The UNV Regional Offices provide oversight and strategic guidance to the UNV Field Units in their respective geographical assignments and are mainly accountable for the placement of UN Volunteers mobilized for UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes focused on peace, development, and humanitarian needs.   Furthermore, the Regional Offices represent, and strategically position, UNV and bring UNV’s services and solutions closer to its partners from governments, UN entities, civil society and private sector. The Regional Offices also support the promotion of volunteerism as per the UNV Strategic Framework.

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Manager (RM) and, as delegated, the day-to-day supervision of the Portfolio Manager (PM), Regional Office, the Programme Associate will be supporting the Regional Office (RO) outreach for partnership building, partnership initiatives and mobilization of volunteers. He/ she will provide programmatic support to the RO outreach to non-field unit countries and provide overall support to programme management of the RO.

In this role, the Programme Associate will support development and implementation of special programme initiatives and partnerships, contribute to UNVs engagement with regional bodies for joint advocacy and visibility, and support design, coordination, and implementation of joint regional events. He/she will support the RO outreach to non-field unit countries, as guided by the RO priorities and workplan, and overall support and backstop RO programme management and roll out of the regional work plan. He/she will actively build and nurture relationships with regional partners, host entities, volunteers, and other key stakeholders to enhance UNV impact for the UN System.

• Assist in developing and implementing joint regional initiatives with different entities at the regional level, as per respective RO workplan;
• Support data, evidence, best practices collection on UNV programme and UNV Strategic Framework outcomes for use in partnership meetings and external presentations;
• As guided by RM and/or PM, support design and drafting of UNV offer and mobilization proposals for special regional initiatives and/or joint UN programmes (cross border programmes, peace building initiatives, and similar);
• In collaboration with RO colleagues (communication, RBM) engage in design and drafting of substantive and partner specific outreach materials (fact sheets, best practice, value add collection, etc);
• Contribute to UNV’s engagement with key regional bodies for joint advocacy and visibility events/initiatives by drafting of programmes and concept notes, other key communication to partners, and engage in event coordination on behalf of the RO, as needed;
• In close cooperation with the communications team, support coordination of the joint celebration of UN Thematic days with UN entities, including regional IVD (International Volunteer Day) and IVD in non-field unit countries, as needed;
• In close coordination with the Online volunteers (OV) associate, support OV promotion in field and non-field unit countries, as needed.

• Support the preparation/compilation of partnership data/materials for outreaches to UN partners;
• Keep track on UN partners’ trends in the assigned countries and provide inputs for volunteer mobilization planning and outreach;
• In close cooperation with the regional Talent Acquisition Analyst, support the roll out of talent acquisitions actions in non-Field Unit countries, as needed per the regional Talent Acquisition plan;
• In close cooperation with the RBM Analyst, propose actions in response to VRA analysis and keep track of their implementation in the assigned countries, as needed;
• Support facilitation training and capacity development events for UN Volunteers in the assigned countries, as needed.

3.  Support to regional office programme management

• Act as focal point for the RO to strategically coordinate fully funded calls for the Region;
• Provide support to preparation of regional and HQ missions in the region, by preparing and reviewing briefing documents and background materials, as per mission SOPs;
• Provide support and coordinate mission follow up actions, as per mission reports;
• Support RM in meeting preparation with regional partners and entities, and coordinate timely implementation of post-meeting follow up actions. Participate in meetings, as required;
• Coordinate complex procurement of goods/services for regional partnership events;
• Perform other programmatic support functions, including of Field Units with high volumes of UN Volunteers as may be required;
• Backstop the role of the regional programme assistant during leave and absence.

Achieve Results

• Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively

• Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously

• Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility

• Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination

• Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner

• Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationship

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

• Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.

• Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed.

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 clients’ upcoming needs and concerns.

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.

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.

Procurement management

• The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source.

• Only short-listed applicants will be contacted;
• The successful candidate will hold a UNDP letter of appointment;
• This post is for local recruitment only. It is open to citizens of Kenya.