Career Opportunities at United Nations - 6 Positions

Communications Officer Job Responsibilities

• Liaise with UN-REDD Programme partners and other relevant institutions to ensure continued delivery of the UN-REDD Programme communication strategy.
• Support in policy development on the role of communication in the UN-REDD Programme including through providing input on communications activities for annual and semi-annual Programme Progress Reports.
• Facilitate, under the guidance of the Management Group, development of the 2017-2020 Communications Strategy in support of Programme’s 2016-2020 Strategic Framework.
• Support the inter-agency Communications and Knowledge Management Working Group, including chairing monthly coordination meetings.
• Monitor and analyze current events, public opinion and press, identify issues and trends, and advise management on appropriate action/responses.
• Manage and grow contact lists including: general info subscribers, media, newsletter subscribers, weekly roundup subscribers.
• Support national-level communication teams.
• Point media inquiries to respective REDD representatives and technical experts.
• Report on the achievement of defined communication outcomes
• Facilitate at least four news articles related to achievements of the Programme and/or its Partner Countries for each issue of the newsletter.
• Facilitate at least one opinion piece focused on a key REDD+ topic for the blog each month – authored by a UN-REDD Programme technical expert, Partner Country expert, or guest expert.
• Draft, design and disseminate REDD+ Weekly Round Up
• Manage the design and delivery of the UN-REDD Programme website; as well as the day-to-day content management of the site, including global news announcements.
• Ensure adherence to UN-REDD Programme editorial style guide, templates, logos, etc. and maintain high quality standards of all communication material including through supporting agencies with supply of logos, templates etc
• Manage and populate the Image Bank and YouTube video archive.
• Monitor and report on the uptake / reach of communications material.

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Budget and Finance: Advise and support in management of financial resources:

• Forecast consolidated financial requirements of work area;
• Monitor consolidated budget and project implementation ensuring full liquidity at all times;
• Oversee recognition of revenue of the organization in line with UN rules and regulations, particularly
• International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).
• Participate in the formulation of policies, guidelines and strategies related to the financial and administrative components;
• Provide support with respect to resource requirements for the budget submissions by reviewing, analyzing and providing inputs into finalization of budgets and financial implications;
• Act as the liaison officer with programme management officers (PMOs)

Management accounting:

• Monitor and report on quarterly basis on reconciliation of all project and fund balance on the financial systems in line with the donor agreements and initiate necessary adjustments;
• Assist in the production of monthly UN-HABITAT financial statements and produce a quarterly financial position report for the management;
• Participate in the needs assessment for management reports and the development, design and testing in the
• Project Accrual and Accountability System and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP);
• Participate in the internal working group on the assessment of IPSAS benefits realization within the organization.

Reporting:

• Oversee the preparation, dissemination and follow up on issues arising from the monthly/periodic financial reports sent to PMOs.
• Assist in production of internal year-end instructions on closing of Accounts for PMOs ensuring adherence to financial guidelines provided by UNON and UNHQ.
• Support programme managers during internal and external audits and propose corrective action on audit findings as required.
• Coordinate produce and submit quarterly and annual reports for the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEand specific donors, like United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),
• European Union (EU), Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), etc.
• Perform any other relevant assigned tasks.

Qualifications for the Associate Finance Officer Job

• A first-level university degree in accounting, finance, business or public administration or related area, is required. Additional certification in Accounting is desirable.
• Work Experience administration, budget, business administration or related area, is required.
• Working experience with an accounting module like Enterprise Resource Platform (ERP) system e.g. SAP, is an advantage.
• Experience in implementation of Accounting Standards, including IPSAS, is highly desirable.

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Responsibilities

A.Contributions:
     • Monitors and records extra-budgetary contributions to Science Division;
     • Identifies discrepancies concerning contributions to Science Division and resolves them;
     • Serves as financial focal point for all Science Division’s contributions.

Budget Preparation

• Reviews and analyses data with respect to the finalization of cost estimates and budget proposals, in terms of staff and non-staff requirements for Science Division projects;
• Provides support to managers with respect to the elaboration of resource requirements for budget submissions;
• Provides substantive support to relevant inter-governmental and expert bodies in their budget review; assists in securing approval from the General Assembly;
• Ensures legislative mandates are accurately translated into programme budgets.

Budget Administration

• Issues requests for redeployment of funds when necessary, ensuring appropriate expenditures;
• Monitors Science Division’s budget implementation and determines/recommends reallocation of funds when necessary;
• Monitors Science Division’s expenditures to ensure that they remain within authorized levels;
• Analyses Science Division’s expenditure data for trends and adherence to the Programme of Work;
• Reviews legal instruments with partners to ensure their compliance with UN Financial Regulations and Rules, and UNEP’s Standard Procedures;
• Approves all requisitions for goods and services to ensure correct objects of expenditure have been charged, ensuring availability of funds;
• Certifies Science Division’s Environment Fund and extra –budgetary project expenditures;
• Administers and monitors core and extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations and rules and established policies and procedures;
• Prepares relevant documentation with respect to budget performance submissions;
• Reviews and makes appropriate recommendations with respect to the finalization of budget performance reports analysing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures;
• Provides substantive support to inter-governmental and legislative bodies.

General

• Keeps up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have a bearing on matters related to programme, ensuring compliance with inter-governmental recommendations and decisions as well as with United Nations policies and procedures;
• Monitors and supervises the work of subordinate staff as required.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

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Responsibilities

•Serves as a lead officer in one or more areas of concentration, and independently handles a wide range of multi-discipline and complex legal matters involving issues of international, public, private and administrative law, to include interpretation and application of instruments in that area of concentration, or, for Tribunals, criminal law (both substantive and procedural).

•Provides legal advice on diverse substantive and procedural questions of considerable complexity to the Director-General, which may include those related to UNON administration and management, institutions support, procurement and contracts, peacekeeping and other operational matters, separately administered programmes and funds, criminal investigations and prosecutions, other UN agencies in Kenya etc.

•Performs extensive legal research and analysis and prepares legal opinions, studies, briefs, reports, indictments and correspondence for meetings convened by UNON.

•Prepares legal submissions/motions and gives assistance as necessary in the course of investigations and prosecutions.

•Services diplomatic conferences, commissions, committees, task forces, expert groups and other bodies, including preparation of background materials, summaries of issues and views of delegations, meeting reports, etc. to among other things promote compliance and effective implementation of the United Nations system regulations and rules.

•Reviews, advises on and drafts complex contracts, agreements, institutional and operational modalities that relate to the Constitution and general rules of various Organizations as well as existing agreements of UNON and develops new legal modalities, revisions and recommendations to meet unique needs/circumstances.

•Provides legal advice on the interpretation and application of staff regulations and rules, including the review of administrative decisions; prepares draft amendments to the staff regulations and rules; prepares draft administrative issuances or amendments thereto and verifies their consistency with the existing staff regulation and rules; prepares analyses and evaluations of human resources policies and practices.

•Represents the Secretary-General on more complex cases before arbitral and other tribunal or administrative proceedings and hearings, including disciplinary cases and staff appeals; in Tribunals, acts on behalf of the Prosecutor as co-counsel and provides assistance prior to proceedings before Trial or Appeal Chambers.

•Provides guidance to UNON management and staff on questions of local law and privileges and immunities including Host Country relations and interactions with Host Country at various levels.

•Contributes to review and design of new, or new applications of, legal instruments, policy, guidelines, etc.

•Performs other duties as requested.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of international legal procedures and instruments, both substantive and procedural. Ability to apply legal expertise to analyzing a diverse range of complex and unusual legal issues and problems. Proficiency in legal writing and expression and ability to prepare legal briefs, opinions and a variety of legal instruments and related documents

Communication: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to defend difficult issues and positions to senior officials within the UN system and Host Countries.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals, supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent), in international law or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advance university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in legal matters, including at least five years of international experience is an advantage. Experience in labour law and typical legal issues in the context of employment relations would be an advantage.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable.

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Programme Management Officer Job Responsibilities

Task Manage the GEF climate change Enabling Activity Portfolio by:

• Participate in project inception meetings and Steering Committee meetings with a view to ensure project implementation readiness and sound and timely project implementation;
• Regularly monitor project progress and performance and troubleshooting projects at risk. Informing management of any significant risks or project problems and taking action and following up on decisions made;
• Analyze the quality of the projects outputs and coordinating support to improve their quality when necessary;
• Provide oversight to project execution and in doing so ensuring that all UN Environment and the GEF criteria rules and regulations are adhered to by project partners;
• Monitor reporting by project executing partners and provide rompt feedback on the contents of the report and consolidate progress reports, terminal reports and participate in evaluation for projects;
• Maintain adequate project-related documentation;
• Apply adaptive management principles to the supervision of the project;
• Assist with the preparation of project revisions, ensuring that project revision documentation is complete and in accordance with the GEF requirements;
• Take responsibility to ensure that project is financially closed in a prompt manner after completion of project activities;
• Provide administrative, operational, and technical advice to governments on the GEF climate change enabling activity projects;
• Supervise consultants by designing their terms of reference, setting objectives, standards and monitoring and appraising their performance;
• Ensuring coordination as appropriate of project activities with the activities of other relevant projects;
• Provide guidance to consultants and support staff, setting objectives and standards, monitoring and appraising their performance, identifying training needs and facilitating and environment of team work and high productivity;

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Director – Corporate Services Job Responsibilities

• Providing leadership to the development of innovative and/or change management programmes.
• Coordinating and overseeing the preparation of reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
• Chairs meetings, seminars, etc., on substantive-related issues; represents the Organization at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conference; provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions. Advising on effective implementation modalities for UN Environment’s programmes and projects.
• Coordinating work in the different areas both within the Office, and with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies as appropriate.
• Ensuring that the outputs produced by the Office maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the office/division under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Exercising Quality Control at the organizational level in respect to projects, legal instruments and donor agreements and their compliance with applicable financial rules and regulations, including acting as focal point for audit and the implementation of measures that strengthen performance and financial management.
• Reporting to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme preparation and performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Managing, guiding, developing and training staff under his/her supervision; fostering teamwork and communication among staff in the Office and across organizational boundaries.
• Providing internal capacity building and business process advice, oversight of the executive joint programmes and providing advice on UN Environment’s relationship with the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON),
• Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and other partners.
• Overseeing UN Environment’s information technology requirements and coordinates the knowledge management and training requirements and activities.
• Performs other related duties as requested by the Executive Director of UN Environment.