Deputy Representative Operations, P4, Fixed Term, Lusaka, Zambia

Contract

This is a P-4 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 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 124,720 USD and 160,800 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.

UNICEF Zambia is a medium-sized Country Office, with just over 100 staff. The Country Programme 2023-2027 promotes the rights of every child and reaches the most disadvantaged children in Zambia. UNICEF works with the Government of the Republic of Zambia to improve social policies and systems, and on the ground to make sure that these systems reach all children, with a particular emphasis on the most vulnerable.

The UNICEF Programme of Cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) is designed to address and mitigate the threat of poverty the country's children face while responding to the needs with interventions addressing the multiple causative factors.

To find out more about UNICEF's work in Zambia, please visit https://www.unicef.org/zambia/.

How can you make a difference?

Against this backdrop and reporting to the Representative, the Deputy Representative (Operations) will play 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 programmatic goals to deliver results for children. Working very closely with the Deputy Representative (Programmes), the incumbent supports the Head of the Office in managing the office and monitoring operations and programmes as needed while providing advice on best and innovative management practices to enhance office performance.

Strategic Operations will accomplish this by:

• Leading by example and supporting the Head of Office in 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, technology for development, human resources, and safety and security and convening the other functions to arrive at a unified vision;
• Acting as a 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, anticipating challenges, propose viable/creative solutions aimed at value for money, while weighing this against programmatic needs and urgency.
• Providing key contributions to CPD, CPMP, AMP, and support to Results Based Management and implementation using Value for Money criteria.
• Leveraging technology for results, development, 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, with attention to climate adaptation, resilience, and sustainability.
• 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;
• Fostering an environment of customer orientation within the operations team to improve the efficiency and quality of its support of Programmes.
• Guiding the office on simplification initiatives to be implemented to bring additional agility and efficiency to our operations and programmes.
• 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, and 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 the implementation of strategies, policies, and 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 the 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.
• Implement systems to measure customer satisfaction with operations services to monitor and increase the efficiency and quality of operations support to programmes.
• Provide key contributions to CPMP and review operational structures in collaboration with Regional Chiefs of Operations and the Strategic Business Support unit in DFAM.

Valuing Partners: Strengthen****ing 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 the 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 documents and support the financial impact analysis and determination of refunds 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 common premises and proactively paving the way for a potential “one back office” in country offices.

Please review the details in the attached terms of reference of the position: Deputy Representative Operations Level 4, ZCO.pdf

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

• 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
• 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; 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 supporting successful client-oriented work units is an asset.

Previous hands-on experience in strategic operations and close collaboration with programmes, is a strong asset.

Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications is required.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability (CRITA) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework 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 males and people with disabilities 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.

Priority will be given to all the eligible candidates participating in 2022 Mobility Exercise and Staff on Abolished posts.