Operations Management Support Specialist

Mission and objectives

The UNDP Tunisia Country Office (CO) leads UNDP’s support to Tunisia in the achievement of its national human and sustainable development objectives in alignment with its national Agenda 2030 and the Paris Climate Agreement commitments. UNDP Tunisia works on areas such as 1) inclusive growth and human development; 2) climate action, environment, energy and disaster risk reduction; and 3) support to inclusive political processes, responsive institutions, rule of law, social cohesion, electoral support and empowerment of women and youth. The UNDP Resident Representative (RR) leads and oversees the work of the Country Office, including a total of 140 staff and personnel and a delivery of around $11 million in programmatic support to Tunisia in 2020. The RR also leads UNDP Tunisia’s efforts in cultivating, building, and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances which are essential for advancing and successfully achieving the mission of UNDP. These relationships encompass a wide range and number of key constituencies and development partners, that includes the Government of Tunisia, existing and emerging donor countries, multilateral institutions such as the IFIs, the European Union, civil society, the private sector, foundations, academia and think tanks, the wider UN system, as well as global, regional and national media. As a trusted and impartial partner working at the intersection of social, economic and environmental agendas in Tunisia, UNDP plays a central role in supporting Tunisia’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and has supported the Government to develop and revise its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for climate action.

Context

The UNDP Tunisia Country Office (CO) leads UNDP’s support to Tunisia in the achievement of its national human and sustainable development objectives in alignment with its national Agenda 2030 and the Paris Climate Agreement commitments. UNDP Tunisia works on areas such as 1) inclusive growth and human development; 2) climate action, environment, energy and disaster risk reduction; and 3) governance (inclusive political processes, responsive institutions, rule of law, social cohesion, electoral support, HIV/health and empowerment of women and youth. The UNDP Resident Representative (RR) leads and oversees the work of the Country Office, seconded by the Deputy Resident Representative. The Country Office includes a total of 100 staff and personnel and a delivery of $18-20 million in programmatic support to Tunisia annually. The RR also leads UNDP Tunisia’s efforts in cultivating, building, and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances which are essential for advancing and successfully achieving the mission of UNDP, including with the Government of Tunisia, existing and emerging donor countries, multilateral institutions such as the IFIs, the European Union, civil society, the private sector, foundations, academia and think tanks, the wider UN system, as well as global, regional and national media. As a trusted and impartial partner working at the intersection of social, economic and environmental agendas in Tunisia, UNDP plays a central role in supporting Tunisia’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and has supported the Government to develop and revise its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for climate action

Task Description

Under the general guidance of the Operations Manager of UNDP Tunisia, the UN Youth Volunteer will support day-to-day operational functions that ensure UNDP teams have the goods, services, and logistics they need to deliver development projects effectively and efficiently. These projects may include initiatives related to governance, climate change, and inclusive growth and human development. This is a starting-level operations management support role for candidates interested in how international organizations like UNDP deliver development results on the ground. It is ideal for someone interested in procurement, logistics, public administration, or operational systems that support international development work. The Youth Volunteer will work as part of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team and gain practical exposure to real-world development operations at the country level. S/he promotes a client-focused, quality, and results-oriented approach in the Unit. The Operations Management Support Associate works in close collaboration with Operations, Programme, and Project teams in the Country Office, and with partners and vendors to exchange information and ensure consistent operational support to the delivery of UNDP development activities in the field. UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration. Under the direct supervision of the Operations Manager of UNDP Tunisia, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: 1) Support the implementation of operational strategies as per the following:

• Provide inputs to operations plans (logistics, procurement) that help projects plan purchases and services in advance.
• Support internal control processes, such as ensuring timely review of corporate monitoring reports (e.g., PowerBI and other platforms), approval and dispatch of follow-up actions, under the guidance of the operations manager.
• Assist in planning and executing procurement tasks that take place outside Quantum, such as sourcing suppliers, participating in the preparation of tender documents (request for proposals, invitations to bid, or request for quotations), and supporting evaluation and contracting processes.
• Help update vendor databases and assist in basic market research to identify potential new suppliers. 2) Logistics, inventory, and operational coordination:
• Support logistical arrangements such as transportation of goods, booking venues for events or workshops, and hotel coordination.
• Help maintain accurate inventory of office equipment and project supplies, and participate in regular stock checks and asset verification.
• Arrange shipments and coordinate conference facility arrangements.
• Assist in hotel and conference facilities surveys.
• Assist in coordinating movements of supplies and materials between offices or project locations, ensuring documentation is complete.
• Support management, monitoring, and tracking of physical inventory and assets.
• Support contract management of the Country Office, including developing and maintaining user-friendly contract databases and supporting roll-out across the Country Office. 3) Support procurement planning and processes for development projects and agencies:
• Provide inputs to the preparation of procurement plans for the office.
• Assist in ensuring full compliance of procurement activities with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies, and strategies.
• Support the organization of procurement processes as requested;
• Assist in the provision of inputs to the CO procurement business processes mapping and elaboration of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Procurement and Logistics in consultation with the Head of Procurement and the Operations manager.
• Support the procurement unit in searching for updated sources of suppliers and contractors. 4.) Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the CO as per the following:
• Participate in training sessions to learn about procurement policies, contract management, logistics, and operational planning in a development context.
• Contribute to training or information-sharing activities for field teams, suppliers, or partners on how operational systems work and why they matter.
• Participate in training with vendors to help document procedures, lessons learned, and good practices in training to support continuous improvement;
• Support facilitation of and participate in training for operations/programme/project staff, as requested, on relevant operational issues;
• Support in providing sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies and values

☒ Accountability ☒ Adaptability and Flexibility ☒ Building Trust ☒ Client Orientation ☒ Commitment and Motivation ☒ Commitment to Continuous Learning ☒ Ethics and Values ☒ Integrity ☒ Knowledge Sharing ☒ Planning and Organizing ☒ Professionalism ☒ Respect for Diversity ☒ Working in Teams

Living conditions and remarks

The assignment is based in Tunis, Tunisia, which is classified as a family duty station. Tunis offers a stable and comfortable living environment with access to housing, transportation, healthcare. The IOM office is well located and provides a professional and collaborative work setting. The UN Volunteer will be provided with a dedicated workstation, a professional email account, and the necessary IT equipment. Occasional field visits within Tunisia may be required depending on project activities. UN Volunteer entitlements and allowances: The purpose of the allowances and entitlements paid to UN Volunteers is to enable UN Volunteers to sustain a secure standard of living at the duty stations in line with United Nations standards without incurring personal costs. The allowances are in no way to be understood as compensation, reward, or salary in exchange for the UN Volunteer’s service. Contingent on specific eligibility criteria, location of the volunteer assignment and contractual type and category, the payment of allowances will begin from the date of Commencement of Service For more information on entitlements please read the Condition of Service (https://explore.unv.org/cos). For information specific to your assignment please see below: Leave entitlements: Annual leave: 2.5 days accrued per calendar month Certified sick leave: UN Volunteers are entitled to up to 30 days of certified sick leave based on a 12-month cycle. This amount is reset every 12-month cycle. Uncertified sick leave: 7 days for 12 months and 4 days for shorter assignments Learning leave: 10 working days per consecutive 12 months (shorter assignments are prorated) Maternity Leave: 16 weeks Paternity Leave: 10 days