Deputy Representative Operations

As a Strategic Business Partner and Deputy for the Head of the 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, and safety and security and convening the other functions to arrive at a unified vision;
• 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/creative solutions aimed at value for money.
• 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.

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 within the Operations Function:

• 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 regional/national 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.
• Support Business Units on options to generate greater VfM with the goal of strategically expanding its use to UNICEF Country Office 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 various modalities of valuing resources through 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 regional 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.
• 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 contribution to 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 office” in country offices.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum 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, Information Technology, International Business, Project management, etc.) or a full professional accounting designation (CA, ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA, CPFA, Expert Compatible) from an internationally recognized institute/body of accountancy with valid membership in good standing is required.

Work Experience: 

• A minimum of 8 years of professional experience, at the national and international level, is required, specifically in 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.
• 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

Language Requirements: 

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

Source: https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/578664