National Programme Officer at UNODC - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

• The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs, organized crime, corruption, and terrorism. Established in 1997, UNODC operates in all regions of the world through an extensive network of field offices. The UNODC Country Office in Nigeria (CONIG) plays a pivotal role in delivering technical assistance and capacity-building support to national stakeholders in areas such as trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, wildlife trafficking, and related criminal justice issues. 
• This position is located in the UNODC Country Office in Abuja, Nigeria, and operates under the overall guidance of the UNODC Representative and the direct supervision of the Head of Programme. The incumbent will contribute to the effective implementation of UNODC projects, ensuring alignment with UNODC’s strategic frameworks, project cycle management guidelines, and the broader goals of the UNODC in Nigeria.

Duties and Responsibilities

 Under the direct supervision of the Programme Management Officer, the National Programme Officer will perform the following duties: 

 Programme/Project Management:

• Plan, coordinate, and oversee the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects. 
• Monitor project expenditures and ensure compliance with UN financial rules and regulations, initiate budget revisions as necessary. 
• Identify challenges and propose corrective actions to ensure timely and effective project delivery. 
• Lead or participate in field missions, providing guidance to external consultants, government officials, and other stakeholders. 
• Draft mission reports and ensure follow-up actions are implemented. 

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building:

• Provide substantive and technical inputs to workshops, training sessions, and other capacity-building activities. 
• Develop action plans to guide government counterparts in implementing project activities and managing change.

Coordination and Partnership Building: 

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with national authorities, international partners, and other stakeholders. 
• Facilitate communication and collaboration with relevant entities to ensure smooth project implementation. 
• Supervise and guide project staff in coordinating with beneficiary partners, including the identification of participants and national experts.  

Reporting and Documentation:

• Prepare and submit timely and accurate project progress reports, including semi-annual and annual reports, donor reports, and inputs to UNODC’s Annual Report. 
• Conduct research and analyze data related to trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants. 
• Prepare analytical reports, briefing notes, and other written outputs to support decision-making and policy development. 
• Draft new project concepts and proposals to expand UNODC’s portfolio in Nigeria, aligning with the Country and Regional Programmes and UNODC’s strategic frameworks.

The incumbent will have to perform additional tasks as required to support the achievement of UNODC’s objectives in Nigeria. 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced University Degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Law, Criminology, Public Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field. 
• A first-level University Degree in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. 

Experience:

• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in project/ programme management or administration, preferably within the area of trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants or a related field at the national, regional or international level is required; 
• A minimum of five years of work experience in field-based project/program implementation and monitoring, including drafting project proposals and submitting project progress reports is required; 
• Work experience with the United Nations or similar international organization is desirable. 
• Work experience negotiating and building partnerships for technical cooperation is an advantage.