Project Associate - Social and Human Sciences

The Project Associate will provide programme, administrative, financial and coordination support to the implementation of the UNESCO–NIKE “Kickstart Her Future – India” project and other SHS Sector extrabudgetary activities. The role involves project planning, budget administration, monitoring and reporting, stakeholder engagement, research, and support to other sector projects.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the preparation and updating of project work plans, activity schedules, implementation trackers and monitoring tools.
• Support the coordination and logistical organization of project activities, meetings, consultations, workshops, training sessions and events.
• Liaise with implementing partners, consultants and service providers regarding operational and administrative matters and follow up on agreed actions.
• Maintain project implementation records and monitor progress against planned activities and timelines, bringing delays or issues to the attention of the supervising officer.
• Support the organization and documentation of Project Steering Committee meetings, including preparation of background materials, meeting notes and follow-up actions.
• Assist with the coordination of research, training and resource development activities by facilitating communication among stakeholders and tracking deliverables.
• Support the preparation, translation, adaptation and dissemination of project materials and resources as required.
• Monitor implementation schedules and maintain project documentation to facilitate effective project delivery.
• Monitor project expenditures against approved budgets and maintain budget tracking spreadsheets and financial monitoring tools.
• Prepare financial information and supporting documentation for budget reviews, financial reporting exercises and donor reporting requirements.
• Assist in the preparation of contracts, purchase requisitions, purchase orders and other administrative documents in accordance with UNESCO procedures.
• Track consultant and service provider deliverables and assist in processing payments following verification by the responsible officer.
• Compile financial and administrative information required for project reporting and audits.
• Provide administrative and financial support to other SHS Sector projects as required.
• Support implementation of the project monitoring framework through collection, compilation and organization of project data.
• Maintain monitoring tools, indicator tracking systems and project databases.
• Assist with baseline, endline and other assessment exercises through coordination of logistics, data collection and documentation processes.
• Compile information and draft inputs for progress reports, donor reports, briefing notes and project updates.
• Maintain project records and institutional documentation in UNESCO corporate systems, including SharePoint and SISTER.
• Support the preparation of periodic reporting requirements and contribute administrative and statistical information as requested.
• Support communication and information exchange among UNESCO, implementing partners, consultants and relevant stakeholders.
• Assist in organizing coordination meetings, consultations and workshops with project stakeholders.
• Draft routine correspondence, meeting records and follow-up communications.
• Facilitate logistical arrangements for engagement with government institutions and partner organizations.
• Support outreach and visibility activities through preparation of communication materials, event documentation and content for dissemination.
• Support UNESCO’s engagement with government stakeholders to build ownership of SBCS approaches and support their integration into institutional sport and physical education systems.
• Support liaison with UNESCO Headquarters on technical matters related to the project and to global UNESCO sport policy frameworks.
• Conduct background research and information gathering on issues relevant to project implementation.
• Compile, organize and summarize information, data and reference materials to support project activities.
• Assist in the preparation of concept notes, presentations, briefing materials and knowledge products.
• Maintain project files, databases and knowledge management systems.
• Ensure project documentation and outputs are properly archived and accessible.
• Provide programme, administrative and logistical support to other SHS Sector projects as required.
• Assist in gathering information and background materials for project development initiatives.
• Contribute administrative inputs to concept notes, reports and funding proposals as requested.
• Undertake other tasks as requested by the Director, the SHS Programme Specialist, and /or National Project Officer, as required.

Requirements

• A minimum of a post-secondary qualification (diploma, certificate, or university degree) in business administration, social sciences, international relations, or a related field.
• A minimum of four (4) years of relevant professional experience in project management, programme coordination, or a related field, with the ability to support multiple project activities simultaneously.
• Demonstrated experience in budget management and financial reporting.
• Experience supporting the preparation of Terms of Reference, contract administration, procurement processes, and coordination with consultants, implementing partners, and service providers.
• Experience supporting stakeholder consultations, partnership activities, and coordination with government institutions, implementing partners, and other stakeholders, including the organization of meetings, workshops, and consultation processes.
• Experience supporting monitoring and reporting activities, including data collection, maintenance of tracking tools, compilation of information, and preparation of inputs for project monitoring and evaluation exercises.
• Good organizational and coordination skills, with the ability to support multiple project activities simultaneously.
• Ability to work under supervision while managing competing priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural team environment and under pressure.
• Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English.
• Good knowledge (written and spoken) of Hindi.
• Experience in the thematic areas of gender equality in sport, safe sport, adolescent girl empowerment, physical education, coach education, or safeguarding in sport contexts (desirable).
• Experience in UNESCO’s programmes and/or normative tools, particularly in the field of Social and Human Sciences or sport policy (desirable).
• Experience working with the United Nations system, multilateral organisations, or in a development cooperation context (desirable).
• Experience with inter-agency mechanisms of the United Nations system (desirable).
• Experience working with an Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP), particularly SAP (desirable).
• Good knowledge of UNESCO’s work and of UNESCO’s Sport Section priorities, including the Fit for Life Global Sport Alliance and UNESCO’s framework of Global Policy Standards for Inclusive, Equitable and Safe Sport (desirable).
• Familiarity with NIKE’s Body Confident Sport programmes or similar evidence-based sport confidence and safeguarding frameworks (desirable).
• Knowledge of the socio-cultural and sport policy landscape in India, including awareness of the National Education Policy (2020) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for India (desirable).
• Knowledge of research methodologies applicable to qualitative studies and needs assessments in a sport and gender equality context (desirable).

Skills

• Project Management
• Programme Coordination
• Budget Management
• Financial Reporting
• Contract Administration
• Procurement Procedures
• Multi-Stakeholder Consultation
• Partnership Coordination
• Meeting Organization
• Workshop Facilitation
• Monitoring and Reporting
• Data Collection
• Tracking Tools Development
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Enterprise Resource Planning
• SAP
• Research Methodology
• Needs Assessment
• Qualitative Research
• Sport Policy
• Gender Equality in Sport

Languages

English, Hindi