Operations Assistant

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.

In Türkiye, in line with its global Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and Country Strategic Note (2022-2025), and the overall UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Türkiye (UNSDCF) (2021-2025), UN Women works towards the overarching goal of “Women and girls including those at greatest risk of being left behind fully exercise their human rights, enjoy a life free from violence and discrimination, and lead, influence and benefit from sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development towards the advancement of gender equality in Türkiye”.

UN Women works in four thematic areas:
(i) governance and participation in public life;
(ii) women’s economic empowerment;
(iii) ending violence against women and girls; and
(iv) women, peace and security, humanitarian action and disaster risk reduction.

UN Women contributes to three UNSDCF outcomes:
1) Women and girls have improved and equal access to resources, opportunities, and rights, and enjoy a life without violence and discrimination;
2) By 2025, Persons under the Law on Foreigners and International Protection are supported towards self-reliance;
3) By 2025, governance systems are more transparent, accountable, inclusive and rights-based with the participation of civil society, and quality of judicial services is improved.

Towards these goals, UN Women implements programmes and projects that aim to advance gender equality, improve women’s access to opportunities, rights and services in political, social and economic life and combat gender stereotypes, discrimination and violence, as required by international and national legal and policy commitments. UN Women collaborates with numerous partners – central and local level government authorities, civil society organizations, including women’s organizations and platforms, academia, private sector companies, other UN agencies. It commits itself to the Leaving No One Behind principle, by supporting targeted actions to remove the obstacles that marginalized and vulnerable groups of women face in accessing their rights and to promote them as agents of change.

Under the direct supervision of UN Women Türkiye Operations Manager, the UN National Specialist Volunteer will support the Operations team by performing a variety of standard administrative processes ensuring high quality and accuracy of work. The Operations Team consists of Finance, Security, Administration, Procurement and Human Resources divisions. The Operations Assistant will work in close collaboration with the programme personnel and the operations team to ensure consistent service delivery.

Under the direct supervision of UN Women Türkiye Operations Manager, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks and who will support Operations Team.

1. Administrative and logistical support to implementation of activities for the Country Office Operations Team:

• Provide administrative support to day-to-day implementation of activities of UN Women Türkiye Country Office, especially under the core funded activities including the preparation of work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements and tracking the delivery of funds.
• Provide administrative support to the office team in the organization of conferences, workshops, retreats, activities and events.
• Contacts with visitors and staff, arrangement of appointments and meetings, acting as an interpreter when required and/or taking minutes.
• Collect information on shipments, customs clearance arrangements, prepare documents for UN Women shipments (received/sent).
• Participate in meetings, training sessions, conferences and other programmatic events and prepare reports/minutes as required.
• Support with filing system in the office and ensure documentation as per UN Women rules and guidelines.
• Coordinate office calendar use and arrangement of meetings including drafting and filing meeting minutes.

2. Support implementation of operational strategies:

• Support full compliance of administrative activities with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and strategies.
• Support to the office for preparation of administrative business processes mapping and implementation of the internal standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Contribute to the provision of inputs to the preparation and implementation of administrative team results-oriented work plans.
• Support office compliance with Internal and External Audit processes and recommendations.
• Support programmes timely implementation of Operational Processes, if needed.

3. Provision of procurement and financial support under core-funded project:

• Provide support with the collection of offers for selection of venues, services etc., in line with UN Women procurement rules.

4. Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

• Provide support to the synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices.
• Draft inputs to reports and briefing notes as requested.
• Participate in and contribute to staff trainings to strengthen programmatic and operational skills.

5. Provide administrative support to the Operations Team in Human Resources (HR), procurement and assets management:

• Help monitor and maintain office stationery supplies including maintenance of stock list of stationery, distribution of stationery and keeping a log of distribution, as required.
• Help maintain records and archive on procurement cases, financial documents, assets management and prepare required reports.
• Provide support to HR in terms of compilation and preparation of HR documentation.
• Support in the administrative organization of payments.
• Follow non-confidential tracking tables, draft reminders and announcements to staff.
• Perform any other duties in line with the above responsibilities as may be assigned by the management of the UN Women Türkiye Office.


Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:
-Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day, 5th of December).
-Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
-Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities (for instance at https://vra.unv.org).
-Contribute articles/wrjte-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.
-Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers.
-Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.