Organization Mission

Le Programme des Nations unies pour le développement fait partie des programmes et fonds de l”ONU. Son rôle est d”aider les pays en développement en leur fournissant des conseils mais également en plaidant leurs causes pour l”octroi de dons.

Context

At country level, the UNV Field Unit (FU) and/or designated UNV personnel are responsible for the mobilization and placement of UN Volunteers in UN Agencies, Funds, and Programmes in the areas of peace, development and humanitarian assistance. UNV Field Units/designated UNV personnel represent and position UNV in the respective countries with a focus on the UN Country Team, bringing UNV’s services and solutions closer to its partners within a client service approach and collaborating with other stakeholders from government, civil society and private sector. As UNDP represents UNV at country level, UNV personnel are usually hosted within a UNDP Office and are accountable to the Supervisor and UNV Executive Coordinator for compliance with UNV and UNDP policies, rules and regulations.

Key Responsibilities

Under the general guidance of the Regional Manager, with day-to-day reporting to the Country Coordinator, the UN Volunteer serving as Area Coordination Assistant supports the identification, development, and cultivation of select partnerships with UN Agencies / Host Entities at country level. This includes managing the relationship with priority partners, facilitating the exchange of data and information that influence volunteer mobilization opportunities, ensuring partners’ satisfaction with volunteer services, and bridging the delivery of services from centralized functions of the volunteer management cycle. The critical purpose of this UNV assignment is the sustained mobilization of volunteers to the designated partners (clients) while upholding the duty of care for serving volunteers.
The role involves regular contact and liaison with counterpart UN personnel at all levels, including senior level staff. Within UNV, all personnel are expected to work across multiple units, functions, and teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

1. Assist in mobilizing volunteers and developing and maintaining partnerships

• Support the mobilization of UN Volunteers and follow up on partnership opportunities with UN entities in the assigned area.
• Share your own experience as a UN Volunteer to highlight UNV’s mandate, key offers, and the added value of volunteer assignments.
• Provide the Country Coordinator with relevant data, feedback, and business intelligence to track progress and improve service delivery.
• Record mobilization opportunities in UNV’s Client Relationship Management (CRM) system and help document entry points to increase volunteer assignments.
• Collect and share information on UN programming frameworks (e.g., UNSDCF, ERPs, agency country programmes), as well as changes in the broader operating environment such as government priorities, donor commitments, or crisis response.
• Contribute to developing tailored initiatives and offers that respond to partners’ needs for volunteer services.
• Support the preparation of presentations, mapping, and key messages to highlight opportunities for volunteerism.
• Serve as focal point for online volunteering in coordination with the Regional Office, supporting host entities to create OV opportunities and promoting the concept of online volunteering.
• Assist in identifying volunteer placement opportunities and in preparing descriptions of assignments with partner agencies.

2. Support talent acquisition and outreach

• Provide support in attracting qualified local talent in line with the country’s demand forecast and agreed talent acquisition priorities, under the guidance of the Operations Analyst, Talent Acquisition in the Regional Office.
• Assist in identifying the most effective channels for attracting local talent for potential UNV assignments.
• Support the Country Coordinator and UN partners in advocacy and talent outreach campaigns, promotional presentations with Host Entities, and engagement with local volunteer organizations, including by sharing your personal experience as a UN Volunteer.
• Contribute to the organization of advocacy campaigns and key events that raise awareness and foster engagement.
• Support the Country Coordinator in ensuring timely and effective selection processes for UN Volunteer assignments.

3. Support volunteer experience and duty of care

• As a fellow UN Volunteer, assist with onboarding to ensure volunteers receive timely information, resources, and a smooth start to their assignments.
• Provide support throughout the volunteer management cycle, responding to inquiries, sharing updates, and escalating concerns as needed to ensure a positive and inclusive experience.
• Help gather and compile volunteer feedback; contribute to and participate in appreciation initiatives and local events that foster engagement and belonging.
• Support relationships with host entities by sharing information on volunteer roles, assisting with coordination tasks, and helping ensure effective integration of volunteers.
• Contribute to duty of care by liaising with security focal points, supporting emergency headcounts, and assisting volunteers during medical evacuations in line with UNV procedures.
• Provide tailored support to volunteers facing language or integration challenges, ensuring they can access information and navigate their assignment environment.
• Share information, including personal experience, with host entities and volunteers on UNV’s enabling instruments for health and wellbeing, including insurance and related benefits.
• Backstop other functions in the Field Unit during peak periods or staff absences, helping ensure continuity of support and care for volunteers.

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum of 3 years of practical and relevant experience at national or international level in partnership engagement, advocacy, management, client service or related areas.
Fluency in the local language of the duty station.
Previous experience with international or development organizations is considered an asset.
Experience in preparing presentation materials, including PowerPoint slides and talking
points, as well as minute-taking and report drafting.
Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.),
database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP.
Knowledge and experience of ticket-based service management systems (e.g., Salesforce/UNALL, or equivalent) is considered an asset.

Core Competencies

System Thinking – Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
Integration within the UN – Ability to identity, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work. Knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations.
Knowledge Generation – Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.
Communication – 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
Customer Satisfaction/Client Management – Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers” needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients” immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client”s upcoming needs and concerns.
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.
Event planning and execution – Ability to plan, manage and execute public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNV”s overall brand and mandate.

Living Conditions

Goma est une ville à forte densité de population, marquée par l’afflux continu de personnes déplacées internes en raison des conflits dans l’Est de la RDC. Les conditions de vie y sont actuellement difficiles. Le contexte sécuritaire demeure volatile, avec des tensions récurrentes liées aux groupes armés, ce qui perturbe régulièrement l’économie locale, les transports, les marchés et certains services publics.
Malgré ces défis, la ville reste un centre actif de coordination humanitaire, avec une présence significative d’agences des Nations Unies, d’ONG internationales et d’acteurs locaux. La population fait preuve d’une forte résilience et conserve une vie sociale, culturelle et économique dynamique lorsque la situation sécuritaire le permet. Le/la VNU devra faire preuve d’adaptabilité, de sensibilité au contexte, et d’une capacité à travailler dans un environnement instable où les contraintes logistiques et sécuritaires sont fréquentes.