The two-year conflict in Northern Ethiopia has triggered a major humanitarian crisis in Afar, Amhara and Tigray. The toll from the war has been enormous: significant loss of lives; more than 2.6 million IDPs needing humanitarian assistance; large-scale damage to infrastructure and services, estimated by the Government at USD 20 billion; and profound adverse effects on development, hamstringing Ethiopia’s ambitious economic and governance reform programmes.

On 2 November 2022, in Pretoria, an Agreement for Lasting Peace through a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities was signed between the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (GoE) and the TPLF. Led by the AU, the Peace Agreement has ended active combat in Northern Ethiopia and raised hope for a gradual restoration of services and humanitarian operations in the region. This wide-ranging agreement committed, among other things, to an immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities, the restoration of federal authority in Tigray, the creation of an interim administration pending regional elections, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of ex-combatants (XCs), resumption of unhindered humanitarian access, the restoration of essential services, reintegration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returning refugees, transitional justice, social cohesion and reconciliation, and recovery and reconstruction.

It is in this context that UNDP has developed a ‘Peace Support Programme/Facility (PSP/F)’ nested within the Resilient Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF) but focused on urgent actions over the next 24 months to stabilize conditions, restore a sense of normalcy and deliver a first peace dividend to conflict-impacted populations. The strategic goal of the PSP/F is to contribute toward an irreversible peace process in Northern Ethiopia (Afar, Amhara and Tigray).  This will be pursued through an actionable set of measures that can build trust between communities and legitimate Ethiopian authorities and lay the foundations for recovery, peacebuilding, and sustainable development, founded upon country leadership and ownership.

Four UN Agencies namely UNDP, UNFPA, UNOHCHR, FAO are co-located in One UN common premises. The One UN Premises facilitates active collaboration, generated efficiencies across agencies, enhanced technology integration and offered a safe environment to work together by sharing the same complex. Under the guidance and supervision of the Operations Manager, the Common Service Assistance is responsible for supporting the delivery of operational support for management and administration of One UN Premise in Mekelle. The Common Service Assistance provides operational services for collocating agencies to focus on their mandates and programmes. The Common Service Assistance plays an important role in managing the overall UN Common Premises in PSO-Tigray including ensuring a  checking and registering the identity of guests at the entrance, the purpose of their visit and whom in the office they are visiting.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Operations Manager, the Common Service Assistance contributes to the overall UN Common Premises Management Services including but not limited to;

• checking and registering the identity of visitors entering to the One UN Common Premises.
•  S/he will routinely check their ID cards, register and assign each visitor with a badge and
•  ensure that they have appointment and/or are allowed to the office by a designated officer from one of the collocating agencies.

The Common Service Assistance works in close collaboration with Mekelle PSO team, Operations and staff from collocating agencies in gate pass management and related issues in the One UN Common Premises.

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 in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

2.1   Routinely check the identity of visitors.  

• As a front desk officer, the Common Service Assistance will be responsible to daily check the identity of each visitor, register the time of entrance and exist and check if s/he has the permission to visit at least one of the staff from the collocating UN agencies.
• Closely work with the security personnel to manage and control the entrance of the premises.
• Support guests to properly and timely locate office numbers they want to visit,
• Receive incoming letters from partners and distribute them to their destination.

2.2   Ensure cleanness of the compound including waste management system.

• Closely work with the Operations Manager and/or Facility Personnel to ensure all cleaning and waste management services are in place.
• Report to the Operations Manager and the cleaning company if any cleaning and utility related issues that need attentions/actions are in place.

2.3    Manage utilities in the common UN premises.  

• Follow-up all availability of utilities (water, telecommunication, electricity) of the common premises and report to the Operations Manager and/or Facility Personnel
• Closely work with Operations Manager and/or Facility Personnel to ensure utilities related payments are paid and settled.
• Follow and support utility authorities to enter and take readings and do any required fixations.

2.4   Manage the common UN Conference Hall

• Manage the schedule of the common premises meeting hall and ensure that it is ready for services as per the demands of the collocating UN agencies on a daily basis.
• Check the cleanness of the conference room and manage the schedule.
• Report to the Operations Manager and/or Facility Personnel, if there is a need to fix/clean or maintain the common UN Conference Hall

2.5   Perform any other duties as s/he may be assigned by the immediate supervisor and/or Common UN Premise Manager

3.   Institutional Arrangement and Reporting Lines

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the common premises and the Organization.

• 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.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Business Management – Resource Management: Ability to allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with principles of accountability and integrity.

Business Management – 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 fulfill 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.

Business Management – Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Administration & Operations – Documents and records management: Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving.

Administration & Operations – Events management (including retreats, trainings and meetings): Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.

Administration & Operations – Registry & correspondence management: Ability to collect, register, maintain and deliver mail and UNDP pouch; ability to manage archives.

• High school Diploma is required.