Area Coordination Assistant, Port Moresby

General

Description of assignment title: Area Coordination Assistant
Assignment country: Papua New Guinea
Duty stations: Port Moresby
Work location: On UN premises
Expected start date: 11/26/2026
Duration: 12 months (with possibility of extension)
Sustainable Development Goal: 17. Partnerships for the goals
Host entity: UNV PNG
Modality: Onsite
Type: National
Volunteer category: Specialist UCoS from Apr2026
Work schedule: Full-time
Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.

In most cultures, volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities.

In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

Context

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.

Task description

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 parters’ satisfaction with volunteer servicesand 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.

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 fora.
   • 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.
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.
   • Perform functions in the Volunteer Management Cycle in accordance with role and SOPs.
   • 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.
5. Support duty of care of UN Volunteers serving in the assigned area
   
   • Liaise with the respective entities’ security focal points or heads of office as applicable, and provide support to ensure a detailed understanding among UN Volunteers on all security-related issues, including assistance with headcounts in emergencies.
   • Provide timely and accurate support to UN Volunteers undergoing medical evacuation, ensuring coordination with medical providers, host entities, and relevant offices at UNV, while maintaining compliance with established procedures.
   • Provide tailored support to UN Volunteers who do not speak the UN official language, to facilitate their understanding and providing key information, and navigating their assignment environment effectively throughout the volunteer management cycle.
   • Provide host entities with comprehensive information on the enabling instruments available through UNV that support the health and wellbeing of UN Volunteers, such as insurance and related benefits.

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

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80
Required experience: 3 years
Nationality: Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience: 3 years

Languages:

• English, Level: Fluent, Required
• Tok Pisin, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable

Required education level: Technical/vocational diploma in Social Sciences or related area. Highschool diploma with 2 additional years of relevant experience can be considered.

Competencies and values:

• 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.

Skills and experience:

• Minimum of 3 years (with technical or vocational diploma) or 2 additional years (with high school certificate) of practical and relevant experience in partnership management, operations support, client service or related areas.
• Fluency in the local language of the duty station
• Previous volunteering experience or experience with international or development organizations is considered an asset.
• Previous experience in a civil society setting and/or as a volunteer with volunteer management and/or promotion of volunteerism is a distinct advantage.
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), database packages, and web-based management systems such as CRM or ERP.
• Knowledge and experience of ticket-based service management systems (e.g. Salesforce/UNALL, or equivalent) is considered an asset.

Area(s) of expertise: Community development, Project management, programme development, strategy, Volunteer management and advocacy
Driving license: -

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.

You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.

The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.”

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy

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