Project Assistant

Better Than Cash
Better Than Cash

Administration

Ankara, Turkey

Posted on Jun 23, 2026
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Office/Unit/Project Description

UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.

UNDP positions itself as a development partner that brings global knowledge, through a multi-sectoral approach – the key comparative advantage of UNDP - and concentrates its work on 3 programmatic fields: i) Inclusive and Sustainable Growth, ii) Inclusive and Democratic Governance, iii) Climate Change and Environment.

CCE Portfolio focuses on three programmatic areas that complement each other: 1-Natural Resource Management contributing to sustainable environment management and conservation of natural resources in production landscapes, within the general framework of the ecosystems approach; 2- Climate Change and Disaster Resilience (including chemicals and waste) strengthening institutional capacities for analysis and risk management for resilience with a specific emphasis on climate change, and 3- Cooperation with relevant stakeholders to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The Shifting to Zero Waste Against Pollution (SWAP) Initiative aims to reduce chemical pollution in the value chain and improve resource efficiency by supporting pilot cities in emerging economies and Least Developed Countries towards a zero-waste vision in line with green chemistry, circular economy, and waste hierarchy principles for sustainable production and consumption. The comprehensive approach of the Initiative will be implemented in five cities: Freetown (Sierra Leone), Kocaeli (Türkiye), Montevideo (Uruguay), Tunis (Tunisia), and Tianjin (China). The total GEF-provided activity budget for the project is USD 28,035,000.

The Initiative foresees interventions to:

  • Enable conditions and coherent policies to promote integrated planning and programming at the city level towards a long-term vision of zero waste and zero pollution.
  • Explore special and diverse legal, fiscal, and financial steering instruments to promote sustainable investment and cost recovery to address the financial challenges for the transition to a zero-waste city.
  • Enhance sustainable production and consumption by encouraging the private sectors to adopt BAT/BEP to eliminate harmful chemicals in products, promoting eco-design, sustainable consumption and services, building an ecosystem from upstream to downstream for the circularity of materials.
  • Make information and knowledge accessible for raising awareness to every key stakeholder in the key value chains, including producers, retailers, consumers, citizens, and waste workers, through a whole-of-society approach.
  • Build global networks and partnerships on zero waste, provide policy and technical advice through its clearing house, facilitate knowledge sharing, and raise awareness across countries and regions.

The Project Associate (PA) will allocate %100 of his/her time to the Shifting to Zero Waste Against Pollution (SWAP) Initiative Project for the whole project’s duration. PA will assist the Project Manager and Project Field Coordinator in fulfilling his/her duties and tasks. The PA will be responsible for supporting day-to-day implementation of project activities, drafting progress reports and output-related substantial documentation, as well as liaising with the donor and national and international stakeholders at the institutional level. PA will also provide assistance to other key experts or relevant stakeholders, as deemed necessary by the Project Manager and Project Field Coordinator.

Scope of Work

Under the guidance and coordination of the Project Manager and supervision of the Project Field Coordinator, the Project Assistant is responsible for efficient and timely implementation of the activities referred in the project document and the associated work plan. S/he is also expected to support the implementation of the project activities. S/he will maintain high standards of service delivery, including adherence to deadline, quick response time, accuracy and completeness of information, sensitivity to client needs.

  • Assist the Project Manager and Project Field Coordinator in the administrative and logistical support of day-to-day project activities.
  • Ensure all project documentation (progress reports, consulting and other technical reports, minutes of meetings, etc.) are properly maintained in hard and electronic copies in an efficient and readily accessible filing system).
  • Provide PMU-related administrative and logistical assistance.
  • Provide logistical support for the Project Manager, Project Field Coordinator, Project Associate, and consultants in conducting different project activities such as meetings, trainings, workshops, stakeholder consultations, arrangements of study tours, etc.
  • Organize and participate face-to-face/online meetings, manage correspondence and other communication with the project partners and stakeholders as well as project consultants.
  • Maintain files of project documents and expert reports.
  • Keep regular contact with project experts and consultants to maintain regular information flow.
  • Monitor the usage of non-expendable equipment through record keeping and drawing up regular inventories.
  • Draft correspondence and documents; assist in finalization of administrative correspondence.
  • Act on telephone inquiries, fax, post and e-mail transmissions, and co-ordinate appointments.
  • Archive project documents, expert reports, regularly update the project archive, and provide support during project audit processes.
  • Provide soft translation support as requested by the Project Manager and Project Field Coordinator.
  • Prepare English/Turkish version of project newsletters, presentations, brief notes, official letters and ensure their formatting and design is in alignment with the project identity and necessary visibility rules.

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

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Assistant will work under direct guidance and coordination of the Project Manager and report to the Project Field Coordinator.He/She will work in close co-operation with the Portfolio Manager, M&E Officer and Projects Implementation Administrator to ensure the project inputs are administered timely and efficient manner according to UNDP rules and procedures.

Competencies

Core
Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies)

Thematic Area Name Definition
Business Management Working with Evidence and Data
  • Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making
Business Management Digital Awareness and Literacy
  • Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed
Business Management 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.
Business Management Communication
  • Ability to 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.
Business Management Monitoring
  • Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.
Technical - Finance Budget management
  • Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets
Administration & Operations Event Management
  • Support projects with event management including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Min. Education requirements
  • Secondary education is required, or
  • University Degree in business administration/economics, engineering, political/social sciences, urban or/and regional planning, climate change, administrative sciences or environmental sciences, or related fields will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.
Min. years of relevant work experience
  • A minimum of 5 years (with high school diploma) or 2 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible administrative or project experience is required.
Required skills
  • Excellent command of office software, such as word processors, spreadsheets, databases.
  • Experience in at least one climate change, environment or chemicals and waste project.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
  • Experience in project cycle management in the public or private sector or NGOs or international organizations.
  • Experience working in UN Organizations.
  • Experience in organizing and coordinating events and activities including planning, organizing logistics, and preparing documentation for hybrid, in-person, and online formats.
  • Experience in at least 1 project in collaboration with governmental organizations and/or local governments.
Required Language(s)
  • Fluency in the UN language of the duty station is required.
  • Fluency in the national language of the duty station is required.
Professional Certificates n/a

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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