Project Assistant

Organizational Context

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources and Livestock (MAINL), in partnership with UNDP, is implementing a six-year GEF-funded project (2026-2032) to safeguard Zanzibar's forest and coastal habitats. The project focuses on biodiversity conservation, sustainable land use, and climate resilience. This Project Assistant role is within the Project Management Unit (PMU) under the National Implementation Modality (NIM), providing crucial financial and logistical support.

Job Purpose

The Project Assistant will provide essential financial and logistical support to the "Safeguarding Zanzibar’s Forest and Coastal Habitats for Multiple Benefits" project, ensuring its operational excellence and successful achievement of ambitious conservation and development targets. This role is critical for the effective implementation of project activities across its four components, which include strengthening policy frameworks, improving protected area management, enhancing knowledge management, and ensuring robust monitoring and evaluation. The assistant will contribute to the smooth functioning of the Project Management Unit (PMU) by supporting planning, financial management, procurement, documentation, reporting, and administrative coordination, thereby facilitating the project's overall impact on biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in Zanzibar.

Responsibilities

Provide comprehensive support for project planning and implementation, ensuring alignment with project documents and annual work plans. Assist in the preparation, consolidation, and revision of work plans, budgets, and schedules. Compile and organize project data for planning, monitoring, and reporting purposes. Support financial management by tracking budgets, processing payments, and monitoring advances. Monitor budget utilization and report variances. Contribute to financial and narrative reporting. Assist in tracking the annual procurement plan and support procurement processes, including documentation and vendor follow-up. Maintain procurement records and ensure compliance with UNDP procedures. Manage inventory and asset tracking. Ensure accurate and compliant project documentation and maintain project logs (risk, issue, action). Support monitoring of project progress against indicators. Provide secretariat support for meetings, prepare agendas, minutes, and action matrices. Coordinate travel and logistics for staff, consultants, and stakeholders. Facilitate coordination with government counterparts and UNDP units. Maintain stakeholder databases and communication records. Support knowledge management activities and maintain organized project records.

Work Experience

A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in project administration, logistics, M&E support, or operations is required with a secondary education. This requirement is reduced to two (2) years of experience with a Bachelor's degree. Experience working with government, UN agencies, or donor-funded projects is desirable.

Skills

Proficiency in computer use, including MS Office Suite (Word, Excel) and web-based management systems. Advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages. Experience in financial management, budget tracking, and reporting. Familiarity with procurement procedures and project management processes. Ability to manage events, including logistics and coordination. Strong communication, organizational, and administrative skills. Experience with monitoring and evaluation tools is desirable.

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