Area Coordination Assistant (Open to Tier 1 and 2 applicants only)

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

- Tier 0 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.

- Tier 1 : Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments

- Tier 2 : UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers

- Tier 3 or no tier indicated : All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Office/Unit/Project Description

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

Scope of Work

1. Assist in mobilizing volunteers and developing and maintaining partnerships

- Support the mobilization of volunteers and the development of strategic partnerships.

- Assist in managing key accounts for assigned partnerships, ensuring effective collaboration and follow-up.

- Stay informed on UNV’s evolving offers, policies, and procedures by participating in volunteer management briefings, reviewing corporate BI reports, and engaging with proforma narratives.

- Support in maintaining and strengthening relationships with assigned UN partner/s in the assigned area, ensuring they understand UNV’s mandate, key offers, and the added value of UN Volunteer assignments in achieving their mandates.

- Track client satisfaction and service delivery metrics for UN partners, and provide feedback to support continuous improvement.

- Provide the Country Coordinator, based remotely, with relevant data and business intelligence to track progress in volunteer mobilization and service delivery.

- Ensure adequate follow-up on partnership opportunities and entry points identified by the Regional Portfolio Specialist, Analyst, or Country Coordinator through engagements in UNCT coordination meetings and other high-level for a.Support the development of tailored offers and initiatives that address the strategic volunteer service needs of partners.

- Document, systematize and integrate knowledge into volunteer mobilization processes.

- In coordination with the Online Volunteering (OV) Programme Associate in the Regional Office, serve as the focal point for online volunteering. This includes supporting host entities in developing OV opportunities, promoting the concept of online volunteering, and facilitating the accreditation of OV service organizations through advocacy and engagement.

- Identify volunteer placement opportunities and present UNV value proposition with the objective of maximizing volunteer mobilization, including collaboration in the preparation of descriptions of assignments, with partner agencies.

2. Contribute to business intelligence in support of strategic and sustained mobilization

- Support partnership relations with information gathering, including business intelligence, document entry points to increase volunteer assignments.

- Record mobilization opportunities and business intelligence in UNV's Client Relationship Management (CRM) system.

- Support in the collection of data and information on common UN programming frameworks such as UNSDCF and ERPs, UN agencies’ country programmes.

- Keep abreast and inform the Country Coordinator of major changes in the UN operating environment, such as government development plans, new donor commitments to the UN, funding sources, vertical funds, and crisis response.

- Support in engagement with the potential partners by preparing presentation, mapping, etc. on opportunities for volunteerism for internal use by UNV.

- Contribute to the development of key messages, talking points, and reports as needed

- Contribute to the development of key messages, talking points, and reports as needed.

3. Support talent acquisition and sourcing

- 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 sourcing local talent for potential UNV assignments.

- Contribute to sourcing efforts for hard-to-fill profiles by identifying and recording local talent channels, tracking sourcing activities in the UNV CRM, and piloting innovative sourcing techniques as appropriate.

- Support the Country Coordinator and UN partners in advocacy and outreach campaigns, promotional presentations with Host Entities, and engagement with local volunteer organizations.

- 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.

4. Contribute to positive volunteer experience

- Provide support during the onboarding process, ensuring volunteers receive timely information, access to necessary resources, and a smooth start to their assignments.

- Provide support to UN Volunteers throughout the volunteer management cycle, ensuring timely assistance and guidance during key life events to foster a smooth, inclusive, and positive volunteer experience.

- Support volunteer engagement by responding to inquiries, sharing updates, and escalating concerns to relevant colleagues to ensure volunteers feel supported throughout their service.

- Assist in gathering feedback from volunteers through surveys or informal check-ins and help compile and share insights to inform improvements in volunteer management practices.

- Help organize appreciation initiatives and local events to acknowledge volunteer contributions and foster a sense of belonging.

- Provide support in maintaining relationships with host entities by sharing basic information about volunteer roles, assisting with coordination tasks, and helping ensure volunteers are well-integrated into their placements.

- Support the Country Coordinator in enhancing volunteers’ satisfaction with their assignment.

- Backstop other functions in the Field Unit during peak periods or personnel absences, ensuring continuity of service and contributing to a seamless and positive volunteer experience.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation

5. Institutional Arrangement

Under the general guidance of the Regional Manager, with day-to-day reporting to the Country Coordinator, the 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 role 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.

Competencies

Core

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 relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

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

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

System Thinking

- Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgment to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact other parts of the system

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

Results-based Management

- Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.

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

Integration within the UN System

- Ability to identify and integrate the 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

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

- Secondary education is required.

- A university degree in Social Sciences or related area will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

- Minimum of 5 years (with high school diploma) or 2 years (with bachelor’s degree) of practical and relevant experience in partnership management, operations support, client service or related areas.

Required skills:

- Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

- Previous experience in a civil society setting and/or as a volunteer with volunteer management and/or promotion of volunteerism is a distinct advantage.

- Previous experience with international or development organizations is considered an asset.

- Knowledge and experience of ticket-based service management systems (e.g. Salesforce/UNALL, or equivalent) is considered an asset

Required Language(s):

- Fluency in English and Arabic.

Disclaimer:

- Only short-listed applicants will be contacted

- The successful candidate will hold a UNDP NPSA contract

- This vacancy announcement is open to tier 1 & 2 applicants

- This post is for local recruitment only. It is open to citizens of Syria.

- All travel, interview and relocation costs, if any, incurred to take up an appointment at the duty station in Damascus, Syria are at the expense of the applicant.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

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