Project Management Support - Senior Assistant

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments. By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

Not Required - part of GPO/NYPO

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP). It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

 UNOPS has signed a Global Agreement with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to operationally support the implementation of their mandate through the provision of Human Resources services.

 The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), an office under the UN Secretariat, was established in 1997 to assist member states in their efforts to combat illicit drugs, crime, and terrorism, and is one of the partners under UNTSS. 

Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, UNODC operates globally to support the development and implementation of policies and programmes that address a wide range of issues, including drug trafficking and abuse, organized crime, corruption, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, cybercrime, and terrorism prevention. Through research, policy advice, capacity-building, and technical assistance, UNODC works to strengthen justice systems, promote international cooperation, and uphold the rule of law and human rights in the fight against transnational threats.

South Eastern Europe is a diverse and complex region with a population of approximately 23.4 million who in recent years have experienced political, social and economic upheaval and transition, as well as major conflicts. This has resulted in the displacement of populations and deterioration of many aspects of life. Poverty coupled with high unemployment have fueled ideal conditions for the rise of drug abuse as an escape from social stress and post conflict conditions. The region is the premiere transit zone for heroin destined for Western Europe. There is emerging data indicating an increasing trend towards injecting drug use (IDU), which is the potential for a rapid increase in the transmission of HIV and AIDS within or by the IDU community. Based on these facts and statistics it is highly recommended that urgent intervention must be undertaken to avoid mirroring the well-determined phenomenon of Eastern Europe which currently accounts for the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the world.

To assist member states in South Eastern Europe and the Balkans to implement evidence-based prevention and drug dependence treatment programmes, UNODC Programme Office in Serbia, on the front of drug demand reduction is supporting the implementation of two UNODC global projects. The first one aims at implementing evidence-based drug use prevention programmes to prevent drug use, crime and delinquency among young people by strengthening and improving the capacity of families and children in selected sites in the region. The second aims at creating enhanced awareness and sustained commitment to increased access to quality and affordable drug dependence treatment services thus contributing to reduce negative health and social consequences of drug use including HIV.

Project Management Support Senior Assistant will be responsible for backstopping day-to-day implementation of the projects “GLOK01: Prevention of drug use, HIV/AIDS and crime among young people through family skills training programmes in low- and middle-income countries ", “GLOK32: UNODC-WHO programme on drug dependence treatment and care” and “XCE/U60 Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe”, based at the UNODC Programme Office in Belgrade (Serbia).

He/she carries out his/her functions under the direct supervision of the Regional advisor, Project coordinator from PTRS and the overall guidance of the Coordinator of the UNODC Regional Programme for South Eastern Europe. The project officer may be required to undertake other administrative activities in respect of other UNODC projects as per request.

The Project Management Support Senior Assistant provides administrative support to ensure effective delivery of projects. S/he supports project planning, monitoring, reporting, logistics, communications and documentation.

1. Project Support

• Provide administrative and coordination support for project planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting in compliance with UNODC rules, regulations and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Assist in tracking project progress, deliverables, contracts, travel, workshops, and grants, ensuring timely follow-up and accurate documentation.
• Support the preparation of reports, briefing materials, and internal meeting notes for management and stakeholders.
• Maintain tracking tools and ensure that project and operational data are up to date and properly archived.
• Participate in regular team meetings to report on progress, upcoming priorities, and coordination needs.

2. Travel, Logistics and Workshop Support

• Coordinate and organize logistics for meetings, workshops, conferences and steering committee events, including travel, accommodation, catering and security arrangements.
• Process travel authorizations, expense claims, and reimbursements for personnel and partners in line with UNODC policies and procedures.
• Prepare and distribute workshop and mission materials, ensuring all logistical and administrative arrangements are completed in advance.
• Liaise with vendors, venues and participants to ensure smooth execution of events and timely resolution of logistical issues.

3. Procurement and Administrative Support

• Support procurement processes, including preparation of requisitions, purchase orders (POs) and payment requests in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
• Verify supporting documentation, invoices and contractual deliverables for accuracy and compliance with UNODC Financial Rules and Regulations.
• Assist in the review of tenders, evaluation processes and contract administration, including amendments and extensions.
• Maintain accurate and organized documentation of all procurement, financial and administrative activities for audit and reference.
• Support operational and financial monitoring by updating procurement and payment tracking systems.

4. Administrative and Logistical Support to Senior Management

• Provide administrative and logistical support to senior management, including scheduling, mission planning and preparation of travel documentation.
• Support coordination of senior-level meetings, donor/partner engagements, and high-level visits, including minute-taking and follow-up on action items.
• Process operational advances, minor procurement requests, and other administrative transactions in line with established protocols.

5. Knowledge Building and Sharing

• Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on project management.
• Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
• Conduct research on project management-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.

Required

• Secondary school (High School or equivalent)) with 5 years of relevant experience

Desired

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with 1 years of relevant experience is desired.

Required

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience (combined with a Secondary School diploma), or 1 year of relevant experience (combined with a first university degree) is required.
• Relevant experience must be in project management or similar fields.
• Demonstrable proficiency in the use of collaboration and productivity tools (e.g. MS Office, G-Suite, etc) and web-based management systems.

Desired

• Some experience of working in a UN System organization is desired.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• 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.