Project Assistant to Managing Exits from Armed Conflict Project at UNU-CPR At United Nations University

United Nations University Centre for Policy Research in New York is one of 14 research and training Institutes that comprise the think tanks in the UNU system. The Centre combines research excellence with deep knowledge of the multilateral system to generate innovative solutions to current and future global public policy challenges.

About the Project: Managing Exits from Armed Conflict (MEAC)

UNU-CPR’s Managing Exits from Armed Conflict (MEAC) initiative is a multi-year collaboration to develop a unified, rigorous approach to examining how and why individuals exit armed conflict and evaluate the efficacy of interventions meant to help support their transition to civilian life. MEAC is conducting research in several conflict settings and will organize different types of events in 2022 to share research findings with different stakeholders, including peacebuilding practitioners, policy makers, and academics. MEAC is generously supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, IrishAid,the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – along with the United Nations Department of Peace Operations (DPO), UNICEF, and the World Bank.

Terms of Reference

UNU-CPR is looking for a Project Assistant to support the MEAC project with a range of logistical and communication tasks.

The Project Assistant will report to the MEAC Project Director and the Senior Project Manager. The work could largely be accomplished remotely, but will require some time in New York surrounding the conference (approximately 1 week).

Expected Outputs:

• Support the day-to-day functioning of the MEAC team, to include:
  • Take notes during meetings as required
  • Assist with the formatting of research tools, including surveys
  • Liaise with UNU-CPR administrative and communication staff as needed
  • Liaise with external partners to schedule meetings
• Lead in the logistical organization of a large policy research conference at the United Nations, which will include:
• Outreach to speakers including invitations, timing, and logistical details
• Design, send, and manage invitations and participation in the event
• Arrange room rentals, audio visual, building access/badges, output production, and catering
• Organize the travel, accommodation, and/or DSA reimbursements for speakers coming from outside New York and coordinate with UNU-CPR operations team, travel agent, and hotels
• Lead the creation of conference materials, including PowerPoints, printed analytical outputs, and videos, which may require coordinating with speakers, graphic designers, and editors
• Support the successful roll out of the conference, including designing a run of show, serve as the logistical focal point, and assist speakers and team members as required.
• Working with the Communications Manager at UNU-CPR, lead the communications campaign around the conference, including advertisements for the event, tweets before and during the event, other social media outreach, and possibly other communications outreach
• Working with UNU-CPR operations staff and the MEAC team, compile receipts and invoices, ensure payments to vendors, and assist with bookkeeping on conference related expenses
• Assist with the communications work of the MEAC project, to include:
• Lead in the production of a post conference output that draws on the presentations and lessons learned from the event (TBC).
• Help format and upload findings reports and other analytical outputs
• Liaise with graphic designers and editors for other multi-media outputs
• Help draft tweets and pull photos for – or – create accompanying graphics for tweets and other social media posts
• Assist with drafting op-eds derived from analytical findings as needed
• Assist in setting up other occasional project events (e.g., brownbag talks, virtual panels) and the logistics and communication work needed to support them.

Qualifications

• B.A. in event management, social/political sciences, administration, communications, public relations, or related fields is required.
• Professional or volunteer experience in communications, events management, editing, conference preparation is required.
• Experience organizing events, specific experience with research, practitioner, or policy conferences is desirable.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are required. Knowledge of Spanish, French, or Arabic is a bonus.
• Excellent organization skills and the ability to multitask.
• Ability to work within a team.
• Ability to work remotely.
• Proficiency with Mail Chimp, Microsoft (including Outlook calendars, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint), social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
• Certification in Power BI or other data visualization software is a bonus.
• Experience in policy-oriented research and writing is a bonus.
• Experience in conflict prevention/resolution, peacebuilding, development, or related area is an advantage.

Duration of contract

The successful candidate will be retained under a Consultant Contract (CTC) for the above-mentioned project for 8-9 months. Consultants engaged by UNU may not provide services for more than twenty-four (24) months in a thirty-six (36) month period. Start date: 15 April 2022.