General
Description of assignment title
Operations Assistant
Assignment country
Bangladesh
Expected start date
10/03/2024
Sustainable Development Goal
17. Partnerships for the goals
Volunteer category
National UN University Volunteer
Host entity
UNICEF
Type
Onsite
Duration
6 months
Number of assignments
1
Duty stations
Dhaka
Details
Mission and objectives
UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children’s rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children. UNICEF insists that the survival, protection and development of children are universal development imperatives that are integral to human progress. UNICEF mobilizes political will and material resources to help countries, particularly developing countries, ensure a “first call for children” and to build their capacity to form appropriate policies and deliver services for children and their families. UNICEF is committed to ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged children – victims of war, disasters, extreme poverty, all forms of violence and exploitation, and those with disabilities. UNICEF responds in emergencies to protect the rights of children. In coordination with United Nations partners and humanitarian agencies, UNICEF makes its unique facilities for rapid response available to its partners to relieve the suffering of children and those who provide their care. UNICEF is non-partisan and its cooperation is free of discrimination. In everything it does, the most disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority. UNICEF aims, through its country programmes, to promote the equal rights of women and girls and to support their full participation in the political, social and economic development of their communities. UNICEF works with all its partners towards the attainment of the sustainable human development goals adopted by the world community and the realization of the vision of peace and social progress enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.
Context
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up. The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favouritism. Bangladesh has a long history of natural disasters. The geographical location, land characteristics, multiplicity of rivers and the monsoon climate render Bangladesh highly vulnerable to natural hazards. Every year, over 5 million people, of whom 40 per cent are children are affected by floods, cyclones, riverbank erosion, and salinity intrusion. UNICEF Bangladesh supports the government-led response to provide the most vulnerable children and women with an integrated package of lifesaving services that include health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education, child protection and risk communication. Given the increase in climate related hazards, UNICEF also works on strengthening preparedness, disaster risk reduction and resilience building of children, communities, and institutions. The Operations function within UNICEF Bangladesh is key to provide the necessary support for programme delivery, office governance and duty of care for staff among other areas. The Operations function comprises Supply and Logistics, Administration, Finance, Human Resources, ICTD and a range of assurance activities; etc. The Head office is based in Dhaka with 7 Field offices across the country, one of which is of a large size, in Cox’s Bazar where main areas of intervention is in relation to the almost 1 million Rohingya refugee population, living in camps and the host communities.
Task description
Main tasks and responsibilities: • Support the Deputy Representative Operations with developing SharePoint collaboration site. • Assist in developing a SharePoint based Newsletter for Operations. • Support the Internal Control function to develop an analytical dashboard for assurance activities. • Support the Deputy Representative Operations front office in process improvement projects. • Assist in reviewing and summarizing various reports across Operations. • Any other responsibilities assigned by the supervisor.\ Skills: • Very good experience in using Microsoft 365 applications (Word, Email, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). • Excellent level of English language writing and editing skill (ability to write well for international au-dience) • Very high level of flexibility and adaptability • Willingness to participate in all aspects of UNICEF programme activities.
Eligibility criteria
Age
18 – 26
Nationality
Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.
Requirements
Required experience
No experience required
Area(s) of expertise
Administration
Driving license
–
Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required Bengali, Level: Fluent, Required
Required education level
Bachelor degree or equivalent in Business Administration or related discipline.
Competencies and values
• Accountability • Adaptability and Flexibility • Commitment and Motivation • Commitment to Continuous Learning • Working with teams • Communication • Ethics and Values • Integrity • Knowledge Sharing • Planning and Organizing • Professionalism • Respect for Diversity • Working in Teams
Other information
Living conditions and remarks
Dhaka is located in central Bangladesh. Not only is it the capital city, but it is also the largest in the country. It is the centre of political, cultural, and economic life in Bangladesh. The official language is Bengali, while English is the working language of UN Agencies. Good English-speaking medical, dental services, and educational centres are available for internationals. In recent decades, Dhaka has seen the modernization of services, communications, and public works. The city is attracting large foreign investments and greater volumes of commerce and trade. It is also experiencing an increasing influx of people from across the nation; this has reportedly made Dhaka one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Dhaka is connected to other cities by rail, road, and by air and internationals can move easily from one city to another. Dhaka has venerable green spaces, including many gardens and parks, historical places, and nice restaurants. The weather is tropical – hot and very humid during the summer monsoon season (April-September) and drier and cooler in the winter (October-March). Historically, Bangladesh has been a safe country for internationals so far. While Dhaka is not categorized as a hardship station, the volunteer should be prepared for limitations in freedom of movement on foot, by public transport, and to certain locations.
Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Reasonable accommodation
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.
Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.