Project Support Associate (Part-time-50%)[Open to All Applicants]

UNDP Careers; Manama; On-site; BHD 11,000 - 19,000; Full time

Job summary

A United Nations development organization is seeking a Project Support Associate in Manama, Bahrain. The successful candidate will provide administrative support for project activities, ensuring financial compliance and facilitating communication. Candidates should have strong project management experience, with a high school diploma or university degree being preferred. Fluency in both English and Arabic is required for this role.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelor's degree) of responsible experience in project management.
• Fluency in English and Arabic required.
• Experience in dealing with national experts and international institutions.

Responsibilities

• Provide back-office support for project activities.
• Liaise with UNDP country office for compliance.
• Plan and organize meetings and project-related activities.

Skills

Project management

Financial administration

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Education

University Degree in Business Administration

Secondary education

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Overview

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work is carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, offering a spectrum of knowledge to support global perspectives and advocacy. The Global Policy Network (GPN) provides field-based and global technical expertise to support UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

UNDP's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan commits to eradicating poverty, supporting countries on their SDG pathways and contributing to the Paris Agreement. The Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs promote integrated approaches and nature-based solutions to reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods, promote inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and enhance resilient governance systems.

Biodiversity finance tools and solutions help countries achieve biodiversity goals and sustainable development outcomes. Biodiversity Finance Plans identify funding gaps and guide financing; the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework (Dec 2022) includes Target 19 on resource mobilisation, among others. The GEF supports a global programme to design national Biodiversity Finance Plans. The Bahrain project is implemented under the GEF8 Umbrella programme; the overall implementation is led by the Programme Analyst/Project Coordinator with a technical team and in coordination with a government project director and a National Steering Committee.

Duties And Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the UNDP Programme Analyst (Sustainable Growth, Energy, Environment and Gender) and the Project Coordinator, the Project Support Associate will provide back-office/administrative support to the project, including:

• Facilitating procurement
• Financial and administrative tracking of activities and expenses
• Support with communication, facilitation and organization of outreach activities, press releases, project/UNDP/government briefing notes, translations, etc.
• Liaising with UNDP country office and GPMTSU to facilitate financial reporting and compliance, and UNDP procurement compliance
• Facilitating, guiding the work of the national team; managing payment schedules
• Planning for meetings, local and national consultations, trips and other project-related activities
• Ensuring national and international travel is organized smoothly and all travel procedures are followed
• Documenting and sharing records of meetings, decisions and actions
• Supporting Monitoring and Evaluation at the national level, including workshop evaluations
• Any other duties assigned by the Programme Analyst/Project Coordinator relevant to the project

Competencies

Core

• Achieve Results – Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively – Open to creative ideas, pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously – Open minded, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility – Adapts to change, handles ambiguity, flexible
• Act with Determination – Shows drive, delivers calmly under pressure
• Engage and Partner – Builds positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion – Respects differences and confronts discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

• Business Management
• Communication – Manage internal and external communications, including media and social channels
• Administration & Operations – Events management, travel, logistics, and related administration
• Travel Policy and Procedures – Interprets travel policy and manages related processes
• Partnership – Private sector resource mobilization
• Project Management – Planning, organizing and controlling resources to achieve goals
• Finance – Financial planning and budgeting, forecasting, reporting
• Procurement – Acquiring goods, services or works from external sources

Education

Required Skills and Experience

• Secondary education is required, or
• University Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but is not a requirement

Experience

• A minimum of 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in project management, finance, administration, accounting, budgeting

Required Skills

• Experience in dealing with national experts and international institutions
• Strong understanding of key software packages (MS Office)
• Ability to maintain an overview in complex work situations; self-starter in supporting the coordinator with communications and timelines

Desired Skills

• Experience with UNDP/UN policies, procedures and practices, especially in project development and implementation
• CIPS level 2 is highly desirable; if not available, it should be obtained within one year of recruitment
• Specialized training in administration, accounting, finance or related fields is an advantage

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in English and Arabic is required

Equal Opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity and encourages applicants from all backgrounds. Employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. UNDP is committed to an inclusive workplace where personnel can contribute to the mission and benefit from career opportunities.

Other Notices

Sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse of authority are not tolerated. All selected candidates undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to standards and principles. UNDP reserves the right to select multiple candidates and may retain applications for other similar positions at the same grade. For more information, see www.undp.org/scam-alert.