Operations - Associate

NEW Open

UNOPS

Quick Summary

Type
Full Time
Location
Kabul - Kabul
Category
Other
Published
2026-06-18
Nationality
Afghan
Gender
Male/Female
Contract Duration
Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance
No of Job
1

Education

Secondary school (or equivalent) with 6 years of relevant experience A bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field with 2 years of relevant experience is required.

Experience

Minimum 6 years of relevant experience with a secondary school diploma, or 2 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree or higher, in project operations, finance, HR, procurement, or administrative support.

Deadline

2026-07-01

About the Company

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management, and human resources.

Working with us

We are proud of our people. With a wealth of knowledge and skills in various disciplines – engineering, finance, human resources, ICT, leadership, project management, procurement, and more – they help tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time. Their work around the world supports progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At UNOPS, we offer a range of short- and long-term opportunities in various environments and duty stations – from Denmark and Kenya to Mexico, Switzerland, Myanmar, Senegal, Uganda, and many more.

Diversity

With over 5,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,400 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners, spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced and diverse labor force — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs. We continually strive to maintain our gender-balanced workplace. We encourage qualified underrepresented groups as per UNOPS Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy to apply for our vacancies.

Job Summary

Afghanistan

With more than 20 years of experience in the country, UNOPS Afghanistan focuses on providing maximum support to the people of Afghanistan through the delivery of projects and services that improve the lives of people in need. The UNOPS Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) serves as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been designated as the implementation agency. At present, UNOPS AFCO activities cover a range of sectors including humanitarian, basic human needs, cash for work, infrastructure, development, procurement and HR services.

The functional objective of UNOPS AFCO is to contribute to improving the lives of girls, boys, men and women living in Afghanistan. The aim of UNOPS AFCO is to provide efficient and cost-effective implementation services on behalf of all our partners to support the humanitarian response and development of the country. UNOPS AFCO’s mission is to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders in the delivery of AFCO services, at all times, in all places, in all circumstances, in order to improve the lives of Afghans in need.

Job Requirements

Role Purpose 

Under the direct guidance and supervision of the Senior Officer (ICS-9), the Operations Associate serves as the operational anchor for the VCEP and PVEP portfolios. Operating with a high degree of independence, the incumbent interprets rules, manages administrative and operational workflows, and ensures strict audit readiness across Human Resources, Finance, Administration, Logistics, and Procurement.

The Operations Associate is responsible for the direct supervision, workload distribution, and quality control of a Project Support Assistant (ICS-4), ensuring the project support unit operates efficiently. The incumbent resolves standard bottlenecks independently, escalating only complex exceptions to the Senior Officer. 

 

Functions / Key Results Expected 

1.  Team Supervision and Operational Coordination

  • Direct Supervision: Oversee the day-to-day tasks of the Project Support Assistant (ICS-4), providing clear guidance, assigning workflows, and monitoring performance delivery.

  • Quality Assurance: Review and clear primary administrative and transactional outputs produced by the Assistant before they are escalated to the Senior Officer (ICS-9) or processed in the system.

  • Capacity Building: Coach and mentor the ICS-4 Assistant on UNOPS operational guidelines, ERP system navigation, and proper file management procedures.

 

2. Procurement and Contract Management

  • Process Management: Lead the review, refinement, and management of requisitions, local sourcing, and Requests for Payments (RFPs) for project supplies, services, and minor works, ensuring compliance with procurement frameworks.

  • Asset & IT Oversight: Oversee the end-to-end procurement, delivery, and installation of office infrastructure and IT equipment, coordinating directly with the ICT unit to resolve systemic platform issues.

  • Vendor Administration: Act as the operational focal point for local suppliers; track contract milestones, monitor deliverables, and address performance or compliance issues.

 

3. Financial and Budgetary Analysis

  • Budget Monitoring: Independently monitor expenditures against approved project budgets; analyze variances, track UN Common Costs (CC), and provide regular risk-alert updates to the Senior Officer.

  • Financial Ledger Coordination: Manage the process for General Ledger Journal Entries (GLJE) regarding salary redistributions, proactively coordinating with the Country Office Finance Unit to ensure timely completion.

  • Audit Readiness: Lead the preparation for internal and external audits. Analyze audit requirements, coordinate file assemblies, perform quality control on documentation, and draft initial technical clarifications for audit queries.

 

4. Human Resources and Personnel Lifecycle Management

  • Contract Administration: Oversee the contract extension process for national personnel and specialist consultants; review, validate, and facilitate the signature of Note to Files (NTFs).

  • Workforce Tracking: Manage and maintain the project HR Plan and Recruitment Tracker; analyze staffing gaps and proactively liaise with HR to expedite Vacancy Announcements (VAs).

  • Onboarding Logistics: Coordinate complex deployment logistics for incoming project personnel, including verifying Work from Home (WfH) internet allowances, asset allocations, and compliance logs.

 

5. General Administration and Information Management

 

  • Information Architecture: Enforce strict organizational file-naming conventions and digital filing structures across the project database to guarantee immediate retrieval and institutional memory.

  • Document Control: Coordinate and quality-assure the translation of critical official documents into Dari and Pashto, ensuring high-accuracy packages are prepared for Ministry of Finance (MoF) submissions.

  • Travel and Mission Logistics: Oversee the international travel and logistics tracker; coordinate security clearance inputs, visa processing, accommodation, and secure airport transits.

  • Asset & Inventory Management: Maintain and reconcile the comprehensive Project Inventory and Asset register, preparing formal documentation for eventual asset disposals or transfers.

 

 

Skills 
Data Analysis, Documentation, Inventory Management, Logistics Management, Procurement, Reporting, Supervisory Skills, Audit Preparation, Human Resources Operations
Respect
Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organisational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.
Collaboration
Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.
Partnerships
Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).
Excellence
Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.
Adaptability
Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.
Decision-making
Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.
Communication
Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.
Education Requirements 

Required

  • Secondary school (or equivalent) with 6 years of relevant experience 

  • A bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field with 2 years of relevant experience is required.

 

 

Experience Requirements 

Required

  • Minimum 6 years of relevant experience with a secondary school diploma, or 2 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree or higher, in project operations, finance, HR, procurement, or administrative support.

 

Desired

  • Experience working within a UN System organization. 

  • Direct experience managing operations or audit responses for large-scale donor-funded projects (e.g., ADB).  

  • Experience in team leadership or supervising junior support staff is highly desirable.

Language Requirements 
Language Proficiency Level Requirement
English Fluent Required
 
 

Submission Guideline

Please click on the below link for actual vacancy announcement to see the complete details and submission guideline as this is only an attempt for attracting female applicants for gender parity in organization. Please make sure you fill your profile/application properly with all relevant details in order to be considered for the next stage of recruitment/selection.

 https://careers.unops.org/careersmarketplace/JobDetail/3552 

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