Apply now »

Title:  Project Assistant

​Requisition ID: 6103 
Grade : ISA -G4 
Country: Fiji 
Duty Station : Suva 
Category: Local Support Personnel 
Type of job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: NonStaff-Regular
Application deadline: 23-Sep-2025  

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL

 

Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible. 
Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

 

Organizational Context

 

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

 

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Departments/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

 

The Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, oversees the Organization's development of capacities for industrial development as well as industrial policy advice, statistics and research activities and the Organization's normative contribution to Member States and global development community in achieving the SDGs. The Directorate also ensures the application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to Environment, Energy, SMEs, Competitiveness and Job creation, as well as Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute toward effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results and on realizing any potential for scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

 

The Directorate houses the technical Divisions of Capacity Development and Industrial Policy Advice (TCS/CAP); Circular Economy and Environmental Protection (TCS/CEP); Decarbonization and Sustainable Energy (TCS/DSE); SMEs, Competitiveness and Job Creation (TCS/SME); and Digital Transformation and AI Strategies (TCS/DAS). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with relevant entities in the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO) and the Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET).

 

This position is located under the Competitiveness, Quality and Compliance Unit (TCS/SME/CQC) which builds national and regional production and quality infrastructure systems, with an emphasis on providing internationally recognized services, facilitating SME participation in regional and global value chains; strengthening institutional quality infrastructure capacities (i.e. standardization, metrology, and accreditation); building conformity assessment capacities (testing, inspection, certification, calibration, etc.); and supporting trade facilitation and quality awareness with the public sector, economic operators and consumers, placing a special emphasis on capacitating SMEs.

 

PROJECT CONTEXT 

 

One of the priorities of the ACP countries is to stimulate economic growth beyond the natural resource sectors through diversification, generating higher added value by moving up the value chains in productive activities, and enhancing linkages between sectors in the economy. This requires local industry not only to be able to meet international standards, technical regulations and other market requirements, but also to be able to DEMONSTRATE to export partners that they meet these requirements. For such an initiative to upgrade local industry to be successful it is essential, therefore, that it is coupled with an articulated technical assistance programme aimed at enhancing the capacity and governance of the various regions’ quality infrastructure institutions, and specifically their associated quality systems and conformity assessment services. 

 

The Project entrusted to UNIDO represents the meso-level component of a larger Programme “Supporting business-friendly and inclusive national and regional policies, strengthening productive capabilities and value chains” which is funded by the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (Delegation Agreement FED/2018/403- 924). 

 

The project component “Supporting quality and regulatory infrastructure, value chain-specific quality infrastructure services and quality culture promotion in the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States” (hereinafter referred to as ACP QIP) will contribute to the overarching objectives of the Project, namely to increase the economic and social impact from ACP participation in the multi-lateral trading system. This will be achieved through increased competitiveness of SMEs and their products on local, regional and international markets, increased ACP consumer safety, and increased contribution of OACPS to the operation of the multi-lateral trading system. 

 

This specific project component is designed to contribute to the overall programme objective by achieving four key outputs: 

  1. Enhancing regional quality and regulatory infrastructure (Q&RI) governance
  2. Strengthening the availability of value chain specific quality infrastructure (QI) Services
  3. Promoting Quality Culture and Practices
  4. Improving the investment-related business environment/climate through quality systems and conformity assessment

 

PACIFIC CONTEXT 

 

To seize the opportunities and minimize the impacts of the Pacific’s vulnerabilities, the Pacific Islands Forum developed the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent which outlines the “long-term approach to working together as a region, and as countries and territories, communities, and people of the Pacific”. This strategy delineates the agreed long-term actions around seven key thematic areas. These thematic areas include Political Leadership and Regionalism; People-Centred Development; Peace and Security; Resource and Economic Development; Climate Change and Disasters; Ocean and Environment; and Technology and Connectivity. Related to the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy is the Pacific Aid for Trade Strategy (PAfTS) 2020-2025 which aims to “build the trade capacity and infrastructure needed to benefit from trade opening.” 

 

Quality Infrastructure (QI) plays a significant role in economic development and will be vital for supporting the 2050 Blue Pacific Strategy, particularly in the thematic area of “Resources and Economic Development”. To this end, PIFS has been strengthening national QI in Forum Island States towards creating a regionally harmonized QI. This regional approach is being coordinated by the PQI Initiative funded by various international development partners including the EIF, EU, Australia, Germany, and Japan. Since its inception in October 2020, the PQI Initiative is being coordinated by PIFS with implementing partners such as Standards Australia, National Measurement Institute Australia, National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA), Australia, and Trading Standards New Zealand, and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) Germany.

 

Central to the PQI Initiative’s mission is the establishment of comprehensive regional QI frameworks for standardization, metrology, conformity assessment, and quality promotion that encompasses all Forum Island countries. Three regional technical committees have been formed and are being supported by the PQI Initiative to develop technical capacity in their respective thematic area. The Pacific Islands Standards Committee (PISC) is taking the lead in regional standards development, the Pacific Islands Metrology Committee (PIMC) is responsible for coordinating regional metrology development, and the Pacific Islands Testing Committee (PITC), as part of the Pacific Islands Conformity Assessment Committee (PICAC), is responsible for coordinating the strengthening of regional testing laboratories.

 

The ACP QIP is supporting the PQI Initiative to achieve its aim of strengthening a demand-oriented QI and access to services that enhance trade competitiveness in the Pacific region. The overall objective is to generate change towards higher quality products and processes making products safer and more competitive on domestic and international markets.

 

One of the immediate priorities for the PQI Initiative is the strengthening of its Human Resource capacity to coordinate the development of the regional QI. The next evolution of the PQI Initiative is from formulation and assessment to implementation. Therefore, with the creation of three technical committees and the plans for a fourth underway, there is now a greater need for technical support from within PIFS/PQI Initiative. It is for this reason that the PQI Initiative will change its structure and hire a PQI Coordinator to lead the development of the PQI in line with the upcoming Pacific Regional Quality Policy (PRQP) and Implementation Plan. He/She will be supported by the PQI’s first Technical Officer who will be an expert in QI and will serve as Technical Secretary for the committees formed. As the components of QI grow, PIFS may be required to hire more Technical Officers for each QI area. UNIDO will support this new team by providing a Project Coordinator who will implement the ACP QIP under the overall coordination of the PQI Coordinator. The Project Coordinator will be supported by an Administrative Assistant also hired under the ACP QIP. 

 

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Under the supervision of the Project Coordinator and in close cooperation with the project team in the HQ and field location, the Administrative Assistant provides administrative support and is responsible for the following key functions:

 

  • Perform general administrative and logistical tasks such as arrangements for meetings, events, trainings and workshops.
  • Monitor disbursements, commitments and budget allocations and availability for the projects.
  • Assist in or monitor exercises related to the project intervention (e.g.: budget revisions, obligation reviews, re-phasing, extension or completion of projects, issuance of new project allotment documents/due sub-allotments, TC allocations and monitoring related exercises). Interpret or consult to clarify the application of new financial procedures, TC guidelines and other instructions. Keep track of project budget expenditures; assist in budget revisions; complete justification for budget revisions; provide information on the project, draw the supervisor’s attention to problems encountered. Retrieve information on TC projects from the SAP PPM module that has been designed to support results-based management;
  • Facilitate project-related functions and/or events undertaken by PIFS and the Project Management Unit (PMU) at UNIDO, including activities not limited to registrations, coordination of travel and accommodations, preparation of materials, manuals and database management;
  • Assist in the preparation of papers and presentations by extracting/summarizing statistics and other related information; compile and organize information and reference materials from various sources for reports, meetings, etc.;
  • Using SAP, initiate and follow up on actions related to recruitment of experts, training and study tours, purchasing equipment, travel authorizations requests/claims and deal with all related inquiries;
  • Perform general administrative tasks like arrangements for meetings and other events, reservations, budget follow-up, research for information and reference material. Prepare requests/documents, e.g. requisitions, purchase orders, travel requests/authorizations, expenditure authorizations, visa applications, etc.;
  • Maintain project equipment inventories (both paper and electronic asset management) and ensure appropriate use.
  • Schedule and coordinate meetings, events, interviews, appointments, and other similar activities for supervisors, and assigned others;
  • Assisting the Programme’s communication and visibility activities;
  • Maintain files (both paper and electronic) and databases related to work;
  • Perform any other related duties as assigned.

 

 

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS 

 

 

Education: Completed higher secondary education (high school diploma or equivalent), is required. Formal administrative/secretarial/clerical training or equivalent, is desirable. Training in any of the following will be an asset: project management, results-based management, monitoring and evaluation

 

Credit towards total working experience may be considered on a year by-year- basis, up to maximum of four years, for a first university degree or equivalent diploma, in a relevant field.

 

 

Technical and Functional Experience: 

  • A minimum of six (6) years of experience in the private sector and/or an international organization, is required.
  • Experience using Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel), internet search engines, is required.
  • Experience with office procedures and practices, preferably within the UN system or in a multicultural environment, is desirable.
  • Experience in project administration, accounting and finance, providing support to managerial/professional staff and using secretarial/administrative skills to assist in the execution of project development and implementation of work, is desirable.
  • Events Planning/Coordination experience is desirable.
  • Experience with SAP or similar ERP software is desirable.

 

 

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

 

 

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

 

Core Values

WE LIVE AND ACT WITH INTEGRITY: work honestly, openly and impartially.

WE SHOW PROFESSIONALISM: work hard and competently in a committed and responsible manner.

WE RESPECT DIVERSITY: work together effectively, respectfully and inclusively, regardless of our differences in culture and perspective.

 

Key Competencies

WE FOCUS ON PEOPLE: cooperate to fully reach our potential –and this is true for our colleagues as well as our clients. Emotional intelligence and receptiveness are vital parts of our UNIDO identity.

WE FOCUS ON RESULTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: focus on planning, organizing and managing our work effectively and efficiently. We are responsible and accountable for achieving our results and meeting our performance standards. This accountability does not end with our colleagues and supervisors, but we also owe it to those we serve and who have trusted us to contribute to a better, safer and healthier world.

WE COMMUNICATE AND EARN TRUST: communicate effectively with one another and build an environment of trust where we can all excel in our work.

WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND INNOVATE: To stay relevant, we continuously improve, support innovation, share our knowledge and skills, and learn from one another.

 


This appointment is limited to the specified project(s) only and does not carry any expectation of renewal.
Employees of UNIDO are expected at all times to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity, both at work and outside.
Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for jobs at UNIDO.

All applications must be submitted online through the Online Recruitment System. Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process. Selected candidate(s) may be required to disclose to the Director General the nature and scope of financial and other personal interests and assets in respect of themselves, their spouses and dependents, under the procedures established by the Director General.

Visit the UNIDO web site for details on how to apply: www.unido.org
NOTE: The Director General retains the discretion to make an appointment to this post at a lower level.

Notice to applicants:
UNIDO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. If you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Vacant positions within UNIDO are advertised on the official UNIDO website. Should you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of UNIDO and requesting payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unido.org

Apply now »