The Position:

Within the context of a complex political, social, economic, and humanitarian environment, the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office is ensuring efficient and effective business practices and operations support for accelerated programme delivery towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, ICPD Programme of Action, and Africa Agenda 2063. The region also implements responsive and tailored support to middle-income countries, strengthened coordination and support for preparedness, response, and resilience-building in humanitarian contexts, and enhanced resource mobilization and financial management capacities. The Regional Operations Shared Service Center (ROSSC) in the ESA region consolidates services across core operational functions in procurement, finance, ICT, Human Resources, and administration for Middle-Income Countries. The ROSSC provides procure-to-pay services across Business Units; Given the complexity, scale, and volume of the UNFPA programmes in the region, which requires differentiated support across all country typologies and diverse country contexts, the position of Regional International Operations Manager will provide strategic oversight, guidance, and leadership for regional operations, including for the ROSSC. The IOM also advises the Regional Director on course correction; compliance, cost-effectiveness; and creative responses to emerging complex challenges

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire and deliver high-impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, and exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:

You play a leading role in achieving key results which have an impact on the overall economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of Regional Office operations, and the functioning of UNFPA in line with the use of corporate resources in the following areas:

• Financial Services
• Human Resources
• Procurement and Logistical Services
• ICT
• Implementation of the UN agenda on common services and joint procurement  (Business efficiency through the Business Operations Strategy, Common Back Offices, etc) CBO – Others)

You are accountable for supporting the effective development and delivery of an innovative Regional Programme focused on population and development and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including maternal health, family planning, gender, and adolescent and youth empowerment. The Regional International Operations Manager is a member of the Regional Office senior leadership team, together with the Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director. The Regional IOM provides leadership and advice on all aspects of office management and operations and works within the increased complexity of a regional context, with larger teams and greater oversight of processes to manage from an operational perspective.

You would be responsible for:

 A. Strategic direction of UNFPA operations

• Contribute to the delivery of the regional programme, and ensure overall operations are carried out effectively, in a transparent manner, and in compliance with established policies, procedures, and rules
• Ensure annual and longer-term management targets, at the UNFPA corporate and Regional Office level are met
• Determine optimal approaches for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of business management, fostering innovation, and furthering operational excellence
• Drive knowledge management practices within the Regional Office
• Build the capacity of staff through coaching and mentoring on operations management relevant to program implementation and sound project management.

B. Day-to-day management of UNFPA’s operations

• Financial Management: ensure the integrity of financial systems, review budget requirements, and the consistent application of rules and regulations
• Human Resources Management: Support the Regional Director in the recruitment and management of regional office staff, providing them with direction and motivation; fostering empowerment; learning and career management, and promoting cross-unit teamwork
• Supervise operations staff demonstrating performance appraisal and transparent leadership approaches that support a culture of growth and development, where good performance is incentivized and underperformers are held to account
• General Administration: Oversee Regional Office travel, logistics, and premises; establishment of work plans, and monitoring of the achievement of results in collaboration with programme staff
• Ensure high-quality provision of procurement and other project support services; monitor quality and timeliness of services provided by Service Providers
• Routinely monitor financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and alert HQ to any unusual transactions

C. Support and coordination of UNFPA’s common services

• Provide policy support, guidance, and advocacy at the Regional level on the development, establishment, and management of common services with other participating UN organizations/ agencies
• Ensure that common services and joint arrangements benefit UNFPA in its objective to provide efficient and economical support services to the implementation of the regional/country programme.

D. Safety and security of UNFPA staff and premises

• Support staff safety by driving compliance with UN Minimum Operating Security Standards (MOSS) and Minimum Operational Residential Security Standards (MORSS)
• Together with the Regional Office management, represent UNFPA in the Security Management Team and effectively implement security measures agreed in the SMT in compliance with security policy in UNFPA
• Represent UNFPA in Operations Management Team (OMT) meetings, ensuring that UNFPA interests are respected and value for money for goods and services are in line with best business practices.

E. Partnership building on operational issues

• Represent UNFPA in inter-agency administrative meetings, and ensure smooth cooperation between agencies on joint undertakings such as hardship questionnaires and salary surveys
• Identify new approaches and measures to further enhance UNFPA delivery capacities, professional management, and cost-effectiveness.
• Promote a client-oriented approach among all operations staff

F. Regional Operations Shared Service Center (ROSSC) leadership and oversight:

• Leads and supervises the work of the ROSSC design, implementation, and programme delivery. Provide direct management and support in strategic procurement, ICT, HR, administration and finance;
• Manage the relationship with auditors on audit observations and queries. Leads the process of ensuring the implementation of audit observations and findings and follow-up on corrective actions.
• Maximizes the utilization of available financial resources in accordance with approved work plans. Provides regular reports to management to optimize utilization of resources and minimization of refunds.
• Supports COs’ resource mobilization initiatives including fundraising, donor reporting, and assurance.
• Ensures that corporate working capital and assets are safeguarded and protected from errors, losses, misuse, and misappropriation; liabilities and equities are free from errors.
• Ensures timely collection of receivables.
• Perform analyses and identify and measure the impact of recommended policies and procedures aimed at executing economical, efficient, and effective operations in RO and field offices.
• Ensure that country offices fulfill their financial accountability obligations by providing regular feedback to Country Offices.
• The IOM supervises administrative staff at the regional level and provides oversight to administrative staff at the country level. Internal contacts include regional and country office management teams and operations teams in the regions.
• The IOM actively participates in local inter-agency coordination to ensure UNFPA’s needs in common systems and service issues are met. External partners include other UN agencies, the UN Country Team, vendors, and other non-U partners that are essential to the work of the Operations Office.

G. Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Regional Office management or Headquarters. 

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

 Postgraduate university degree in any of the following disciplines: Public Administration or Business Administration, Economics, Management, or other related fields.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Minimum 7 years of experience in development in a governmental, multilateral, or civil society organization in a multicultural setting, including 3 or more years experience in managing teams in a complex organizational setting
• Ability to build strong relationships with clients, focus on impact and result, and respond positively to feedback
• Solid knowledge in procurement, financial and human resources management, contract, asset, and information and communication technology
• Ability to lead business process re-engineering, implement new systems, and positively affect staff behavioral/ attitudinal changes
• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting, formulation, and monitoring of projects/programmes
• Experience in international development, particularly in the mandate of UNFPA and dedication to the principles of the United Nations
• Field experience is essential; experience from a developing, humanitarian context is an asset.

Languages: Fluency in English is required.  Knowledge of other official UN languages is desirable.

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity,
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

   Managerial Competencies:

• Providing strategic focus,
• Engaging in internal/external partners and stakeholders,
• Leading, developing, and empowering people, creating a culture of performance
• Making decisions and exercising judgment

UN Leadership Characteristics:

• Norm-based – grounded in UN norms and standards
• Principled – defends norms and standards without discrimination, fear, or favour
• Inclusive of all personnel and stakeholders
• Accountable
• Multi-dimensional
• Transformational
• Collaborative
• Self-applied – modeled in our behaviour

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, housing allowance, home leave, health insurance and other benefits.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA’s workforce – click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, housing allowance, home leave, health insurance, and other benefits.

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing, or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. You are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web. Should you feel that you have received a fraudulent notice, letter or offer, you may submit a report through the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

In accordance with the rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, are required to renounce such status upon their appointment. Exceptions to this rule are very limited and can be made only for: (a) stateless persons; (b) newly appointed staff members who have applied for citizenship by naturalization, when such citizenship will be granted imminently; (c) acting staff members in the General Service and related categories with permanent residency status, on promotion to the Professional category; (d) staff members appointed under a temporary appointment. Please understand that UNFPA is not in a position to provide advice on or assistance in applying for any citizenship.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements