Client Engagement Assistant, Nouakchott

General

Description of assignment title: Client Engagement Assistant

Assignment country: Mauritania

Duty stations: Nouakchott

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 01/01/2027

Duration: 12 months (with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal: 17. Partnerships for the goals

Host entity: UNV

Modality: Onsite

Type: National

Volunteer category: Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives

Le programme des Volontaires des Nations Unies (VNU) est au sein des Nations Unies l’organisation qui, au niveau mondial, est chargée de promouvoir le volontariat pour la Paix et le Développement. Le volontariat profite à la fois à l’ensemble de la société et à la personne qui se porte volontaire. Les Volontaires des Nations Unies contribuent à la paix et au développement en faisant du plaidoyer pour le volontariat en général, en encourageant les partenaires à intégrer le volontariat dans leurs programmes de développement et en mobilisant des volontaires. Dans la plupart des cultures, le volontariat est profondément ancré et établi dans les sociétés avec la tradition de partage et d’entraide au sein des communautés.

A cet égard, les Volontaires des Nations Unies prennent part aux différentes formes de volontariat et joue un rôle important pour le développement et la paix en collaboration avec les partenaires, les agences hôtes et les communautés locales. Durant toute leur affectation, les Volontaires des Nations Unies font la promotion du volontariat à travers leur action et leur conduite. S’engager dans les activités volontaires peut effectivement et positivement enrichir leur compréhension des réalités sociales et locales, aussi bien que créer un pont entre eux-mêmes et les personnes dans leur communauté d’accueil. Ceci rend le temps qu’ils dépensent en tant que volontaire plus valorisant et productif.

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 Client Engagement 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, gathering and sharing data and information that influence mobilization opportunities, ensuring client satisfaction with volunteer services, and 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) and support to 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 in the management of key accounts of assigned partnerships.
   • Support and maintain relationships with assigned UN partner/s in the country/countries to ensure an understanding of UNV's mandate, key offers and the added value that UN Volunteer assignments bring in support to the achievement of their respective mandates.
   • Support in the identification of volunteer placement opportunities based on UN agency strategies and plans and present UNV value proposition and volunteer modalities with the objective of maximizing the relevance of volunteerism for impact.
   • Support in the preparation of descriptions of assignment, with a focus on the assigned partners.
   • Support in the development of offers and initiatives that respond to the evolving needs of partners for volunteer solutions.
   • Contribute to the organization of advocacy campaigns, key events and other external communication efforts that raise awareness and foster engagement.
   • Ensure knowledge is documented, systematized and fed back into volunteer mobilization, using UNV's Client Relationship Management (CRM) to track interactions and updates.
   • In consultation with the Online Volunteering (OV) Programme Associate in the respective Regional Office, act as a focal point for online volunteers and accreditation of OV service organizations, focusing on supporting host entities with developing OV opportunities through advocacy engagements and promoting the concept of OV.
2. Contribute to business intelligence in support of strategic and sustained mobilization
   • Support partnerships development by collecting and analyzing data of UN Cooperation Frameworks and agency programming frameworks to identify volunteer engagement areas.Record volunteer mobilization opportunities and business intelligence in CRM.
   • Support in the engagement with potential partners by preparing presentations, mapping etc. on opportunities for volunteerism for internal use by UNV.
   • Support the identification of opportunities for communicating on positive volunteer stories and strengthening visibility of the Agency partnership and the impact of volunteerism.
   • Contribute to the development of key messages, talking points, and reports as needed.
3. 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 are 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.
   • Support the organization of appreciation initiatives and local events to acknowledge volunteer contributions and foster a sense of belonging.
   • Support the Country Coordinator in ensuring 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/at country level during peak periods or personnel absences, ensuring continuity of service and contributing to a seamless and positive volunteer experience.
4. 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 and precise understanding among UN Volunteers on all security-related issues, including e.g. assistance with headcounts in emergency situations.
   • 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 navigate 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:

• French, Level: Fluent, Required
• English, Level: Fluent, Desirable
• Arabic, Level: Fair, Desirable

Required education level:

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

Minimum of 3 years (with technical or vocational diploma) or 2 additional years (with high school certificate) of practical and relevant experience at national or international level in partnership engagement, advocacy, management, client service or related areas.

Competencies and values:

• System Thinking - Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
• Integration within the UN - Ability to identity, and integrate 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.
• Communication - Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
• 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.
• 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.
• Event planning and execution - Ability to plan, manage and execute public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNV's overall brand and mandate.

Skills and experience:

Required 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 at national or international level in partnership engagement, advocacy, management, client service or related areas.

Fluency in the local language of the duty station.

Previous experience with international or development organizations is considered an asset.

Experience in preparing presentation materials, including PowerPoint slides and talking points, as well as minute-taking and report drafting.

Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP.

Knowledge and experience of ticket-based service management systems (e.g., Salesforce/UNALL, or equivalent) is considered an asset.

Area(s) of expertise: Administration

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

Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is located in Northwest Africa, within the Maghreb region. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to the north, and Algeria to the northeast. Nouakchott, the capital and largest city, lies between the dunes and the ocean.

Infrastructure has improved in recent years. The healthcare system is primarily public, complemented by a growing private sector. Each region has hospitals, though many are not fully equipped for long-term hospitalization. The UN system maintains a list of reliable medical facilities for its staff.

Educational opportunities remain limited, but two major international schools (French and American) are available.

Mauritania is generally safe, with few violent crimes. However, expatriates—especially women—should avoid traveling alone at night or taking taxis alone.

Nouakchott offers numerous restaurants and an active expatriate community. The climate is Saharan: very hot days (often above 38°C / 100°F) and cool mornings and nights. No specific vaccines are required for entry, but it is recommended to keep vaccinations up to date.

Mauritania provides an enriching yet demanding environment. Flexibility, adaptability, and tolerance for sometimes challenging conditions are essential for living and working comfortably.

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

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.