Project Assistant

United Nations University Project Assisstant
Location New York, USA
Application deadline 30 June 2017
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The Project Assistant will support a fully funded, multimillion-dollar project to rapidly accelerate the global creation, exchange, and uptake of knowledge about modern slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and child labour – and how to fight them successfully.

Working within a small team of knowledge professionals, data scientists, and communicators, the Project Assistant will help build an online Knowledge Platform, supporting and engaging with Alliance 8.7 and stakeholders from around the world, and contribute to the establishment of an online, peer-reviewed journal engaging both scholars and policymakers; the creation of learning and training tools; and targeted policy outreach.

Background

The United Nations University (UNU) has a mandate to help global policymakers access the best available evidence to fight global problems. UNU has recently received funding from the UK government’s Modern Slavery Innovation Fund, the International Labour Organization, and the US Department of Labor to build a Knowledge Platform to support efforts to end forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labour by 2030. The Knowledge Platform aims to rapidly accelerate and scale up the global scientific knowledge and evidence base on modern slavery risk and vulnerability factors, and on factors in the effectiveness of prevention and response interventions, while also facilitating global uptake of the resulting insights by policymakers, business, and other practitioners. The two-year project will lead to the development of an online Knowledge Hub, which will be designed as a global public good and will generate research, policy and practice impact related to modern slavery.

About UN University

The United Nations University is a formal UN agency with a mandate from the UN General Assembly to contribute, through research and capacity building, to solutions to the pressing global problems that are the concern of the United Nations and its Member States. The UNU Office at the United Nations in New York conveys research-based policy ideas from UNU and beyond to key policymakers at the United Nations. Led by Dr James Cockayne, it has established a global profile in recent years on research and policy development on modern slavery, human trafficking, and SDG 8.7, for example through input into the first-ever UN Security Council Resolution on human trafficking in conflict.

About you

You are deeply committed to fighting modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced and child labour. You are willing to undertake a range of clerical, event-related, drafting, editorial, and problem-solving tasks, and have the track record to prove it. You are comfortable working in high-paced, multicultural environments. You work well under direction, but can also execute tasks autonomously.

Responsibilities

The Project Assistant will work closely with the Project Manager and the Project Director on a range of writing, research, policy-convening, and logistical assignments in support of the project.

The responsibilities of the successful candidate will include:

  • supporting the project team in daily tasks related to the project, including correspondence, representational work, data entry, finance and procurement, accounts monitoring, and event management
  • day-to-day handling of all administrative tasks related to the project team, including handling travel arrangements, scheduling, procurement processing, payroll processing, and other related tasks
  • providing on-demand research support to the project team
  • serving as the main point of administrative liaison between the project team and UN University’s human resource, financial, procurement, and administrative processes
  • assisting in overseeing the operation and development of the project and its outcomes
  • collaborating with the project team to develop a long-term sustainability plan for the project’s outcomes, including by developing a strategic roadmap

Required qualifications and experience

Required qualifications and experience include:

  • university degree in international relations, communications, political science, history, or a related field
  • minimum of two (2) years of relevant work experience
  • excellent English-language oral and written communication skills
  • strong organisational and project management skills
  • experience in event management strongly preferred
  • demonstrated experience working within complex administrative settings
  • strong ability to establish priorities, multitask, and work within tight timelines
  • solid interpersonal and problem-solving skills demonstrated by the ability to work in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity
  • genuine interest in and understanding of modern slavery

Remuneration                                                  

Remuneration will be commensurate with qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

Duration of contract

The successful candidate shall be hired as a fixed-term contractual personnel for a period of one year, renewable for up to one more year. The successful candidate will not hold international civil servant status nor be a “staff member” as defined in the United Nations Staff Rules and Regulations.

Applications from suitably qualified woman candidates and those from developing countries are particularly encouraged.

Starting date

August 2017