Background

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.

The Operations Manager is a member of the Regional Office Senior Management team, together with the Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director. The Operations Manager provides leadership and advice on all aspects of office management and operations. This includes strategic financial and human resources management, efficient procurement and logistical services, ICT and common services, consistent with UN and UN Women rules and regulations and also acts as the Security Focal Point.

Reporting to the Deputy Regional Director, the Operations Manager is responsible for the smooth functioning and results oriented management of operations in the Regional Office and to facilitate programme implementation and delivery by providing for the operational needs of programmes and projects managed by the Region. The Operations Manager will also ensure Country Offices (COs) &Multi-Country Offices (MCOs) within the region are strengthened and supported in their operations, needs and queries in line with corporate administrative arrangements. The Operations Manager will provide feedback to the Division of Management and Administration on operational aspects in order to improve corporate operational procedures so they become compatible with regional needs. The Operations Manager will also ensure compliance with IPSAS accounting standards by reviewing business processes and systems.

Duties and Responsibilities

Manage and oversee the operations within the Region:

• Serve as a member of the Senior Management team and provide advice and support to the Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director on operational issues;
• Oversee the work of Operation Teams in Country Offices (CO);
• Develop the annual workplan for the Operations Team and oversee its implementation and monitoring;
• Participate in review meetings to assess the managerial and operational capacities of implementing partners;
• Determine optimal techniques and business processes; lead business process mapping and establish internal standard operating procedures in all areas of the Operations Team’s functions in RO and COs;
• Oversee and monitor implementation of corporate, budget, financial, procurement, and HR policies and systems and ensure adequate training of staff and project personnel on these issues in RO and COs;
• Ensure a continuous and up-to-date flow of information between the RO and HQ and COs/MCO in the region;
• Oversee all operations activities, including finance, human resources, procurement, transport, administration and ensure they follow UN Women rules, regulations, policies and procedures;
• Manage staff in Operations Team: Finalize performance plans and evaluation standards; conduct performance assessments, provide feedback and coaching.

Manage planning, expenditure tracking and auditing of financial resources:

• Ensure strategic and efficient management of office and programme financial resources;
• Exercise proper financial controls;
• Report at the regional level and to HQ on established structures; seek advice from HQ when deviations may be necessary;
• Work closely with HQ, COs, and MCOs on audit processes, including preparation and follow up and take corrective action as appropriate on audit findings and recommendations;
• Monitor and manage core and extra-budgetary resource allocations;
• Perform Manager Level 3 Committing Officer role in Quantum for voucher and PO approvals;
• Ensure RO and COs/MCOs compliance with Internal Control Framework, Delegation of Authority, and segregation of duties and responsibilities.

Oversee procurement processes:

• Manage the provision of goods and services for offices and projects following established corporate procedures regarding sub-contract review and awarding of contracts, evaluate for cost effectiveness and manage the negotiations in connection with eventual agreements; oversee procurement in COs;
• Oversee the preparation of procurement plans in RO and COs; participate/chair in local and regional Procurement Review Committees;
• Oversee RO assets and liabilities and ensure proper inventory control.

Oversee information and communications management:

• Oversee the implementation of ICT systems;
• Ensure staff have access to Quantum functionality for improved business results and improved client services;
• Oversee maintenance of a secure, reliable infrastructure environment for ICT and adequate planning for disasters and recoveries.

Participate in inter-agency activities:

• Represent UN Women in inter-agency meetings and working groups on operations issues to ensure UN Women’s interests are reflected in common system activities related to common services and premises, cost recovery and cost sharing arrangements, privileges and immunities, entitlements and salary surveys, security etc;
• Liaise with UNDP and other UN agencies on operational issues, activities, and collaboration.

Lead Knowledge Sharing between the RO and COs:

• Ensure knowledge is shared and adequately applied between the regional office and COs/MCOs in the region.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

The incumbent leads a team of 15, which includes 8 direct reports (2 NOC, 1 NOA, 2 GS, 1 SC and 2 consultants)

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

• Excellent knowledge of operation, finance, procurement, human resources, ICT, and security systems and processes, particularly in the UN system;
• Ability to provide advice and support;
• Ability to lead formulation and monitoring of management projects;
• Ability to lead business processes re-engineering, implementation of new systems (business side), and affect staff behavioral/ attitudinal change;
• Ability to handle confidential information;
• Strong negotiation skills;
• Excellent IT skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, HR, or related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level, in office management, operations or finance;
• Experience in leading a team;
• Experience coordinating with partners and stakeholders;
• Experience in working in a computer environment using multiple office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems and ERP systems, preferably PeopleSoft;
• Experience of accrual accounting, IPSAS or IFRS is highly desirable;
• Professional background in programming/ projects management is desirable.
• Experience in the UN system is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Application:

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.