Job Description
Contribute to impactful project success by providing essential administrative and coordination support across planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting, ensuring seamless project delivery.
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations that supports the effective implementation of its partners’ projects in the humanitarian, peacebuilding and development fields. In line with its mandate, UNOPS is a central resource for the United Nations and provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations entities. With more than 7,000 staff members in 80 countries, UNOPS provides its partners with logistical, technical and management capabilities as needed. The organisation simultaneously implements approximately 1,000 projects per year for its partners, contributing to the achievement of results on the ground, often in some of the world’s most challenging contexts.
The Republic of Mali is a country in West Africa covering an area of 1,241,238 km2, with an estimated population of 19.7 million in 2019. It is the second largest country in West Africa. Mali is a landlocked country, bordering Mauritania and Senegal to the west, Burkina Faso and Niger to the east, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea to the south, and Algeria to the north.
With 14,606 cases recorded on 4 August 2021, Mali has been relatively spared by the COVID-19 pandemic (0.29% of confirmed cases in Africa). To date, the country has recorded 13,962 recoveries and 534 deaths, representing a fatality rate of 3.82% and a recovery rate of 95.59%.
To support the Government of Mali in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has allocated funding to the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) for the development of medical infrastructure to combat COVID-19 and strengthen the country’s medical facilities. UNOPS was requested to provide support as the implementing agency for the construction, installation and equipping of this infrastructure.
The objective of this project is to strengthen the capacities of the Malian health system in general and the INSP (National Institute of Public Health) in particular in response to the COVID-19 pandemic through the development of medical infrastructure.
More specifically, the project aims to acquire, install and equip seven (7) modular clinics, construct and equip one (1) P2 laboratory, and acquire and install two (2) -65°C cold rooms (containerised, 20 feet). In the long term, this project will enhance Mali’s technical healthcare capabilities.
The Project Management Support Senior Assistant provides administrative support to ensure effective delivery of projects. The role supports project planning, monitoring, reporting, logistics, communications and documentation.
Project Support
- Provide administrative and coordination support for project planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting in compliance with UNOPS rules, regulations and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- Assist in tracking project progress, deliverables, contracts, travel, workshops, and grants, ensuring timely follow-up and accurate documentation.
- Support the preparation of reports, briefing materials, and internal meeting notes for management and stakeholders.
- Maintain tracking tools and ensure that project and operational data are up to date and properly archived.
- Participate in regular team meetings to report on progress, upcoming priorities, and coordination needs.
Travel, Logistics and Workshop Support
- Coordinate and organize logistics for meetings, workshops, conferences and steering committee events, including travel, accommodation, catering and security arrangements.
- Process travel authorizations, expense claims, and reimbursements for personnel and partners in line with UNOPS policies and procedures.
- Prepare and distribute workshop and mission materials, ensuring all logistical and administrative arrangements are completed in advance.
- Liaise with vendors, venues and participants to ensure smooth execution of events and timely resolution of logistical issues/committee events, including travel, accommodation, catering and security arrangements.
Procurement and Administrative Support
- Support procurement processes, including preparation of requisitions, purchase orders (POs) and payment requests in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
- Verify supporting documentation, invoices and contractual deliverables for accuracy and compliance with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations.
- Assist in the review of tenders, evaluation processes and contract administration, including amendments and extensions.
- Maintain accurate and organized documentation of all procurement, financial and administrative activities for audit and reference.
- Support operational and financial monitoring by updating procurement and payment tracking systems.
Administrative and Logistical Support to Senior Management
- Provide administrative and logistical support to senior management, including scheduling, mission planning and preparation of travel documentation.
- Support coordination of senior-level meetings, donor/partner engagements, and high-level visits, including minute-taking and follow-up on action items.
- Process operational advances, minor procurement requests, and other administrative transactions in line with established protocol.
Knowledge Building and Sharing
- Support the organization, facilitation and delivery of training and learning sessions on project management.
- Participate in knowledge-sharing initiatives and Communities of Practice (CoPs), contributing insights and lessons learned.
- Conduct research on project management-related topics and contribute to the drafting of reports, summaries and briefing notes.
