EXTERNAL VACANCY NOTICE BH/SAR/15/UNOPS/01 Office of the

EXTERNAL VACANCY NOTICE
BH/SAR/15/UNOPS/01
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bosnia and
Herzegovina is looking for qualified and highly motivated candidates interested to apply for the
following position:
Position title:
Programme Assistant
Duty Station:
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Contract type:
UNOPS Local ICA Support
Contract level:
LICA-4
Duration:
Until 31 December 2015 (initial contract)
Date of Entry on Duty:
As soon as possible
Application Deadline:
23 January 2015
_______________________________________________________________________
1. GENERAL BACKGROUND
The main objective of this project is to retain UNHCR BiH operational capacity to ensure the
protection of human, social and economic rights of persons of concern to UNHCR. UNOPS
staff will be involved in all sectors of UNHCR activities, in the promotion of basic rights, and
the extension of UNHCR protection to its persons of concern.
UNHCR began working in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1991. Today, the mission works with
five distinct groups across the country (refugees and asylum seekers, persons at risk of
statelessness, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees), each of which has specific
protection needs and require targeted assistance to reach a durable solution. UNHCR works
closely with the authorities at all levels in order to build their capacity and to strengthen the
response mechanism. This is complemented by direct interventions through UNHCR’s
implementing partners (legal aid, livelihoods, basic household support, etc.) which assist
persons of concern to achieve a durable solution.
2. ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The incumbent of the position will work in the Programme Unit and will provide clerical
assistance to ensure a smooth workflow and correct and timely implementation of general
programme and administrative tasks related to the project. The incumbent will always function
under direct supervision of the Assistant Programme Officer who is required to monitor the
performance of the incumbent and provide regular guidance. Subject to the nature of the
tasks/assignment, the incumbent will work independently on routine tasks, while will follow
instructions of the supervisor for more complex issues. As per specific instructions, the
incumbent may require liaising with other internal and external entities to ensure effective
delivery of services and achievement of objectives. The incumbent is expected to be able to deal
with multiple tasks in a courteous and service oriented manner with often short deadlines, and
fluctuating workload.
3. PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF ASSIGNMENT
The position requires knowledge of general programme and administrative procedures. The
nature of certain functions requires confidentiality. The most typical functions may include:
Page 1 of 3
- Collect and maintain data on project activities; Maintain hard and electronic office files and
records;
- Prepare background materials, working papers and tables for briefing and review sessions;
- Draft official correspondence, documents and reports, as required, on routine matters and/or
for clearance by the supervisor and ensure follow-up;
- Collect data on the implementation and performance of IPs agreements;
- Support the coordination and prioritization of tasks assisgned to partners in the areas of needs
assessment, beneficiary selection and delivery of results;
- Undertake field visits and accompany programme monitoring missions;
- Following instructions from the supervisor, liaise with other relevant units to make logistic and
administrative arrangements for meeting, seminars, and workshops;
- As and when requested, attend meetings and take minutes and/or notes of the proceedings;
- Prepare informal written translations, if necessary;
- Liaise at an appropriate level with other Units/Sections, HQ services, Country Offices in the
region, as applicable, to facilitate the work of the Unit;
- Any other responsibilities/functions deemed necessary or as delegated by the direct supervisor.
4. MONITORING AND PROGREES CONTROL
- Implementing partners’ activities are regularly monitored and reported in compliance with
established guidelines and procedures;
- Analysis, reports, and other produced documents are of good quality and are prepared in a
timely manner;
- Efficient filing system is in place.
5. QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
a. Education
- Completion of Secondary education. Post-secondary training/certificate in Business
Administration, Social Science, or related field would be an asset.
b. Work Experience
- Minimum 4 years of previous job experience relevant to the function.
c. Key Competencies
- Excellent computer skills (MS Office). Ability to work in Excel at advanced level;
- Excellent written and spoken English and fluency in local B/C/S languages;
- Excelent analytical skills.
d. Desirable qualifications and competencies:
- Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific external training relevant to functions
of the position;
- Knowledge of UNHCR specific programmes (MSRP, FOCUS, etc);
- Prior exposure to UNHCR refugee operations and functions relating to field office
administration and programme activities;
- Ability to deal with multiple tasks in a courteous and service oriented manner in a demanding
working conditions that often have short deadlines;
- Strive to live up to high ethical and professional standards;
- An outgoing personality with service oriented attitudes;
- Competencies: Analyticial thinking; Planning and Organizing, Technological Awareness.
Page 2 of 3
Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications (consisting of a letter of interest,
personal CV, and the completed UN Personal History (P.11) form) to UNHCR Sarajevo,
Administration Unit, Fra Andjela Zvizdovica 1/B4, 71000 Sarajevo, or by e-mail to the e-mail
address bsnsa@unhcr.org, referring to the Vacancy Notice Reference BH/SAR/15/UNOPS/01.
The P.11 form is available at the UNHCR BiH website www.unhcr.ba.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
- The selected candidate will have an external contract (UNOPS);
- The selection process consists of interviewing successful short-listed candidates only;
- Incomplete applications or applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
Sarajevo, 14 January 2015
Page 3 of 3

Download Report