Deputy Director, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) D-1, New York, USA

Contract

This is a D-1 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 15 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 242,484 USD and 305,990 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

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.

And we never give up.

For every child, a champion.

Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the first global multilateral fund dedicated to supporting education for children and youth in countries affected by wars, disasters and crises. It was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016 by a broad coalition of international aid agencies and public and private donors to usher in faster and more sustainable education responses in crises settings. ECW inspires political commitment to financing education in humanitarian contexts, catalyzes financial resources, facilitates joint programming between humanitarian and development actors, empowers local partners and seeks to strengthen quality and accountability.

ECW is hosted by UNICEF. The Fund is administered under UNICEF’s financial, human resources and administrative rules and regulations, while operations are run by the Fund’s own independent governance structure that provides strategic guidance and oversight to its investments. ECW’s day-to-day activities are carried out by a Secretariat under the direction of the Education Cannot Wait Director.

How can you make a difference?

Supports and advises the ECW Director on all aspects of ECW’s accountability, capacity, effectiveness and efficiency. With overarching responsibility for Operations, manages the Accountability, Finance and Governance Workstream, including coordination with the Fund Support Office, and coordinates with relevant HQ’s departments on financial, administrative and human resource rules and regulations. In consultation with the Director, supervises ECW investments, and leads ECW’s strategic planning, workstream/team coordination, M&E, data and reporting.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Business management strategy and operations

• Ensures the efficient and effective functioning of the Director’s Front Office, including recruitment, orientation and supervision of professional and support staff, the formulation and monitoring of the section work programmes and management of the office.
• Stands in for the ECW Director as needs be across the full range of ECW’s functions at all levels, including representation in external events and advocacy initiatives
• Supports the ECW Director’s interactions with ECW’s Executive Committee, including strategic positioning of ExCom meetings, design of ExCom and HLSG agendas and efficient production and follow-up of associated documents (supporting papers/presentations and minutes etc.) – in close collaboration with the Director’s Front Office.
• Supports the ECW Director in implementing ECW’s Strategic Plan and the associated decisions of ExCom and HLSG through the development and implementation of the ECW Annual Workplan and effective management of the Secretariat’s day to day operations.
• Supports the ECW Director in effectively and efficiently managing all aspects of the secretariat including advocacy, programmes, finance, human resources, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation and planning and accountability.
• Supports the ECW Director to effectively manage the New York and Geneva offices, in close collaboration with the Head of the Geneva Office, to maximize efficiency, operations and collaboration between the two and ensure synergies and continued cohesiveness of the ECW Secretariat

2. Policy and Guideline Formulation

• Leads on the formulation and update of guidelines and policies and supports the preparation of reports for submission to the ECW Director.
• Leads on the formulation, and adoption of strategies across ECWs scope of work for submission to the ECW Director.
• Initiates the review of promising and innovative experiences for sharing within ECW and with national, international, private sector and non-governmental partners.
• Initiates, develops and distributes appropriate tools and guidelines and oversees the application of these to enhance programme effectiveness across the ECW Secretariat and programmes.

3. Advocacy, Resource Mobilization, Finance, Operations, M&E, Risk Management, Safeguarding and Field Investments

• Directly supervises the Quality Education Team.
• Directly supervises and coordinates the Country Investment Workstream.
• Directly supervises the implementation of the Strategic Plan, Risk Management and Safeguarding.
• Supports the Director’s direct supervision of Monitoring and Evaluation and Strategic Planning teams, Operations and Finance, Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation and Advocacy and Communications teams.
• Supports establishing and preparing strategic plans based on the annual workplan, in collaboration with the respective sections within ECW.
• Represents ECW in dialogue with multilateral and bilateral agencies, non-governmental organizations and provides support in national, regional and global events as need be.

4. Management and Leadership

• Oversees the meetings of ECW’s Senior Management Team.
• Review investments, reports and documents before submission to the ECW Director or ExCom for approval.
• Oversees the compliance with and continued development of the key governance documents; the Standard Contribution Agreement, the Standard Operating Procedures for hosted funds, the ECW Operational Manual and the forthcoming hosting agreement – in close partnership with the UNICEF Funds Support Office.
• Contributes to leadership in generating, fostering and maintaining management excellence among ECW staff, ensures sound management staff relations and promotes general staff welfare and security.
• Supports staff on a regular basis according to the responsibilities outlined in the office organogram and ensures that performance evaluations are undertaken in line with organizational requirements.
• Initiates and integrates management improvement activities that will enhance ECW performance and achievement of management excellence.

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

• Advanced University degree in one or more of the following disciplines: social sciences, business administration or management, public administration, education or other related fields.
• A minimum of 13 years of progressively responsible experience that combines strategic and managerial leadership in administration, business management, planning and operations in a large international and /or corporate/social enterprise organization.
  • Experience working with diverse stakeholder groups or multi-stakeholder partnerships and experience of education in emergencies and protracted crisis is a requirement.
  • Demonstrated ability to refine Education in Emergencies (EiE) programme design to ensure alignment of ECW objectives.
  • Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results.
  • Excellent communication skills in speaking and writing in English to foster engaged partnerships at a high level of representation and to maintain political partnerships with stakeholders.
  • Experience of working in crises affected countries required.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles 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.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.