The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in about 170 countries and territories, including Jordan since 1976, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Green Pathways & Inclusive Growth Portfolio integrates the solutions for environment protection, climate change mitigation, disaster risk reduction, economic green growth, innovation and gender mainstreaming throughout all of its programs and projects.
This project (Catalyzing a transformative model for circularity through 9R`s in Aqaba) will be implemented in Aqaba, mainly within Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA). The City of Aqaba, with a population of approx. 218,000 inhabitants, lacks a proper solid waste management system, whereby the current dumpsite has no environmental controls, leaving the soil, air, and inhabitants of the surrounding area exposed to pollution and health risks, which creates environmental and health hazards. The current dumpsite, located on land owned by Aqaba Development Company (ADC), is located approximately 12 km south-southeast of Aqaba city (covering an area of around 120 thousand m²) and receives approximately 65,000 tonnes per year of municipal solid waste, collected by private companies. According to the rapid assessment conducted by UNDP, not more than 2% of total generated waste is recycled, mainly by the informal sector.
There is a lack of systematic waste sorting and recycling in Jordan and in Aqaba as well. With the growing population and the lack of holistic approach of implementing the 9Rs of waste management, waste volumes are set to increase. Some of the main issues related to waste management systems and operations include the lack of effective waste collection infrastructures, especially with respect to source separation, waste treatment facilities, proper equipment and capacity building. As a result, a significant amount of valuable resources remain unused, with great economic and environmental costs for the country. Based on the above facts and status in Jordan as well as in Aqaba, the project is formulated as a response to the big need to shift towards a lifecycle-oriented circular economy, which aims to incorporate all residual waste in a closed-loop system as to bring the waste output close to zero. By adopting the principles of circular economy, waste and pollution are eliminated, while circulating products and materials and leading towards regenerating nature.
Scope of Work
The Project Assistant is to support the Catalyzing a transformative model for circularity through 9R`s in Aqaba project through (but not limited to) overseeing, reporting and monitoring of the budget controls and the expenditure of funds, provide inputs for relevant plans, as per project document and workplans, as well as supporting the project through full administrative support for its operations, and liaising with the operations units at UNDP.
Under the direct supervision of the Projects Coordination Manager, the Project Assistant is expected to perform the following duties:
Provide administrative support for the project.
Provide technical support for the project implementation.
Provide financial Support for the project implementation.
Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing relevant to the assigned project
organization of training and other capacity building activities as needed.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement
The incumbent will be working under the direct supervision of the Projects’ Coordination Manager and in direct collaboration between the Green Pathways and Inclusive Growth team.
Core | |
Achieve Results: | LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline |
Think Innovatively: | LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements |
Learn Continuously: | LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback |
Adapt with Agility: | LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible |
Act with Determination: | LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident |
Engage and Partner: | LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships |
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: | LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination |
Thematic Area | Name | Definition |
Partnership management | Relationship management | Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding. |
Business Management | Communication | Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels. |
Finance | Accounting (General) | Knowledge of accounting concepts, principles, frameworks, standards, regulations, policies and trends, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical solutions. |
Finance | Budget Management | Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budget. |
Finance | Financial reporting and analysis | Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance |
Finance | Management and Cost accounting | Ability to produce periodic qualitative and quantitative performance reports to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Ability to use a range of costing techniques and analyse cost related data to provide quantitative information to the users of reports. |
Administration & Operations | Procurement concepts, processes, and management | Knowledge of operations management, finance, HR, administrative and procurement processes and management. |
Min. Education requirements | Completion of Secondary Education is required.
Or University degree in Finance or accounting, Business Administration, Public Administration or any related field will be given due consideration, but is not a requirement. |
Min. years of relevant work experience | Minimum of five (5) years (with Secondary education) or two (2) years (with a Bachelor’s degree) of progressive relevant experience in providing administrative and finance management assistance support or related field is required. |
Required skills | – Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint etc.) and email/internet is required.
– Previous experience in project administration is required. – Experience in budgeting activities and preparing workplans is required. |
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section |
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Required Language(s) | Fluency in written and oral English and Arabic communication skills is required. |
Professional Certificates | NA |
Level of Education: Bachelor Degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: No requirements