Project Associate, Markets for Change / M4C - Fiji

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The UN Women Pacific Multi-Country Office (MCO) is based in Suva, Fiji and works alongside the nineteen other UN agencies in the region and in fourteen countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Under its Strategic Note 2023-2027, UN Women Fiji MCO focuses on delivering on four interlinked programme areas underpinned by support for intergovernmental and normative processes:

• Women’s Political Empowerment and Leadership
• Women’s Economic Empowerment
• Ending Violence against Women
• Gender and Protection in Humanitarian Action and Disaster Risk Reduction

Markets for Change / M4C

The Markets for Change Project promotes gender equality through the economic empowerment of women market vendors in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. The project brings together governments, market vendors and market vendor associations, civil society organizations and UN agencies. M4C is implemented by UN Women in partnership with UNDP, and the Governments of Australia.

Reporting to the National Project Manager – Country Lead - Fiji, the Project Associate will be responsible for providing administrative, finance and operations support for the M4C project in Fiji. 

The Project Associate will work in close collaboration with the M4C Fiji Team and Fiji MCO staff to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery.

Key Functions and Accountabilities:

Provides effective support to management of the M4C Project focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Provide support to the Country Lead and Regional Finance Officer in the financial management of the project.
• Provide guidance to the Fiji M4C Project on routine implementation and tracking of financial resources.
• Provide necessary required information to any audit requirement of the project and support implementation of audit recommendations.
• Organize, compile and process information from donor, the Fiji Multi Country- Office, and project team, as inputs to various databases, documents and UN Women online financial management systems.
• Support the Project team in the tracking and reporting on mobilized resources. 

Provides administrative, secretarial, financial and operational support to the M4C Project focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Preparation of non-PO invoice for M4C Project.
• Maintenance of the internal expenditures control system which ensures that invoices processed are matched and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Quantum.
• Timely corrective actions on un-posted invoices, including the invoices with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved invoices. 
• Making budget check for requisitions, POs and invoices. 
• Creation of requisitions in Quantum and budget check for requisition, registration of goods receipt in Quantum, preparation of budget and upload of supporting document, processing payment request and preparation of Quantum reports.
• Check the supporting documents for payments and financial reports for the Project, including payment execution and monitoring payment status.
• Prepare and handle routine correspondence related to general administration, procurement, financial and personnel matters; faxes, memoranda and reports in accordance with UN Women rules and procedures.
• Provide administrative and logistic support to organization of conferences, training workshops, retreats, missions related to M4C project activities.
• Ensure all supporting documents on financial transactions are secured and properly filed.
• Liaise with Field Office focal point in following up on FACE forms. 
• Develop an efficient filing system to keep all relevant information related to M4C
• Support the drafting of minutes, invitation letters and preparation of document for meeting and its distribution for