Programme Officer

UNOPS mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need.  Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, UNOPS vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency for cities and human settlements. UN-Habitat’s humanitarian work is guided by its Strategic Policy on Human Settlements in Crisis and the agency is a member of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC).  At the core of UN- Habitat’s work is UN-Habitat People’s Process and New Urban Agenda which places participatory urban analysis, and planning as a central pillar of humanitarian response, recovery, and the rehabilitation in a post conflict context.

UN-Habitat has been active in Iraq since 1996 under the Oil for Food Programme. After 2003, UN-Habitat was largely engaged in early recovery efforts, particularly supporting internally displaced persons (IDPs) through the provision of shelter and reconstruction solutions. Since then, the portfolio of UN-Habitat Iraq has expanded beyond emergency responses to include both humanitarian programmes, such as providing IDPs with shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, and promoting urban recovery of areas affected by conflict, and developmental programmes that provide technical support to address durable solutions for IDPs and informal settlers and essential capacity building for relevant government institutions. UN-Habitat Iraq follows a multi-dimensional and coherent approach in tackling diverse urban issues. These range from emergency response such as providing safe and basic shelter for IDPs, to projects that aim to build and develop the capacities of local and national governments in planning and managing urbanization, to more theoretical endeavours including research and analysis on the dynamics of urbanization and the impacts of armed conflict.

The objective of this assignment is to support the programme management in relation to legal agreements, procurement, assets management and related administration.

The incumbent reports to the Head Programme of UN-Habitat-Iraq. 

The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS. 

UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Head of the UN-Habitat Iraq Country Programme and/or his/her designate, the Programme Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

• Works in coordination with relevant branches at Headquarter (HQ) and Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS) to support project implementation and ensure enhanced programme coordination;

• Identifies opportunities for new programme/project development including joint programming with other UN agencies;

• Analyses, researches, and provides inputs for the preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation to initiate new projects;

• Supports the Head of Country Programme in the day-to-day management of the assigned projects.

• Supports the Head of Country Programme with strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, and implementing of the projects, tracking the use of financial resources in accordance with the Donor agreements, and organising annual and quarterly work plans and progress reviews.

• Participates in or leads field missions in close coordination with the Head of Country Programme and the field team to check quality, technical, and operational compliance.

• Develops relevant technical documents for Donor reporting such as the Biannual Report, Annual Report, and financial documents. 

• Provides substantive backstopping and support to consultative and other meetings, workshops, conferences, etc. with Donors, Government Counterparts, Community Leaders, I/NGOs, CSOs, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders including proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of background documents, developing presentations, etc.

• Drafts communications materials to support the organisation of visibility and advocacy materials such as social media updates, press releases, and key messages in coordination with the Communications Team. 

• Prepares various written outputs such as concept notes, project summaries, progress reports, field visit reports, tender documents etc.

• Supports the creation of resource mobilisation strategies and takes part in activities to maintain donor relations such as visits to Embassies and high-level meetings. 

• Prepares draft budgets and project proposals for new projects and extensions of ongoing projects, as required.

• Facilitates the integration and mainstreaming of priority cross-cutting areas such as gender equality and women’s empowerment, youth, and people with disability/ies in project proposals; 

• Represents the UN-Habitat Iraq Country Programme at various Inter-Agency meetings;

• Performs other duties as assigned by the Head of Country Programme. 

Outputs/Deliverables:

The incumbent is expected to submit the following during the course of his/her assignment: 

• Monthly Activity Reports detailing the activities carried out in day-to-day operations

Professionalism: 

Strong conceptual skills. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery in the UN-Habitat focus areas of Urban Recovery, Urban Planning and Design, Housing and Slum Upgrading; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

Teamwork: 

Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team short comings.

Planning and Organizing: 

Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Academic Qualification 

• An advanced degree in Politics, International Relations, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Law, or other relevant field of studies is required; A first-level university degree with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

Experience 

• Minimum 02 years of relevant experience is required.

• Experience in Project Support and implementation is required.

• Experience in developing technical documents for project and programme planning is required;

• Experience in coordination and facilitation of complex multi-stakeholder forums, workshops, roundtables engaging with multiple partners and stakeholders is required;

• Excellent writing skills in preparing briefs, reports, and other communications materials is required; 

• Experience coordinating with Government Counterparts (Ministries), Donors, and other UN Agencies is required; 

• Experience working on projects related to HLP rights of IDPs and minorities, with a focus on cross-cutting issues (gender, youth, people with disability/ies), is required;

Desirable:

• Direct or indirect experience working on projects funded by The Government of the Republic of Korea (KOICA) is highly desirable; 

• Experience working in the field of international development in Iraq or in the MENA region is highly desirable;

• Prior work experience with the UN is an added advantage;

• Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others;

• Excellent interpersonal, networking and communication skills;

• Wiliness to contribute and work as part of the team;

• Flexible and open to learning and new experiences; and

• Respect for diversity and adaptability to diverse cultures, environments and living conditions.

Language 

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nation Secretariat, for this position fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Fluency in Korean is desirable, and knowledge of Arabic is an asset.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.