Programme Management Assistant

The Programme Management Assistant supports programme/project planning, financial monitoring, payment administration, and reporting within the Climate Change Division of UNEP. The role involves coordination of project operations, budget review, payment processing, and data analysis to support climate change mitigation and transparency initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Assists in the coordination of programme/project planning and preparation work for programme/project initiatives; monitors status of programme/project proposals and receipt of relevant documentation for review and approval.
• Reviews programme/project documents, especially cost estimates and budgets, for completeness and compliance with relevant rules and procedures prior to submission for final approval and signature; identifies inconsistencies; distributes project documents to relevant parties upon approval.
• Assists in preparing documents including legal agreements, for UNEP project internalization and revision processes, and provide inputs to ensure complete UNEP clearance and approval processes.
• Assist in preparation/finalization/review of budget revisions; verifies availability of funds; ensures necessary approval and entry in UMOJA.
• Monitors expenditures and compares with approved budget; prepares adjustments as necessary.
• Assist with the coordination of programme/project implementation activities, involving extensive liaison with a diverse organizational unit to initiate requests, obtain necessary clearances, process and follow-up on programme/project operations.
• Review of reports from executing partners (expenditure reports, audit reports, inventory reports etc), disbursement of funds and travel arrangements.
• Prepares financial closure of projects.
• Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.
• Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.
• Drafts correspondence on budget-related issues and prepares and updates periodic reports, briefing notes, graphic and statistical summaries, accounting spreadsheets, etc.
• Assists in review and finalization of cash advance requests for payments to the executing agencies.
• Provide guidance to executing agencies in order for them to complete the document correctly.
• Reviews incoming payment instructions with regard to banking details and sources of funds.
• Prepares payments for final disbursement by Cashier.
• Dispatches payment instructions to UNON Treasury and provides remittance advices to Executing Agencies.
• Notifies payees of status of payments.
• Assists staff members, consultants, executing agencies, the GEF Secretariat and the GEF Coordination Office, UNEP regarding queries on payment/funding issues.
• Files and archives electronic documentation as required.
• Organize and schedule meetings, consultations, as required, and prepare briefing notes, minutes, follow up where required.
• Drafts routine correspondence with respect to enquiries related to relevant financial and budget matters.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Relevant training and/or qualifications in business administration, finance or accounting is desirable.
• A minimum of five (5) years progressive working in administration, finance or budget for project operations support is required.
• The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to three (3) years for candidates who possess a first level university degree.
• Experience in analyzing project financial data and reports is required.
• Experience in grant management and donor reporting is required.
• Experience working with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as UMOJA is required.
• Experience in applying the financial rules and regulations of the United Nations or a similar international organization, as well as the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), is required.
• Work experience of one (1) year or more in data analytics or related area is desirable.
• English is required at UN Level III proficiency.
• Portuguese and Spanish are desirable at UN Level II proficiency.

Skills

• Project Finance Analysis
• Grant Management
• Donor Reporting
• Enterprise Resource Planning
• Umoja
• UN Financial Rules
• IPSAS
• Budget Review
• Payment Processing
• Data Analysis
• Project Operations Support

Languages

English, Portuguese, Spanish