Project Associate [open To Internal And External Applicants]

Organizational Context

The UNDP in Moldova supports the country's green and just energy transition, aligning with EU policies and addressing the ongoing energy crisis. This involves diversifying the energy mix with renewables, decarbonizing industries, fostering sustainable consumption, strengthening inclusive energy governance, and addressing energy vulnerability. The Project Associate role sits within the "Accelerating a Just Energy Transition in the Republic of Moldova" portfolio, which runs from 2023-2027.

Job Purpose

The Project Associate plays a pivotal role in ensuring the efficient and compliant delivery of the "Accelerating a Just Energy Transition in the Republic of Moldova" portfolio. This position is instrumental in providing comprehensive administrative, logistical, financial, and operational support to project activities, ensuring adherence to UNDP rules and donor regulations. The associate's contribution is vital for the timely and effective implementation of interventions designed to diversify Moldova's energy mix, enhance energy efficiency, decarbonize key economic sectors, and foster sustainable consumption patterns. Furthermore, the role supports strengthening inclusive energy governance and building resilience against energy vulnerability, directly contributing to the country's strategic goal of a green and just energy transition. By managing critical support functions, the Project Associate enables the project team to focus on strategic objectives, ensuring that planned outcomes are achieved within budget and schedule, and ultimately supporting Moldova's integration into the EU energy system.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include providing comprehensive administrative, logistical, travel, procurement, financial, and asset management support, ensuring full compliance with UNDP rules and regulations. The role involves assisting with work plan preparation, quality control, monitoring, data collection, and maintaining appropriate filing systems for project implementation and closure. The associate ensures full compliance with UNDP and donor regulations for financial activities, maintains effective internal controls, and manages financial resources efficiently. This includes drafting financial reports, managing the budget cycle (planning, preparation, revisions, execution), monitoring expenditures, and assisting with audits and evaluations. Operational support encompasses overseeing procurement processes, coordinating travel and common services, preparing payment requests, monitoring financial commitments, and providing logistical support for project events. The role also involves managing project documents, correspondence, providing translation services, and facilitating knowledge sharing through training and contributing to knowledge networks.

Work Experience

A minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience in administration, finance, economics, business administration, public administration, or project management at national or international level is required with secondary education. This requirement is reduced to 4 years with a Bachelor’s degree. Desirable experience includes working for international organizations, managing UNDP projects, budgetary planning, quality assurance, project activities coordination, contract administration, and project-level monitoring and evaluation system implementation.

Skills

Core competencies include results orientation, innovative thinking, continuous learning, adaptability, determination, strong engagement and partnering, and enabling diversity and inclusion. Technical skills encompass operations management, relationship management, knowledge generation, budget management, procurement management, asset management, and documents/records management. Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel), advanced spreadsheet/database skills, automated procurement systems, and web-based management systems is required. Knowledge of ERP software is an asset. Fluency in English and Romanian is essential, with knowledge of Russian, Romani, Gagauzian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, or sign language being an asset.

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