Senior Operations Manager, P-5, Fixed Term, Kabul, Afghanistan

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, Hope

The situation in Afghanistan remains exceptionally complex, with a protracted emergency situation, characterized by recurrent natural disasters, an increased number of people living in poverty, continued internal displacement, unprecedented levels of food insecurity, further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. This complexity has greatly impacted the situation of children and women in the country.

UNICEF is required to rapidly adapt the ways of working to address the multiple operational constraints present in the highly volatile and unpredictable context. This includes the need to find innovative payment modalities to the multiple stakeholders the organization works with in the field and at central level.

It is therefore urgent for Afghanistan Country Office (ACO) to establish a Senior Operations Manager position at P5 level to provide financial management assistance and support to ACO senior management team to ensure effective and efficient use of financial resources in accordance with strategy, plan of actions and decisions made by the ACO and Division of Financial and Administrative Management (DFAM), in full consultation with regional office and in close collaboration with DFAM.

How can you make a difference?

The incumbent will ensure that UNICEF continues to play a strategic role in the high-level discussions taking place among humanitarian actors and afghan authorities.

As adequate payment systems management, and related risk mitigation will be key, the Senior Operations Manager will provide support to ACO in terms of proper usage of the new operational cash modalities for payment of implementing partner, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders. Risk management in this context will be at the heart of his/her activities.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

Under the direct supervision of the ACO Deputy Representative Operations, and in close coordination with DFAM TSF Section, the incumbent will:

1. Review and clear all ACO and Afghanistan Project Management Unit (APMU) recommendations requiring approval by DFAM’s Treasurer and Comptroller.
2. Coordinate and set up additional alternative funding channels to provide liquidity to UNICEF Afghanistan.
3. Oversee that there is an effective disbursements logistics set in place by the ACO, including disbursements planning and cashflow forecast prepared by the Afghanistan CO team, the resulting bank balances are kept at the level necessary to operate while as low as possible to mitigate risk, and coordinate funding arrangements with UN/UNICEF Headquarters under the management and approval of UNICEF’s Treasurer.
4. Negotiate with Financial Service Providers (FSPs) and provide technical advice to the ACO operations team and APMU as well as to the ACO senior management on all Forex related matters in consultation with DFAM- Treasury and Structured Finance (TSF) Section. The approval of FX strategy and FX transactions will follow UNICEF’s authorities vested in DFAM’s Treasurer as per UNICEF Policy on Cash Management and Treasury and Investment Management.
5. Act as UNICEF additional focal point in the cash working groups in Afghanistan and with UN/UNICEF Headquarters, and take an active role in all technical meetings on payment modalities and cash management at the inter-agency level.
6. Provides technical guidance regarding payment modalities to ensure timely execution of financial transactions and coordinates adequate training of all staff involved with the new payment modalities.
7. Ensure that all financial transactions are processed in compliance with UNICEF Financial Regulations and Rules (FRR), and international Anti-Money Laundry (AML) regulations and sanctions, in consultation with DFAM’s TSF Section. This compliance responsibility is shared by all staff in ACO and APMU, in particular the Operations staff and Management Team.
8. Vet the cash replenishment recommendations and requests from the ACO in order to enable approval by DFAM TSF Section. This requires that the ACO on a regular basis produces a robust and accurate cashflow forecast to ensure timely replenishment decisions and the resulting availability of cash for programme implementation.
9. Work closely with the ACO-APMU developing synergies and streamlining banking and ECT-related processes so that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.
10. Conduct a risk assessment of payments and Forex operations and define mitigation measures accordingly, in consultation with DFAM’s TSF Section.
11. Propose innovative solutions to achieve more efficiencies in cash management in an extremely volatile financial environment by promoting digital solutions to cash management.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in finance, accounting, banking, economics, business management, business administration, international relations, or other related social science field is required. ** In lieu of an advanced university degree, a Bachelor’s degree and a valid professional certification (Treasury Manager, CFA; CA, CPA; etc.) from an internationally recognized, accredited institution with 2 additional years of relevant experience is acceptable.*
• A minimum of ten (10) years of relevant professional experience working in international finance/treasury for a global corporation.
• Experience in emergency contexts highly desirable.
• Experience in cash transfer programmes is an asset.
• 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.
• Technical expertise in the management of complex foreign exchange environments and investments.
• Knowledge of emergency programme policies, goals, strategies, approaches and procedures; In particular: Knowledge of emergency cash transfer operational requirements, contracting implications and partnerships, financial accountabilities, risk management and quality assurance.
• Background in Operations, fraud prevention/management, internal control mechanisms and setting up operational systems is a very strong advantage.
• Knowledge of programme management, methodology and practical application.
• Knowledge, skills and leadership for managing teams, budgets and project execution.
• 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 values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

Core competencies:

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drives to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Nurtures, leads and manages people
• Works collaboratively with others
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Manages ambiguity and complexity

Functional Competencies:

• Leading and Supervising [III]
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts [III]
• Analyzing [III]
• Relating and Networking [III]
• Deciding and Initiating Action [III]
• Applying Technical Expertise [III]
• Communicating [III]

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.

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:

This is a non-family duty station.

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.