Project Associate

The Project Associate supports the efficient delivery of projects focused on a just and green energy transition in the Republic of Moldova. Responsibilities include administrative, financial, procurement, and operational support to ensure compliance with UNDP rules and effective project implementation.

Responsibilities

• Undertake administrative, logistical, travel, procurement, financial and asset management tasks in full compliance with UNDP rules, regulations and policies.
• Provide support to procure goods and services required by the projects, in liaison with the relevant staff and units of UNDP Country Office.
• Provide administrative support in arranging Projects related meetings when needed.
• Participate in the preparation of work plans, operation plans and procurement plans and periodical reviews thereof.
• Provide support in quality control of Projects activities, including assessing impact and effectiveness, tracking outputs and results, and ensure timely and efficient delivery.
• Maintain an appropriate filing system and documenting the implementation to enable further operational and financial closure of the projects.
• Provide support in regular monitoring and data collection of Projects activities in accordance with work plan and procurement plan.
• Provide general secretarial and administrative assistance to the projects in close liaison with UNDP teams, other UN agencies.
• Ensure administration and implementation of operational strategies, adapt processes and procedures focusing on achievement of results.
• Assist Projects team in drafting Project progress reports with financial data.
• Assist projects management in performing budget cycle: planning, preparation, revisions, and budget execution.
• Provide assistance to partner agencies involved in Projects activities, performing and monitoring financial aspects to ensure compliance with budgeted costs in line with established policies and procedures.
• Monitor Projects expenditures, ensuring that no expenditure is incurred before it has been authorized.
• Perform preparatory work for mandatory and general budget revisions, annual physical inventory, auditing; and assist external evaluators in fulfilling their mission.
• Ensure that all Projects financial activities are carried out on schedule and within budget to achieve the project outputs.
• Ensure timely submission of financial reports to the UNDP Country Office to verify the accuracy of such reports for the national partner or donor.
• Provide operations support to the Project, focusing on achievement of results.
• Ensure that UNDP procurement rules are followed during procurement activities that are carried out by the project and maintain responsibility for the inventory of the project assets.
• Organization of procurement processes including preparation of RFQs, ITBs or RFPs documents, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their preliminary evaluation, note-to-files and justifications in cooperation with the UNDP Operations Unit.
• Coordination of surveys, DSA, travel agencies, organization of common services and other administrative surveys.
• Prepare and timely submit travel documents in accordance with UNDP requirements.
• Support with protocol matters, registration of staff, coordination with national partners on space and other administrative matters.
• Compile, organize and file information and documents for reference and use by team members.
• Preparation of documents set for vendor creation.
• Ensure proper control of the supporting documents for payments.
• Prepare and timely submit payment requests with proper support documentation to the UNDP Country Office.
• Provide financial monitoring over Project commitments and expenditures and assist the Project Manager in assuring proper Project delivery.
• Keep regular contact with Project experts and consultants to inform them about the Joint Project details and changes.
• Control the usage and proper accounting of non-expendable equipment (record keeping, drawing up regular inventories), inventories and materials.
• Provide necessary administrative, financial and logistical support to the Project events, including workshops, seminars, working meetings and visits of national and international delegations.
• Keep files of Project documents and expert reports and ensure general circulation of documents for knowledge management and sharing.
• Act on telephone inquiries, fax, post and e-mail transmissions, and coordinate appointments.
• Provide translation of documents for/to English/Russian/Belarusian as required.
• Draft Project correspondence and documents; finalize correspondence of administrative and financial nature; edit reports and other documents for correctness of form and content as required.
• Provides support to the Project Manager in preparing and reviewing the Project’s procurement reports.
• Coordinates with relevant UNDP units issuance of Purchase orders and contracts as well as supplier profile creation in ERP, prepares requisitions and follows the Purchase order processing.
• Preparation of inventory reports, if any.
• Assist in collection, preparation and submission of support documents for NPSA contracts extensions.
• Participates in trainings for the operations/projects staff on HR, Finance, Programme and Operations, Policies and Procedures, and organizes briefings for the project staff where necessary on new internal procedures.
• When necessary, provides guidance to project staff in business processes, administrative and other requirements, and procedures.
• Sound contribution to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in projects.

Requirements

• Secondary education is required.
• University degree (Bachelor’s degree) in economics, finance, business or public administration or related field will be given due consideration but is not a requirement.
• Minimum 7 years (with Secondary education) or 4 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of relevant work experience in the field of Administration, Finance, Economics, Business Administration or Public Administration, Project management at national or international level.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database applications.
• Knowledge of UNDP programming, financial, procurement and administrative rules, regulations, policies and strategies.
• Ability to effectively plan, organize and oversee the organization’s business processes.
• Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.
• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.
• Ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source.
• Knowledge of policy & procedures on PP&E; ability to prepare financial statements on PP&E; maintain Asset Management Module in Quantum, Asset Dashboard; develop supporting tools for assets certification and further enhancements for AM module; design and run training programs on assets management and assets recording; run AP-AM interface; perform AP-AM-GL reconciliation; perform analytical review of AM reports and asset information to ensure completeness and accuracy of asset information.
• Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving.

Skills

• Project Management
• Finance Management
• Budget Management
• Procurement
• Asset Management
• UNDP Financial Rules
• UNDP Procurement Modalities
• Administrative Support
• Office Applications
• Excel
• Database Applications Knowledge
• Business Process Planning
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Policy and Procedure Compliance
• Document Management
• Registry and Retention
• Training Program Development
• Analytical review
• AP-AM-GL Reconciliation

Languages

English, Romanian