L’UNICEF recherche un Chef régional des opérations, Dakar, Sénégal

L’UNICEF recherche un Chef régional des opérations, Dakar, Sénégal

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, Commitment.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life in its social, political, economic, civic, and cultural dimensions her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens addressing inequity not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. Therefore, the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

The Regional chief of operations provides leadership and support to Country and Area offices, ensuring coordination and synergy between regional staff and country office leadership in information exchange and maintaining strategic alliances.  S/he supports the Regional Director in the management of the Regional Office.

S/he advises and assists the Regional Director on matters relating to regional policy formulation and implementation supporting UNICEF programme, operations, and communications strategy. S/he represents the Regional Director within and outside the United Nations system, as required.

How can you make a difference?

As a Strategic Business Partner and regional advisor, the incumbent will be responsible to lead for results, drive change, provide risk informed, solution-focused analysis, advice and services and contribute to programme and management decisions for delivering results for children in all operational contexts within the regional office and provide technical leadership and guidance for Operations in all countries and field offices within the region.  Strategic Operations will accomplish this by:

• Managing and providing strategic direction for services in the regional functional areas of operations support: budget, financial management and reporting, facilities management, administration, supply and logistics management, information and communications technology and convening the other functions to arrive at a unified vision.
• Leading by example and supporting the Regional Director to ensure processes are in place to identify, promote and empower the potential in operations staff within the region through career development, opportunities for stretch assignments and succession planning.
• Acting as member of the Regional Senior Management Team, representing the organizational risk, governance systems and policies perspective in management discussions, and promoting results-based management.
• Understanding business needs for the Programmes in Regional and Country offices, to anticipate challenges, propose viable solutions, provide creative and innovative ideas aimed at a solution- focused approach to include value for money strategies, all underpinned by quality assurance measures.
• Advise on the implementation of Results Based Management through results-based planning including results-based budgeting and implementation using Value for Money criteria.
• Guiding the country and regional programme and budget review processes,
• Leveraging governance, systems, and tools to provide regular feedback on risks and achievements of operations functions in the region and Headquarters.
• Supporting and advising regional and country offices during external and internal audit reviews and responding to audit observations and monitoring implementation of recommendations.
• Evaluating and suggesting enhancement of business transactions processed by GSSC from a perspective of Efficiency, Performance, Risk Management and Fraud prevention.
• Providing strategic and managerial guidance to Common Services, Supply and Procurement, ICT Management, HACT Management, PSFR and/or Staff Security and Safety as deemed fit and in line with the approved regional office structure.

The Regional Chief of 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, Valuing Partners.

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, chartered accountant) from an internationally recognized institute/body of accountancy with valid membership in good standing.
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience, at the national and international level, is required, specifically in advocating and 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.
• Experience in Results Based Management is a requirement.
• 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 managing successful client-oriented work units is an asset.
• Previous hands-on experience in strategic and managerial leadership, preferably in a multi-office context, is required.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications is required.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Desirable

• Experience in working with corporate ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning) and IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards) is highly desirable.
• Experience in co-creating policy is desirable.
• Prior experience working with diverse and executive level stakeholder groups or multi-stakeholder partnerships is highly desirable.
• Additional experience in one or more of the following areas, would be desired: Audit and investigations, Safety and security, Grant Management, Enterprise Risk Management.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drives to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people.

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 here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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 are also 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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF and other UN Agencies will be moving to the new United Nations House, presently under construction in Diamniadio, 30 kilometers from downtown Dakar.