AoR) thus contributing to enhanced good governance, social inclusion and environmental governance at the local level.

The Project Management Support - Senior Assistant will undertake the following activities/responsibilities:

• Maintain relationship with the Project beneficiaries and stakeholders in AoR
• Provide assistance in development of reports on the Pillars activities 
• Provide assistance in organisation of activities to present the Project’s support in AoR
• With guidance from and in close coordination with the Officers closely monitor implementation of the  projects and activities in AoR
• With guidelines from the Officers provide basic technical assistance to the beneficiaries in implementation of projects and grant schemes
• Conduct field visits to beneficiaries in the AoR assigned by the Project Manager and/or Officers 
• Liaise with the Support Services Team to support successful implementation of procurement activities and grant agreements by maintaining regular communication between the Project and Support Services in order to ensure timely exchange of information on the status of provision of services, procurements and grant agreements administration
• Provide assistance in grant agreements administration related to collection of information from grantees for issuance of Grant Support Agreements, collect and review status narrative reports and collect financial reports for further verification.
• Monitor implementation of grants and assigned activities in the AoR
• Provide assistance in collection, preparation, and archiving of documentation related to processing of grants related requests 
• Establish activity progress tracking sheets and regularly update with inputs provided by beneficiaries and services providers 
• Maintain archive related to Project activities and projects in respective AoR, as per agreement with the Programme Officers and in line with the Project requirements 
• Report on the key social, economic, political developments on the national and local level that are relevant for the Pillars
• With the guidance of the Project Manager and/or Officers, liaise with retainers and service providers to support implementation of activities
• Support the organisation of events, trainings and meetings, including administrative support i.e. preparation of minutes or reports
• Assist in drafting reports as envisaged by the Project Document
• Assist in monitoring and reporting of the progress of activities against the Logical Framework Matrix indicators 
• Assist in development of the Project’s plans 
• Contribute to identification and assessment of risks and assist in implementation of mitigation measures in accordance with the Risk Management Strategy 
• Contribute to identification and sharing of the Project’s lessons learned and best practices 
• Contribute to efficient and effective use of Project and UNOPS tools for monitoring of the Project’s performance, outputs and benefits 
• Contribute to the successful administrative and financial closure of activities and projects in the AoR
• Provide support to Project’s communication and visibility activities 
• Ensure good governance, gender equality and social inclusion principles and practices are incorporated into the activities in accordance with the Project’s objectives and methodology
• Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above.

• Secondary education is required
• Bachelor’s degree preferably in economics, social / political sciences, development studies or other relevant field is an asset
• PRINCE2 Foundation Certification is an asset

Work Experience 

• Five years of working experience in project support functions is required. Bachelor’s degree may substitute for some years of experience.
• Experience in support to local self-governments is an asset.
• Familiarity with good governance, social inclusion and/or gender equality issues at the local level is an asset.
• Direct experience in assisting implementation of grant schemes is an asset.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in Serbian and English is required

• Driving license and ability to travel independently is required

• PRINCE2 Foundation Certification is an asset

This is a local position, it is therefore open to nationals of Serbia and to individuals who have a valid residence/work permit.

Contract type: ICA
Contract level: Local ICA Support - ICS 5
Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

The UNOPS Republic of Serbia Multi Country Office (RSMCO) is implementing 12 projects in Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro.

In Serbia, where UNOPS has been active since 2000, and North Macedonia and Montenegro where UNOPS works since 2017, the organisation provides support in demanding socio-economic reforms and facilitating accession to the European Union. The projects focus on sustainable socio-economic development, good governance, social cohesion, environment and emergency response. The projects are implemented with the funding from the European Union (EU), Kingdom of Norway, Governments of Switzerland, Sweden and North Macedonia.

All projects have gender equality as a transversal theme, and have been contextualised within the broader Sustainable Development Goals frameworks and objectives.