Associate Coordination Officer - IQ Talent Marketplace

(Duration of contract: 1 year with possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance).

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

The UNESCO Iraq Office is based in Baghdad with an Antenna Office in Erbil. The portfolio of the Office is around $100 million of extra-budgetary projects. The Associate Coordination Officer shall support all aspects of the programme implemented in Iraq, provide briefings about the UNESCO Iraq Office programmes/projects, Provide assistance in submitting high quality reports to donors and work closely with UN agencies on the technical programmatic aspects of UN programme in Iraq, including and not only limited to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).

Under the overall authority and direct supervision of the Director of the UNESCO Iraq Office, the core responsibilities of the Associate Coordination Officer will be to provide overall assistance in programme coordination, monitoring programme implementation, represent UNESCO in UN technical meetings, including:

• Coordination in the preparation of work-plans in line with corporate requirements and sector strategies and plans, including monitoring the correct creation of activities and projects.
• Contribution to quality control and quality assurance by familiarizing the staff with the Results-Based Management (RBM) principles and controlling their application; supporting monitoring of the project implementation; identifying issues and solutions; liaising between programme units and administration to address bottlenecks and issues that may delay or hinder programme implementation.
• Coordination of the Office’s reporting and monitoring and evaluation requirements by coordinating reporting ensuring compliance with specific reporting requirements by UNESCO (Regional Offices and Headquarters), donors and UN counterparts; editing and compiling reports ensuring accurateness as regards to content and language; supporting the staff to fully comply with reporting and donor follow-up requirements; providing advice and support on the planning, preparation and implementation of evaluations including in the organization of evaluation missions.
• Support the establishment and maintenance of strategic partnerships and resource mobilization by providing support and advice on the preparation of agreements with partners (i.e. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with donors, Government, NGOs, UN Agencies, private sector and other partners); liaising with UNESCO’s Bureau of Strategic Planning (BSP) in the preparation of the formats, terms and articles of agreements for projects funded under self-benefiting fund in trust; participating in inter-agency and donor meetings and other forms as required.
• Provide support to the Director by ensuring the quality of outgoing correspondence and communications; providing support concerning the Director’s interactions with partners, including with UNAMI (United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq) and UNCT (United Nations Country Team); preparing quality briefings on programmatic and specific issues including for Sectors at Headquarters, Central Services and UNESCO’s Governing Bodies and for inter-agency setting; providing advice on staff issues; providing any other management support to the Director.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in the field of social sciences, management, international relations, political sciences or other related fields.
• Alternatively, a first-level university degree in the aforementioned disciplines, in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• At least two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in the field of programme coordination, international cooperation / relations, diplomacy, or related areas, of which preferably one (1) year acquired at international level.
• For candidates with first-level university degree, (2) two additional years of qualifying work experience in the aforementioned fields will be required.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent coordination and organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and sensitivity to the local context.
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships, both within and outside the Organization.
• Ability to build and maintain partnerships.
• Ability to deliver a high quality service in a timely manner, to take initiative and to manage competing priorities and capacity for accuracy, close attention to detail and quality of work.
• Strong IT skills including good knowledge of standard office software.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Work Experience

• Experience in the United Nations system or a comparable international organization/institution.

Skills & Competencies

• Commitment and knowledge of the Organization’s mandate, vision, strategic direction and priorities.
• Familiarity with the work and general functioning of international organizations or the United Nations system.
• Knowledge of the Arab region’s geopolitics.
• Knowledge of results-based and budget management tools.

Languages

• Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.
• Knowledge of the other official UNESCO languages (Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish).

BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS

UNESCO’s salaries consist of a basic salary and other benefits which may include if applicable: 30 days annual leave, family allowance, medical insurance, pension plan etc.

The approximate annual starting salary for this post is 67 555 US $.

For full information on benefits and entitlements, please consult our Guide to Staff Benefits.

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 19-MAR-2024

For more information visit careers.unesco.org