Operation Associate (UN-Habitat)

Background

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the UN agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. Our vision is cities without slums that are liveable places for all, which do not pollute the environment or deplete precious natural resources.

At the dawn of a new urban era, with most of humanity now living in cities, the UN-Habitat is at the frontline of the battle against urban poverty and environmental degradation. The efforts of UNHabitat in more than 90 countries focus on addressing problems in humanitarian and crises, supporting national governments, local authorities and civil society to strengthen their resilience and capacity to mitigate, manage and recover from human-made and natural disasters.

Being present in Vietnam since 2007, UN-Habitat’s activities focus on improving urban planning, providing cities with greater access to financial resources, disaster mitigation and reconstruction programmes, and promoting the development of green cities to tackle climate change. These activities range from technical assistance and collaborative action to policy advice, to leave no one and no place behind.

Project Background

The project “Enhancing the resilience inclusive and sustainable eco-human settlement development through small scale infrastructure interventions in the coastal regions of the Mekong Delta in Viet Nam” isfinanced by the Adaptation Fund – AF in the period of 2020-2023. To align with a government request to promote sustainable eco-human settlement in Viet Nam, this project aims to improve (as a pilot model) for the poor and vulnerable communes that climate change produces negative impacts. It is structured around the following components:

Component 1: Institutional and community capacity building toward eco-human settlement development for supporting enhance local climate response actions 2
Component 2: Action plan and strategy development for eco-human settlement, and integrating into planning and policy with a participatory approach
Component 3: Sustainability built through small-scale protective infrastructure
Component 4: Awareness Raising and Knowledge Management

The project will be executed at three levels: 1) national level, 2) provincial level (with support from the districts) and 3) commune level. At the national level, the overall coordination of the project’s execution will be led by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. UN-Habitat is the multilateral implementing entity of the project and will then provide project management support, oversight, management of fund flow and executing partners’ delivery, and secretariat of the Project Steering Committee. UN-Habitat will have the Agreement of Cooperation (AoCs) with PMU under the MONRE.

Job Details

Organization Location: UN-Habitat, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP)

Duty Station: UN-Habitat, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP)

Functional Title: Operations Associate

Contract Type: UNOPS Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA)

Level/Sublevel: Level 7 Sublevel 1

Duration: 4 months from 1 September to 31 December 2023

Payment: Monthly payment

Deadline for Submission: 13/8/2023

Responsibilities

The following specific responsibilities are included in this consultancy:

1. Adaptation Fund project implementation in Vietnam

Work closely with the HPM, CTA, and the project team in all procurement and contractual aspects of significant complexity related to the procurement of goods and services under the project. This may include developing an annual procurement plan, ensuring alignment with the allocated budget, advising and providing support and guidance at all stages of the procurement cycle, and preparing inputs for the final project reports.

Review and finalise all ToR/specifications to procure goods and services for the project.

In coordination with ROAP/HQ and/or UNDP, prepare bid documents harmonising between UN-Habitat’s standards and Vietnam’s regulations, submit, follow-up and supervise the entire bidding process.

Take the lead in maintaining the annual procurement plan, recommend amendments and extension of contracts, and advise related parties on contractual rights and obligations, when applicable.

Perform other tasks as may be necessary to ensure the success of the AF project implementation.

2. Contribution to the programme/ country office:

Provide advisory inputs/ information to other projects on operational issues, monitoring and reporting on financial and procurement aspects etc.

Identify new technologies, and products/services, evaluates and recommend potential supply sources and participate in the incorporation of research results into the procurement program.

Knowledge building and sharing with regard to financial management and operations for the country office.

Provides guidance to, and may supervise new/junior staff.

Identify areas where improvement can be made and recommend measures.

Required Skills

Professionalism: Knowledge of urban environmental issues. Ability to observe deadlines and achieve set goals. Ability to work and deliver outputs under pressure.

Communication: Good written and oral presentation skills in English. Good presentation skills. Ability to communicate and discuss complex issues in clear language and convincing narratives.

Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues to achieve agreed goals.

Planning and Organizing: Ability to prioritize activities and assignments and to easily switch between different projects.

Management: Ability to manage smaller project teams, divide the workload, and sustain efficiency.

Commitment: Show a strong commitment and passion to work for sustainable urban development in Vietnam

Qualifications

Education:

Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in accounting, finance, management, and other fields related to environment, climate change, urban management and social policy in developing countries.

Work Experience:

Minimum 6 years of experience in finance, accounting, procurement, project development and management. Working experience with MONRE and/or UN agencies is preferable.

Language Skills

For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written English and Vietnamese is required.

Remuneration

Payments will be made monthly and based on deliverables over the consultancy period. There are set remuneration rates for consultancies. The rate is determined by the functions performed and the experience of the consultant. The fee will be paid as per the agreement.

DURATION

The contract will be from 1 September to 31 December 2023 (4 months, full time), and renewable subject to the performance and budget availability.

How to Apply

Submission of Applications:

The application should comprise:

Completed UN Personal History Form (P11). Please download the form (MS-Word) from UN-Habitat/ROAP-vacancy website:

A Statement of Interest and suitability (a cover letter) for the position

All applications should be submitted to: UN-Habitat Vietnam Office To: unhabitat.vietnam@gmail.com

Please indicate the Post Title: “Operations Associate” in your e-mail subject.

Please note that applications received after the closing date stated below, will not be given consideration. Only short-listed candidates whose applications respond to the above criteria will be contacted for an interview. The fee will be determined according to the selected candidate's qualifications, skills, and relevant experience. In line with UN-Habitat policy on gender equity, applications from female candidates will be particularly welcome. UN-Habitat regrets its inability to reply individually or attend to telephone queries on the advertised posts.