Technical Project Associate

Grade: National PSA- Regular · Schedule: Full time

1. Position Information

Office/Unit/Project UNDP Türkiye Country Office / Programme / Preparedness, Response and Resilience Programme / Social Cohesion and Inclusion Support for Refugees in Türkiye

Title Technical Project Associate

Level NPSA 6

Duty station (City and Country) Ankara, Türkiye

Type (Regular or Short term) Regular

Office- or Home-based Office-based (Premises of the Presidency of Migration Management - PMM)

Expected starting date December 2026

Expected Duration 1 year with possible extension based on performance and availability of funds.

Position Number 00138782

2. Office/Unit/Project Description

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization in fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. Learn more at undp.org or follow at @UNDP

The project aims to strengthen social cohesion in Türkiye by supporting the effective implementation of the national harmonization strategy. It enhances opportunities for meaningful participation in social, economic, and civic life, with a particular focus on women. Through a combination of institutional support, community-based initiatives, and targeted services, the project contributes to a more harmonious society and improves well-being for Syrians under Temporary Protection (SuTP), International Protection Status Holders and Applicants (IPSHA), and Turkish Citizens.

To expand access to decent employment, the project reinforces institutional coordination, regulatory frameworks, and labour governance systems while facilitating work permits and labour mobility across regions. It provides market-oriented vocational training, counselling, and job-matching services—especially in the green and digital sectors—and introduces tailored measures to increase women’s employability, including addressing care-related barriers. In parallel, the project supports voluntary relocation by delivering comprehensive resettlement and integration packages that help SuTP and IPSHA settle in new locations and participate effectively in local labour markets and community life.

The project also enhances language proficiency by scaling up accessible language and literacy programmes, with dedicated support for women and girls through enabling measures such as child-care provision. Additionally, it strengthens social cohesion by addressing cultural and social barriers, discrimination, and misinformation that hinder the participation of SuTP, IPSHA in Turkish society. These combined efforts foster mutual understanding, reduce tensions, and create an enabling environment for sustainable integration and cohesive development.

3. Scope of Work

Support the technical coordination and follow-up of project activities carried out within PMM and ensure the regular and timely flow of technical information, needs and inputs among PMM, UNDP and relevant institutions.

• Coordinate the planning, implementation and follow-up of activities carried out within PMM in line with the Project Document and annual work plans, and follow up the flow of technical information and inputs between relevant PMM units and the UNDP project team.
• Contribute to ensuring that project activities are carried out in alignment with PMM’s institutional priorities, relevant policy documents and strategies, and the work programmes of its central and provincial structures.
• Coordinate technical matters among PMM central units, provincial directorates of migration management, the UNDP project team and relevant institutions, and follow up the timely communication and resolution of technical requests, institutional views and decisions.
• Collect and consolidate technical inputs from relevant units for project outputs requiring PMM review or approval, and follow up the alignment of reports, guidelines, tools, presentations and other technical documents with PMM needs and institutional priorities.
• Contribute to the review of technical deliverables prepared by experts, responsible parties and service providers against PMM needs and the agreed technical scope, and share follow-up actions with the UNDP Project Manager and relevant PMM units.
• Collect, clarify and prioritize technical and operational needs raised by PMM units and provincial directorates, ensure their timely communication to the UNDP project team, and follow up the exchange of information required for their reflection in activity plans.
• Provide administrative and operational support to project activities organized in cooperation with PMM and relevant stakeholders, including meetings, workshops, consultations, trainings, field visits, missions and other events.
• Ensure that project-related documentation, correspondence, meeting records, approvals and supporting documents are properly filed, regularly updated and maintained in line with institutional procedures.
• Support the secure storage and archiving of project records containing personal data, sensitive information or information intended for internal use, in line with applicable legislation, institutional rules and confidentiality principles.

Support PMM’s social cohesion activities at central and provincial levels.

• Support PMM in the design, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of social cohesion activities carried out under the project.
• Contribute to the regular and systematic monitoring of social cohesion activities carried out by PMM central units and provincial directorates, and to the compilation and reporting of their results.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of up-to-date tracking tools covering implementation status, participant profiles, level of outreach, challenges encountered, emerging needs and issues requiring follow-up in relation to activities carried out at central and provincial levels.
• Provide direct support to the design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of activities aimed at strengthening mutual cohesion, social interaction, a culture of coexistence and social participation between Turkish citizens and foreign nationals.
• Support the preparation of activity concept notes, agendas, background notes, briefing materials, participant lists, meeting notes and follow-up tables for social cohesion activities.

Reinforce PMM’s field presence through research, outreach, monitoring and analytical reporting.

• Support field-level research, outreach and monitoring activities undertaken by PMM to generate evidence on migration management, spatial concentration, social cohesion, labour market access and other project-related themes.
• Support the collection, recording and communication of field-level information on cases of social tension, local sensitivities and developments that may affect inter-community relations, in line with confidentiality and personal data protection principles.
• Assist in organizing and reporting on field visits, monitoring missions, consultations, workshops, roundtable meetings and other engagements with provincial structures and local stakeholders.
• Consolidate qualitative and quantitative information obtained from field activities, provincial directorates and relevant stakeholders; assess field findings in terms of implementation status, technical and operational needs, risks and issues requiring follow-up; and provide regular technical inputs to relevant PMM units and the UNDP project team.
• Support the translation of field findings into analytical information, mission reports, briefing notes, implementation status reports and other written inputs to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Develop and keep up to date integrated tracking tools covering project activities, decisions taken, identified risks, follow-up actions, responsible parties and target dates.

Support inter-institutional coordination, partnerships and stakeholder engagement.

• Establish and maintain regular communication channels with relevant public institutions, PMM units, labour market institutions, local authorities, UN agencies, civil society organizations, service providers and other project stakeholders.
• Support coordination with institutions relevant to foreign nationals’ access to formal employment, including labour market actors and public institutions responsible for employment, vocational training, work permits and social security.
• Coordinate the preparation of agendas and technical inputs for technical coordination meetings, consultations and working groups among PMM, UNDP and relevant institutions; record decisions, actions, responsible parties and target dates; and follow up their implementation.
• Support the collection, consolidation and follow-up of feedback, views and recommendations received from PMM, provincial institutions, project partners, stakeholders and beneficiaries.
• Contribute to the coordination of social cohesion-related activities among PMM central units, provincial directorates, local authorities, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders.

Support data collection, data management, analysis and evidence-based decision-making.

• Coordinate data collection from PMM units, provincial directorates, responsible parties, service providers and other relevant stakeholders within the scope of the project.
• Support the collection, management, interpretation and presentation of data on migration, labour markets, formal employment, spatial concentration and social cohesion activities.
• Support implementation of the project monitoring system in alignment with its Monitoring and Evaluation framework to ensure effective information sharing, provision of feedback and preparation of high-quality progress reports.
• Monitor existing and emerging technical, operational and field-level risks identified on the PMM side, communicate updated risk information to the UNDP project team, and follow up mitigation measures and actions agreed by the relevant parties.

Support project-related knowledge generation, knowledge sharing and capacity development.

• Support the organization of trainings, briefings, workshops, consultations and capacity-development activities for PMM personnel, provincial institutions and other relevant stakeholders.
• Contribute to the preparation and adaptation of training materials, guidelines, tools, presentations and other capacity-development documents developed under the project.
• Support the systematization and dissemination of project knowledge, lessons learned, good practices, tools, guidelines and other materials among PMM, UNDP and relevant stakeholders.
• Contribute to relevant knowledge networks, communities of practice and internal learning processes, as requested.
• Support the creation of high-quality information on project activities and their visibility among stakeholders; ensure careful selection of communication tools and tailor messages to take into account the overall socio-political and development context in Türkiye.

The Project Technical Officer performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of PMM and UNDP.

4. Institutional Arrangement:

The Project Technical Officer will be based at PMM premises in Ankara for the duration of the assignment and will report directly to the UNDP Project Manager. The incumbent will work in close coordination with the project team designated by PMM and relevant UNDP project personnel.

5. Competencies

Core

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

People Management (Insert below standard sentence if the position has direct reports.)

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies)

Thematic Area Name Definition

Business Management Working with Evidence and Data

• Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making

Business Management Digital Awareness and Literacy

• Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed

Business Management Customer Satisfaction/Client Management

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Management Communication

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.

Business Management Monitoring

• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.

Technical - Finance Budget management

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets

Technical – Procurement

Procurement

management

• The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source

6. Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Minimum Education requirements

• Secondary education is required, or
• University Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, International Relations, Social Sciences, Migration Studies, Law, Development Studies, or equivalent field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

Minimum years of relevant work experience A minimum of 6 years (with secondary education) or 3 years (with a bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience is required.

Required skills

• Experience in migration, refugee-related studies, social cohesion, labour market participation, formal employment, work permit-related processes and/or similar development or humanitarian fields.
• Experience in supporting project/programme implementation, including planning and follow-up of activities and preparation of inputs for work plans, progress updates, reports, briefing notes, meeting minutes and/or other project documents.
• Experience in coordination with public institutions, local authorities, civil society organizations, international organizations, service providers, development organizations and/or other stakeholders.
• Experience in collecting, compiling, reviewing and/or presenting qualitative and/or quantitative information for monitoring, reporting, planning or decision-making purposes.
• Experience in providing administrative, operational and logistical support to meetings, workshops, trainings, consultations, missions, field visits and/or similar project activities.
• Experience in establishing and maintaining project records, correspondence, supporting documents, tracking tools, databases and/or filing systems.
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• At least two years of experience in project/programme implementation within government institutions or in close cooperation with government institutions
• Experience in the implementation, monitoring and reporting of projects funded by the European Union and/or other international donors, and knowledge and/or experience of relevant donor visibility and communication requirements
• Experience in project cycle management, including results/logical frameworks, output and outcome indicators, work plans and activity schedules, monitoring and evaluation, risk identification and follow-up, and tracking of activity progress
• Experience in preparing analytical reports, progress reports, briefing/decision notes, presentations or similar technical documents for senior management, project partners and/or donors
• Experience in budget planning and follow-up, financial reporting, procurement and/or contracting processes within project implementation
• Experience in policy development, policy implementation or providing technical contributions to institutional processes in migration, social cohesion, employment, social policy, public administration and/or related fields
• Experience in developing project team work plans, task allocation, performance follow-up and team coordination

Required Language(s)

• Good command of Turkish and English.

Professional Certificates