Deputy Representative, Operations Job Vacancy at UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Deputy Representative, Operations, P5

Job Number: 518355
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Work Type : Fixed Term Staff

Description

For every child, a champion:

• The Operations function supports the Head of the Office on managing the office and monitoring operations and programmes as needed, while providing advice on best and innovative management practices to enhance office performance.
• The function is a strategic Business Partner role within the Senior Management team, assuring the best use of UNICEF assets in alignment with sound management practices, office priorities and goals to deliver results for children.

How Can You Make a Difference?

• As a Strategic Business Partner and Deputy for the Head of Office, the incumbent will be responsible to lead for results, drive change, provide risk informed, solution-focused analysis, advice and services and contribute to programme and management decisions for delivering results for children in all operational contexts.

Strategic Operations will accomplish this by:

• Leading by example and supporting the Head of Office on managing the office;
• Acting as Officer in Charge in the absence of the Head of Office;
• Managing services in the functional areas of operations support: budget, financial management and reporting, facilities management, administration, supply and logistics management, information and communications technology, human resources, and safety and security and convening the other functions to arrive at a unified vision;
• Ensuring processes are in place to identify, promote and empower the potential in staff through career development, opportunities for stretch assignments and succession planning;
• Acting as member of the Country and Senior Management Teams, representing the organizational risk, governance systems and policies perspective in management discussions, and promoting results based management.
• Understanding business needs for the Country Programme, to anticipate challenges, propose viable solutions, provide creative and innovative ideas aimed at a solution- focused approach to include value for money strategies, all underpinned by quality assurance measures;
• Providing key contribution to CPD, CPMP, AMP and support to Results Based Management and implementation using Value for Money criteria;
• Leveraging technology for results and programme accountabilities, making effective adoption of tools and promoting the fundamentals of ICT management, information security and controls;
• Supporting the country office during external and internal audit reviews and responding to audit observations and monitoring implementation of recommendations.;
• Guiding Supply and Logistics strategies and interventions to meet programmatic needs while ensuring Value for Money (VfM), including procurement of fit for purpose products and services, and providing advisory support to governments, national systems and partners on supply chain management;
• Leveraging governance, systems, and tools to provide regular feedback on risks and achievements of operations functions in the country;
• Leading on facility management with a specific focus on inclusive accessibility, eco sustainability and common premises;
• Overseeing business transactions processed by GSSC from a perspective of Efficiency, Performance, Risk Management and Fraud prevention;
• Supporting the management of PSFR operations and promoting efficiency across systems and processes, where applicable;

The Deputy Representative, Operations will be entrusted with the following five pillars, the core focus of all operations functions: Valuing People, Valuing Money, Valuing Risk Management, Valuing Systems and Structures, Valuing Partners

Key Functions, Accountabilities and Related Duties/Tasks
Valuing People – Lead, manage and develop people resources to promote technical competence and foster career progression and retention of a ‘fit for purpose’/ agile workforce:

• Promote an environment of management excellence, staff well-being and accessibility and inclusion through implementation of strategies, policies, procedures.
• Provide proactive solutions and expert advice to senior management on people management and office culture.
• Foster operations behaviors that focus on delivering results for children, whilst balancing risk informed decisions, policy compliance and flexibility through which partners needs are reliably addressed, to create an avenue for the greatest results.
• Coordinate the human resource development and resourcing strategies to bring about changes in knowledge, skills, abilities and mind sets for Operations staff.
• Keep abreast of industry standards in management and finance. Institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned with global/regional colleagues to contribute to organizational development initiatives to strengthen management and operations.
• Promote and support Excellence in Operations by refining the evolving profession in UNICEF derived from the five strategic pillars.

Valuing Money – Champion strategic resources to achieve organizational goals and ensure Value for Money (VfM):

• Optimize identification and use of resources in various concrete Value for Money (VfM) areas, including eco-efficiency and inclusivity, common premises, costing, results-based budgeting financial monitoring etc.
• Educate Business Units on their role in generating and reporting on VfM with the goal of strategically expanding its use to major UNICEF functions.
• Lead the financial oversight management, monitoring and reporting of all the country programme budget – and where applicable private sector fundraising budgets; make analysis and recommendations for Representative’s and Deputy Representative’s to take risk informed decisions.
• Advise and lead in the valuing of resources through programme financing modalities such as budgeting and pre-financing modalities for supplies, cash-based transfer etc. along with key government counterparts
• Oversee Supply outcome results related to Supply and Logistics Management and stay abreast of and promote the global strategies and their implementation.

Valuing Risk Management – Enhance Risk Management to increase organizational performance and strengthen internal control:

• Ensure the office is equipped with the right skills and tools and up-to-date information to make operational and programmatic risk informed decisions and improve performance, with the support of the enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance (eGRC) platform
• Maintain UNICEF organizational resilience and enhance staff safety and security by ensuring operational disaster risks address threats through well-formulated and tested business continuity plans, and Emergency Preparedness and Response to humanitarian situations.
• Review internal controls and policies/guidance included in the Regulatory Framework, provide oversight of appropriate implementation of policies and procedures and provide feedback on policy and internal controls as appropriate.
• Identify and implement mandatory anti-fraud systems, processes and actions, and share anti-fraud achievements within the country offices.
• Facilitate mitigation of risks of engagement with external partners via appropriate, risk informed due diligence.

Valuing Systems and Structures – Ensure further operational centralization and optimization for maximized efficiency gains:

• Review key Operations processes to minimize cost, simplify and reduce duplication of work and maximize efficiencies while creating an environment of smarter controls to render the organization agile, resilient and ready to respond to programme needs.
• Facilitate compliance with systems by building awareness and capacity of users explore new ways of working – including in the context of SG Reform and continuously improve IT-enabled business processes to increase productivity and collaboration, better knowledge management, and ensure effective use of UNICEF assets.
• Provide key contribution to CPMP and review operational structures in collaboration with Regional Chiefs of Operations and the Strategic Business Support unit in DFAM.

Valuing Partners – Strengthening internal and external-facing partnerships and leveraging UNICEF’s oversight and understanding of financial management across all areas of the office:

• Provide technical expertise and recommendations on HACT implementation, including, advice approach to undertaking spot checks, follow-up actions required on result of financial assurance activities; the use and collaboration with the Supreme Audit Institution; and use of micro-assessment results including the appropriate level of capacity building in financial management.
• Partner with Programme by providing advice and recommendations on programme budgeting through involvement in programme document and support the financial impact analysis and determination of refund and amounts owing to the CSO
• Support UNICEF Office resource mobilization partners from donor negotiation and formulation of partnership agreements and contracts through written financial reporting, resolve discrepancies and ensure donor accountability and transparency.
• Foster a positive and enabling operations environment that supports private sector fundraising and solution-focused engagement (where applicable).
• Engage as effective stakeholders in the UN Reform, supporting Business Operating Services (BOS) and proactively paving the way for a potential one back officeÂ� in country offices.

Impact of Results:

• The ability of the Deputy Representative, Operations to effectively lead, and oversee the operations functions for the efficient delivery of related services, directly impact on program performance, resource mobilization and delivery of results for children. This in turn contributes to maintaining/enhancing the credibility of UNICEF as an effective and responsible manager of funds and resources entrusted to the organization and to furthering UNICEF’s image as a competent organization for delivering cost effective and sustainable program results in regular and emergency settings.
• The ability of the Deputy Representative, Operations to comprehensively and timely identify, assess, mitigate, monitor, review and report on the most significant risks that could potentially harm the organization, is a critical element of UNICEF’s risk and internal control performance management framework. Risk management skills are necessary to safeguard UNICEF’s reputation, resources, continuity of operations and reputation to fulfill our primary mission to save and protect children, globally.

Requirements
Education:

• An Advanced University Degree (Master’s and above) in one of the following areas is required: Business management; Financial Management; Accounting; Public Finance; and related operations function (Supply Chain, Human Resources, Information Technology, International Business, Project management, etc.) or a full professional accounting designation (CA, ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA, CPFA, Expert Comptable) from an internationally recognized institute/body of accountancy with valid membership in good standing is required.

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience, at the national and international level, is required, specifically in advocating and implementing strategic organizational initiatives in one or more operations management area including budget; financial management and reporting; facilities management; administration; supply and logistics management; information and communication technology; human resources.
• Prior experience in the development sector or UN system/ international NGOs would be an asset.
• Additional experience in one or more of the following areas, would be desired:
  • Audit and investigations
  • Safety and security
  • Grant Management
  • Enterprise Risk Management
• Experience in a UN system agency, large private or public company, or experience working in a developing country and/or humanitarian/ emergency context is an asset.
• Experience in working with corporate ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning) and IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards) is highly desirable.
• Experience in Results Based Management is a requirement.
• Experience in managing successful client-oriented work units is an asset.
• Experience in co-creating policy is desirable.
• Prior experience working with diverse stakeholder groups or multi-stakeholder partnership is highly desirable.
• Previous hands on experience in strategic and managerial leadership is required.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications is required.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

• UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The Competencies Required for this Post Are
(Functional) Competencies:

• Leading and Supervising – Level 3
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts- Level 2
• Relating and Networking – Level 3
• Deciding and Initiating Action – Level 2
• Following Instructions and Procedures- Level 3
• Creating and Innovating – Level 2
• Entrepreneurial Thinking – Level 3
• Analyzing – Level 3

Other skills:

• Emotional Intelligence
• Managing complexity and change

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

Application Closing Date
Deadline: 23:55:00 GMT+0100 (West Africa Standard); Wednesday, 19th December, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
• UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.