Project Assistant

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section (CPLA), United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Chief, CPLA and under the overall guidance of the Director of UNOOSA. The main responsibilities carried out by UNOOSA are : to serve as the secretariat to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its subsidiary bodies, as executive secretariat to the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems and its Providers' Forum and as the secretariat to the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group; to implement the United Nations Programme on Space Applications and the Programme on the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response; to maintain the Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space; and to discharge the responsibilities of the Secretary-General under the United Nations Treaties and Principles on Outer Space and related resolutions. For more information on UNOOSA, please visit

Responsibilities

The Project Assistant will administratively support the Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section (CPLA) in the implementation of capacity-building activities in space law and policy, in particular, the Global Space Law Project, which provides legal assistance to emerging space faring nations to develop national space law and which is funded exclusively by extrabudgetary sources. The Project Assistant will support the project by providing administrative assistance in fund management, carrying out outreach activities. The Project Assistant will also provide support in implementing the project's activities by assisting with the organization and delivery of technical advisory missions. Within limits of assigned authority, the specific responsibilities assigned to this position include :

• Assist in the coordination of project planning and a wide range of preparation work for the Global Space Law Project, including budgeting; monitor status of project proposals and receipt of relevant documentation for review and approval.
• Assist in drafting concept notes, donor reports, questionnaires, and other official documents; compile, summarize, and present basic information / data on the project and related topics or issues.
• Monitor the status of expenditures and prepare draft cost plans / budgets, ensuring the completeness and compliance with relevant rules and procedures prior to submission for final approval and signature; verify availability of funds; identify inconsistencies; distribute project documents to relevant parties upon approval; maintain good working relationships with various stakeholders; ensure necessary approval and entry in a computerized budget system such as the in-house SAP system, Umoja; update and prepare background documents for submissions by UNOOSA on budgetary and administrative questions.
• Serve as focal point for administrative coordination of project implementation activities, involving extensive liaison with diverse organizational units to initiate requests, obtain necessary clearances, process and follow-up on administrative actions, such as recruitment of consultants, travel arrangements for senior staff and for experts and other external participants, as well as payments and disbursement of funds.
• Provide secretarial, administrative and logistics support, as required, to meetings, workshops, conferences, special events and other activities of UNOOSA; assist in preparing notes and minutes of meetings as requested / assigned.
• Compile, summarize and enter data on project planning and delivery, identify shortfalls in delivery, budget overruns, etc., and bring to the attention of management.
• Provide general office assistance; respond to information requests and inquiries; review, log and route incoming correspondences, set up and maintain files / records pertaining to the Project; organize meetings; handle routine administrative tasks.
• Respond to complex information requests and inquiries on the project and refer inquiries to appropriate personnel for handling as necessary.
• Maintain websites and databases of the Project by scanning, converting and posting a variety of documents onto the site.
• Assist in the preparation and delivery of presentation materials using appropriate technology / software.
• Assist in backstopping, as may be necessary, other General Service colleagues during periods of absences or leave.
• Assist with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.
• Assist with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.
• Support the Secretariat team in servicing meetings of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its subsidiary bodies, as necessary.
• Perform other work-related duties as assigned.

Competencies

Education

High school diploma or equivalent.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of five (5) years of work experience in programme or project administration, technical cooperation or related area is required. The minimum number of years of relevant experience is reduced to three (3) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Work experience in using office software packages (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) is required. Work experience in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, such as Umoja, is required. Work experience in drafting concept notes for beneficiaries of capacity building or training projects and donor reports is required. Work experience in maintaining databases and creating log-in credentials for e-learning courses is desirable. Experience in liaising with other Secretariat offices or other UN entities are desirable. Experience in communicating with donors and recipients of United Nations programmes / projects is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. There are no additional desirable languages specified. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult for details).

Required Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

English

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This temporary position is available for four (4) months. Filling of this position is subject to funding availability. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to staff rule 4.4 of the United Nations Staff Rules. Applicants for positions in the General Service and related categories must be authorized to work for the United Nations in the duty station where the position is located. Eligible applicants selected from outside the duty station are responsible for any expenses in connection with their relocation to the duty station. Staff members subject to local recruitment are not eligible for allowances or benefits exclusively applicable to international recruitment. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. The movement of staff members from the General Service and related categories to the Professional category in the United Nations Secretariat is exclusively allowed through the Young Professionals Programme competitive examinations. Only a few staff members pass the competitive examinations. Passing the competitive examinations does not guarantee movement to the Professional category. For further information, please visit

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term "sexual exploitation" means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term "sexual abuse" means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term "sexual harassment" means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator's working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST / AI / 2023 / 3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on "Manuals" in the "Help" tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST / AI / 2025 / 3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST / AI / 2025 / 3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11 : 59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.