National Project Assistant

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The cooperation between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Ukraine has been designed to reinforce national capacities and to contribute to the broader development of agriculture, sustainable management of forests and fisheries, and animal and plant disease control. FAO is also contributing to building resilience and supporting early recovery in conflict-affected regions by supporting the economic recovery of farmers and rural communities. FAO’s presence in Ukraine has been scaled up across it three offices located in Kyiv, Lviv; Kharkiv and Dnipro under the overall responsibility of the Head of the FAO Office/Designated Responsible Officer in Ukraine.

The recent and large-scale escalation in hostilities in Ukraine is exacerbating the already dire food security situation of the most vulnerable rural households and small farmers. In response to the evolving situation, FAO Ukraine is scaling up its emergency humanitarian and resilience programming in conflict-affected areas of Ukraine, including previous areas of focus such as Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson; Lviv and Zakarpattia in the West; and newly affected and newly accessible areas. In order to address the rapidly deteriorating situation, FAO us guided by its Rapid Response Plan (RRP) that is aligned with the Humanitarian 
Response Plan (HRP) and the UN’s Transitional Framework for Ukraine land focuses on responding to immediate needs by providing life and livelihood-saving assistance to the most vulnerable smallholder farming households impacted by the conflict as well as to providing urgent support to the country’s agrifood sector which contributes to both national and international food security. Supporting the capacity of the Government of Ukraine to sustain critical food system services is also a key pillar of the Plan.

The role is in-office, based in Kyiv.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Office and the Head of Programme, the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator, and in close coordination with administrative units, relevant project personnel in Ukraine, the Regional Office (REU) and Headquarters, as needed.

Technical Focus

The National Project Assistant plays a crucial role in ensuring effective management and coordination within the Mine Action project.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Assistant will be responsible for providing and assisting in programmatic and operational support to the implementation of relevant projects in Ukraine, including:

•    Support the Programme team and the Project Coordinator(s) in preparation of documents and activities related to project implementation, such as:
·    Preparation and record of work plans, procurement plans, communication plans, minutes of meetings and other project related documents;
·    Drafting of purchase requisitions and processing of related documentation with guidance of the respective project coordinator;
·    Prepare data required for operational updates and reporting needs of the projects assigned;
·    Support drafting of Expression of Interest, Call for Proposal, Letters of Agreement processes;
·    Support with managing partners and LoA related activities including preliminary review of progress reports and financial information and supporting documentation;
·    Collect, process and clean, project data, upon needs.
·    Monitor project activities to assess progress, identify potential challenges and issues that could affect project implementation, propose corrective actions, liaise with relevant parties, identify and track follow-up actions. 
·    Contribute to the preparation of progress reports, financial reports, and other documents as required by FAO, donors, and other stakeholders.
•    Provide logistical support to the Project and project consultants in conducting different project activities (workshops, stakeholder consultations, arrangements of field visits, etc.).
•    Facilitate collaboration and partnership-building between FAO, government agencies, local authorities, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders, and organize meetings with beneficiaries, partners, and stakeholders.
•    Support remotely or in the field, the preparation and implementation of farming community surveys related to needs assessment/beneficiary impact assessment, damage and loss assessment, consisting of the formulation of sampling, the development / ad hoc translation of questionnaires and interpretation of meetings, in cooperation with the technical staff and FAO field staff.
•    Assist in the preparation of logistics, materials, and resources for workshops and training sessions.
•    Assist in organizing and coordinating the procurement of services and goods under the project, contribute to the development of procurement plans, preparation of technical specifications, purchase requisitions, etc. 
•    In coordination with the Project Coordinator/Manager, guide the work of consultants and subcontractors and oversee compliance with the agreed work plan;
•    Support the Project Coordinator/Manager(s) in preparation for field trips: agree on the itinerary, agree on the meeting sports with Services providers and local authorities, prepare travel documentation and draft back to office reports.
•    Perform any other related duties and activities as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
   
•    University degree in Agriculture, Business Administration, Economics, Rural Development, or a related technical field.  
•    At least two (2) years of experience supporting administrative and/or operational project activities and/or liaising and facilitating communication between stakeholders 
•    Working knowledge (Level C or native) of English 
•    Working knowledge (Level C or native) Ukrainian and/or Russian 
•    National of Ukraine

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Field experience will be considered an advantage
•    Advanced level degree will be considered an advantage
•    Able to work under pressure and adapt to an evolving and complex humanitarian context and within multidisciplinary and different cultural background teams;
•    Team player with good interpersonal skills, and facilitation/motivational skills;
•    Ability to work under pressure to tight timelines and without direct supervision;
•    Knowledge of humanitarian principles.

Selection Criteria

•    Good knowledge of MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment. Ability to use MS Office software and other information systems and databases to insert data, make enquiries, retrieve/define ad hoc reports and analyses and edit results in an appropriate format.
 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/  
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/ 
•  Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. 

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions. 

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
•  We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT