Project Financial and Administrative Assistant

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Job Description

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Under the overall authority of the Director of UNESCO Almaty Regional Office, the direct supervision of the GEF Project Manager, and overall supervision of the Programme Specialist, Natural Sciences unit, the incumbent shall provide financial assistance to the implementation of the GEF-UNDP-UNESCO Project (hereafter “Project”) on “Strengthening the resilience of Central Asian countries by enabling regional cooperation to assess glacio-nival systems to develop integrated methods for sustainable development and adaptation to climate change”.

In particular, the incumbent will perform the following key functions:

Provide support in Project management, budgeting and administration. The tasks include the following:

Assisting the GEF Project Manager in day-to-day management and oversight of project activities.
Making all the necessary logistical arrangements for seminars, workshops, meetings and other events, including communication with partners/participants, travel arrangements, visa support, local transportation, conducting competitive bidding for contractors providing lodging/venue/translation services/etc., organizing any other necessary activities for the successful and smooth conduct of events.
Providing administrative and financial support in Project procurement activities, in liaison with the Administrative Unit: preparing procurement work plan, making cost estimates, drafting contracts’ assignments/terms of reference, identifying proper contract modalities, organizing and following up on tenders/biddings, searching and selecting vendors, coordinating with contracted organizations.
Processing contracts in UNESCO’s computerized system DUO, prepare/submit/follow up with payment requests, coordinate contract timelines and follow-up with contractors, as necessary, or with Project staff to ensure effective and timely implementation of Project activities, all other procurement-related actions.
Monitoring budget status of implemented activities on Project funding, such as budgets for events, contracts, travels, and staff.
Assist in preparation and analysis of budget proposals, evaluations, audit, and operational and financial closure of the contracts, in coordination with the Project team.
Preparation of reports on budget revisions, expenditures and obligations, verification of the availability of funds and documentation in the budget system and in reporting process to the donor.
Preparation of memos and correspondence related to administrative and budgetary matters, obtaining necessary clearances, processing and follow-up on administrative actions related to programme implementation, e.g. recruitment and appointment of personnel, travel arrangements, training/study tours, authorization of payments, disbursement of funds, procurement of equipment and services, security compliance.
Maintenance of appropriate records of programme and financial expenditure both at the UNESCO Almaty Regional Office and country levels and reporting on them. Also, collection of and reporting on the financial and progress reports of the implementing partners.
Contribution to other necessary financial and administrative activities related to the Project implementation.

Facilitate travel arrangements:

Prepare travel requests and files for official travels of the concerned staff as well as Project stakeholders, organize them, and ensure follow-up in close cooperation with the Administration Unit.
Undertake any other related tasks or assignment requested. The contract holder undertakes to carry out the tasks with care and diligence and due attention to detail.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

Completed higher education degree in economy, finance, administration, management, international relations, and other related social and/or natural sciences field.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Minimum 3 years of relevant work experience in programme/project support or administrative service acquired at the national or international level.
Experience in handling web-based management systems.
Working experience within UNESCO or other UN agencies preferably with UN projects and/or GEF-funded projects.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

Ability to work as part of a multi-cultural team, to take initiative and to provide quality and timely support and services.
Good interpersonal and communication skills, including ability to draft correspondence and correct documents.
Good organizational, coordination skills and flexibility.
Ability to take ownership of given tasks and demonstrate proactivity.
Ability to interpret rules and manage priorities in order to meet tight deadlines.
Discretion and capacity to deal efficiently and tactfully with people of different cultural and social backgrounds.
Ability to work under stress and cope with multiple tasks.
Good ICT skills with proficiency in the use of MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.).

LANGUAGES