2021-05-25

Project Assistant – Hargeisa, Somaliland

Hargeisa, Somaliland
Posted on May 25, 2021

UN-Habitat

Project Assistant – Hargeisa, Somaliland

United Nations Human Settlements Programme
		P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi 00100, KENYA
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

	ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION:	UN-HABITAT
	DUTY STATION:	Hargeisa
	FUNCTIONAL TITLE:	Project Assistant
	GRADE:	SB 3

	POST DURATION	12 months, renewable to performance and funds
		availability
	CLOSING DATE:	31^st May 2021
BACKGROUND

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. UN-Habitat helps the urban poor by transforming cities into safer, healthier, greener places with better opportunities where everyone can live in with dignity. It works with organizations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society and the private sector to help build, manage, plan and finance sustainable urban development. The post is located within the Somalia Programme, Regional Office for Africa (ROAF).

Under a grant from the European Union and with additional support from the Somaliland Development Fund, UN-Habitat has been implementing a USD 25 million Hargeisa Urban Water Supply Upgrading Project (HUWSUP) project to rehabilitate and upgrade the principal water supply for Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland. The project is of national importance and is the single largest infrastructure grant from the EU to assist the Somaliland authorities with its key development priorities of water supply rehabilitation and expansion.

Berbera Urban Development(BUDP) project implemented by UN-Habitat and funded by the European Union, aims to strengthen capacities for urban development by supporting the municipality of Berbera (Somaliland) in the areas of urban management, planning and basic service delivery. The overall objective of the Berbera Urban Development project is to contribute to inclusive and sustainable urban development and economic growth in Berbera through improved waste management infrastructure and services.

The overall objective of the post is to provide support to UN-Habitat’s urban water, infrastructure and development projects in Somaliland, with the following core tasks:

Provide logistic and the day-to-day administrative support to HUWSUP and BUDP activities.
Provide support to the National Project Officer in the day-to-day management and operations of the Hargeisa and Berbera Offices.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall coordination of the Officer in Charge, the Project Assistant will report directly to the Output Manager of HUWSUP (on HUWSUP matters), the Project Manager of BUDP (on BUDP matters) and the National Project Officer (on Hargeisa and Berbera office issues) and will perform the following duties:

United Nations Human Settlements Programme P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi 00100, KENYA

Liaise with the Admin and Finance section of the UN-Habitat Hargeisa office on all admin-finance procedures and processed for HUWSUP and BUDP.
Liaise with the Projects Assistants in Nairobi to ensure the timely delivery of services and goods.
Monitor expenditure under HUWSUP Government contribution through HWA, provide financial overviews and submit expenditure records wit receipts for review and signature.
Send the HUWSUP and BUDP staff movement/Annual leaf plan on weekly/monthly basis to Habitat office.
Be responsible for day-to-day project correspondence, information sharing and filing ensuring that appropriate follow-up actions are taken. Assist in preparing staff movement.
Process, monitor and attend to the local procurement of goods and services and maintain regular contact with the Project Assistants in Nairobi.
Follow up on the local procurement and maintenance of project equipment and office supplies and other tasks assigned by the project manager
Ensure that all there is an up-to-date schedule of the workplans of all HUWSUP and BUDP staff.
Ensure that there are strong linkages between BUDP, HUWSUP and other projects implemented under the main UN-Habitat office in Hargeisa and regularly liaise with other logistics, admin and finance staff.
Manage and monitor the transport arrangements for HUWSUP and BUDP; monitor vehicle use, fuel consumption and consumables; verify and submit monthly invoices for payment.
Assist in the administration of HR issues for HUWSUP and BUDP staff between Habitat office in Nairobi.

COMPETENCIES

Professionalism: Knowledge and experience in project logistics and administration, basic office management, communication and public relations, including familiarisation with key software and communication tools.

Planning and Organization: Ability to work under pressure, establish priorities and plan, develop clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies, and use time efficiently.

Communication: Excellent written communication skills in Somali and English, with the ability to articulate ideas in a clear and articulate manner; the ability to prepare and edit a variety of documents, reports and briefs.

Team Player: Able to motivate and work in harmony with field staff, partners and stakeholders; strong sense of initiative; and willingness towards long working days if needed

Proactive: Results oriented; independent; and able to identify and carry out duties and responsibilities with minimum supervision

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Diploma in project management, business administration or similar is required

Work Experience

Proven work experience of at least least 2 years’ experience working with NGOs / UN in administration is required. Strong skills in basic computer applications such as MS Word, MS Excel and MS Powerpoint is required. Experience with UN-supported projects is desirable. Experience working with major stakeholders, such as government, NGOs and community organisations is desirable

United Nations Human Settlements Programme P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi 00100, KENYA

Language

Strong written and oral skills in both English and Somali are a requirement.

Other skills

Proactive, results oriented, independent, able to identify and carry out duties and responsibilities with minimum supervision. Mature, professional, supportive and cooperative in all matters within the work setting, problem-solving oriented. Maintain confidentiality with regards to all work-related issues.

PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THE DEADLINE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

How to Apply

Applications should include:

Motivation letter (maximum 1 page)
Completed United Nation Personal History Form (P.11) marked “Project Assitant_Berbera Urban Development Project”

Qualified women are highly encouraged to submit their application.

Assessment Method

Evaluation of qualified candidates includes an assessment exercise which will be followed by competency-based interview and written test for short-listed candidates.

All applications should be submitted to:

Officer-in-Charge

UN-Habitat Somalia

P.O. Box 30030, Nairobi, Kenya

Email: Officer-in-Charge, UN-Habitat Somalia: unhabitat-som@un.org

Deadline for applications: 31^st May 2021