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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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For every child, the right to commitment

The post of Programme Assistant at UNICEF Office in Salvador/BA is part of the current organigram of Country Programme of UNICEF-Brazil. This position plays an important role as it is responsible for the administrative and financial tasks assuring effective support for programmatic implementation and partnerships of the Field Office, as well as strengthening the implementation’s capacities to monitor, execute, and report.

How can you make a difference?

Under the general supervision of the Chief of Field Office in Salvador, the Programme assistant will be responsible for executing a broad variety of standardized administrative, financial and programme tasks providing professional assistance and support to: programme development and implementation; monitoring and reporting of results programme; financial programmatic management control for the Field Office; and administrative functions related to all office services.  

The performance of these activities aims to contribute to the strengthening of a sub-national presence and cooperation of UNICEF in Bahia, Minas Gerais, and Sergipe states. Being aligned with the principles, values and priorities of the organization, these activities will directly contribute to the achievement of UNICEF Country Programme results and Management outcomes.   

Into a teamwork environment and based on sensitive and well-defined equity and gender results, this position will provide an on-going assistance on administrative and operational activities in the office and offer appropriated support and collaboration to UNICEF’s counterparties in these three states and their capital and municipalities. 

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Facilitating the processing of contracts for consultants, vendors, and external partners that support the office in programme delivery. This includes preparing and filing documents, completing necessary forms and templates, uploading Terms of References (TOR) in the system (SAP, VISION), and making necessary logistical arrangements. Keeps vendor lists, partners, and consultant rosters up to-date.
• Review and process payments, collect invoices, and file documents for approval and thereafter processing in VISION and service gateway.
• Preparing and maintaining records, documents, and control plans for the monitoring of project/programme implementation and financial expenditures.
• Supporting the management of administrative supplies and office equipment.
• Maintaining the office calendar and arranging meetings. Taking minutes of meetings and keeping the correspondence of the team well organized.
• Monitors the funds and resources of Salvador ZO Cost Center, ensuring effective programmatic and admin. planning, coordination and monitoring.  Providing budget revision/preparation, implementation status, determination position of funding utilization, operational, and financial closure.
• Monitors financial expenditures of the office, ensuring compliance with UNICEF rules and regulations, keeping the Chief of Field Office and Programmatic Officers informed and advised on actions for decision/follow up.
• Support efficient and effective programmatic planning of Salvador Zonal Office, through supporting HACT implementation including following up on HACT plan, E-tools, training sessions and administrative orientation to implementing partners, according to UNICEF HACT and KPI guidelines.
• Providing travel assistance to staff members in the section for travel arrangements and entitlements based on the organization’s rules and policies. Liaising with relevant travel focal points to ensure that the organization obtains the best service and price for all travel.
• Preparing and maintaining records pertaining to programme planning and development for his/her respective section.
• Carrying out transactions in VISION, E-Tools and other systems ensuring programme results, activities and programme coding are as per annual work plans (AWPs) and makes amendments and alterations as per section revisions when necessary.
• Supporting capacity development activities, meetings, and conferences by making the logistical arrangements, through engaging with facilitators, caterers, and hosts; arranging times through liaising with participants over availability; liaising with budget focal points and section over costs and needs; and preparing background materials for participants.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  JD_Programme Assistant_G5.pdf

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university degree in Accountancy, Public Administration, Planning and Management, Public Management, Economics, Social Policy, International Relations Affairs, or other related disciplines.
• Work Experience: A minimum of five years of progressively responsible administrative or clerical work experience is required.
• Skills: Demonstrated experience in people supervision is required.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in Portuguese and proficiency in English is required.

Desirables:

• Language: Knowledge of Spanish or another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian) is considered an asset.
• Desired knowledge of financial and programme/project management is desirable.
• Candidates with experience supporting high level managers and in programme management is an advantage.
• Experience in Planning and Programme Management including financial control and monitoring social projects is desirable.
• Executive assistance experience is desirable.
• High sense of confidentiality, initiative, and good judgment is desirable.
• Ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds is desirable.
• Training and advanced experience using SAP (ERP System), MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other UNICEF software such as SharePoint is highly desirable.
• Experience in sharing knowledge and training/guide external partners is desirable.
• Ability to work under pressure supporting multiple portfolios is desirable.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts is an advantage.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, or disability status—including neurodivergence—are welcome to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.