Project Control Associate - UNV Expert

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Family

Staff Member / Affiliate TypeNUNV National

Target Start Date2025-08-01

Deadline for ApplicationsJuly 11, 2025

Terms of ReferenceMission and objectives: UNHCR works to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge, having fled violence, persecution, war or disaster at home. Since 1950, UNHCR has provided support in the face of multiple crises globally, and provided vital assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced and stateless people, many of whom have nobody left to turn to. UNHCR helps save lives and build better futures for millions forced from their homes.

Assignment context:

The primary functions of project control are to complement programme and provide support for oversight of projects including the formulation of a monitoring plan, quality assurance, and verification management, while maintaining a segregation of duties. Other activities of project control include review of project agreements, project audit, monitoring that there is synchrony between financial and operational performance, participation in multi-functional monitoring activities and reviews, tracking project risk management, and supporting project closure.

Project Control staff play a very important role in maintaining harmonious and effective partnerships, and often interact with implementing partners – national organizations with whom UNHCR establishes funded partnerships to delegate the implementation of programmatic activities. As a result, the incumbent need to be very mindful of all dimensions of partnerships in their interaction with partners (in accordance with the Principles of Partnership, the Code of Conduct and other relevant documents) and be able to guide these partners regarding programmatic principles, compliance, internal controls and related aspects.

The Project Control Associate receives general guidance and work plans from the Associate Project Control Officer, and they will collaborate within their respective levels of responsibility in all regular Project control activities, such as Project Financial Verifications, Project Risk Reviews, Internal Control Assessments, Audit planning and implementation, Quality Assurance of Project Workplans and amendments, between other activities.

By achieving these objectives, Project Control Unit is helping to ensure the efficiency, efficacy and effectivity of programme implementation while preventing internal control risks and providing assurance that compliance with regulations and financial requirements are duly observed.

Task description:
Under the general guidance of the Associate project Control Officer, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks and responsibilities:

- Contribute to reviewing the internal control systems of implementing partners, and to the provision of technical advice on needed improvements.
- Contribute to reviewing, analyzing and verifying Financial and Performance Reports, and to checking accuracy and consistency between them and Project Financial Reports (PFRs), in accordance with project agreements based on evidence analyzed in field missions or remote assessments.
- Contribute to reviewing that Project Workplans and Amendments are in conformity with Country Operation Plans and UNHCR’s rules, policies and procedures. .
- Ensure that the funds obligated under a Project Workplan permit the payment of the next instalment or a disbursement, confirming the status of instalments already paid.
- Support timely project closure in coordination with the programme unit.
- Bring to the attention of supervisors and programme officers any significant variances at the office level in: budget execution, percentage of project execution, time schedule, compliance to essential requirements and quality of projects against specifications or terms and conditions.
- Maintain professional relationships with implementing partners.
- Keep up to date with all UNHCR rules, regulations and procedures necessary to perform these duties.
- Escalate partner related issues to supervisors.
- Recommend acceptance or non-acceptance of PFRs and payment of instalments.
- Contact implementing partners for project related matters.
- Have unlimited access to financial and operational records relating to projects.
- Monitor that a complete record is maintained for all projects.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Required education: Bachelor degree or equivalent

Area(s) of specialization (education): Accounting, business administration, finance, project management, auditing and related areas.

Required experience: 7 years of relevant experience

Required skills and experience:
• Essential:
- Previous work experience in the field of accounting/finance, internal / external audits, project management, project financial management. project control, internal control, business analysis, quality assurance and/or risk management. Advanced user of Microsoft 365 package, in particular Excel tools for financial analysis and reporting purposes.

• Desirable:
- Abovementioned relevant experience in the UN System Organizations or similarly sized intergovernmental / humanitarian / non-profit organizations
- Work experience with accrual accounting such as International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
- Understanding and/or experience of the workflows of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems (such as Oracle, PeopleSoft, SAP).
- Previous experience with financial audit and compliance is a strong asset.

Languages: Fluency in English and Portuguese is required.
Fluency in Spanish is highly desirable.

Area(as) of expertise: Development programmes; Economics and finance; Administration.

Competencies and values:
Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies
Judgement and Decision Making
Managing Resources

Cross-Functional Competencies
Planning and Organizing
Political Awareness

Living conditions and other remarks:
The assignment will be in Brasília, the Federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. Brasilia is a family duty station and classified A (hardship). The living conditions in Brasilia are good as well as the access to health services. The accommodation facilities are in general good, and the choice is wide. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging their own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. Brazil is security level 3 (moderate). United Nations Department of Safety and Security UNDSS Brazil advises to exercise a high degree of caution in Brazil due to high levels of serious and violent crime, particularly in major cities. Violent crime as muggings, armed robbery, kidnappings, and sexual assault, is very high. Avoid shanty towns (favelas) in the big cities and if you are attacked or robbed, do not resist. Demonstrations can occur at any time and may turn violent with little or no warning. All United Nations personnel must scrupulously comply with UNDSS procedures and recommendations during their assignment in Brazil. For missions in rural areas or indigenous reservations, special procedures may apply; UN personnel should consult with the local DSS office in advance.

Additional information regarding the selection process, position, and working conditions will only be made available to pre-selected candidates. Information on entitlements at the duty station is available at https://app.unv.org/calculator.

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

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.

In the selection process for this UNV position, UNHCR aims to hire candidates from groups still underrepresented in its workforce in Brazil, namely black people, indigenous people, transgender persons and persons with disabilities. Refugees of all nationalities, regardless of race, sex, gender identity, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other status are highly encouraged to apply. Candidates will be treated equally regardless of their social status.

Candidates with UNHCR experience will be given full consideration during the process.

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’s policy

Standard Job Description

Required Languages English

,Portuguese

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Work Experience

Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance

RemoteNo