• Country: Amman, Jordan
• No of vacancies: N/A
  
• Salary: N/A 
• Organization: UNDP
• Gender: Both
• Deadline: 2024-01-20

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

UNDP has managed the PSF its creation in 2019 and is seeking a PSF Specialist who will, under the overall guidance of the Resident Representative and direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative (P), be responsible for managing the Facility and its timely implementation. S/he will lead the project team and work closely with a wide array of partners to ensure that the projects directly respond to the strategic direction provided by Special Envoy and the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator. The PSF Specialist will also work in close consultation with the UNDP Strategic Advisor in Amman to strategize, build partnerships, and mobilize resources, as well as to develop, implement and manage programmes directly supporting the implementation of stabilization initiatives.

The PSF Specialist will play a vital role in working in tandem with the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Secretary General to Yemen (OSESGY) to support the peacebuilding and confidence-building efforts across Yemen. The PSF Specialist will work closely with donors to ensure continued financial and political support to the facility, as well as key Yemeni officials and/or organizations to oversee the progress and movement of PSF work on the ground.

The PSF is coordinated by a technical tripartite that includes two rotating donors, UNDP, the RCO and OSESGY. It meets regularly to discuss potential and ongoing programming, implementation, and progress. The PSF is governed by a senior tripartite group consisting of the Special Envoy, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, and UNDP’s Resident Representative.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Key duties and accountabilities include:

Lead strategic programme planning, coordination, and implementation by:

• Ensuring effective and efficient coordination of the PSF’s programmes and projects by actively working with the technical and senior tripartite members.
• Overseeing the timely delivery of results that are based upon the approved programmes/projects by the PSF Steering Committee, ensuring timely reporting and updates are provided to all stakeholders.
• Identifying and developing new programme and project opportunities in close collaboration with the PSF senior and technical tripartite, as well as the Steering Committee.
• Providing thought leadership, guidance, and actively participates in programme development and ensures programme implementation including budgeting, implementation, and monitoring.
• Managing project implementation with close monitoring of results in collaboration with UNDP’s Management Support Unit (MSU), ensuring the achievement of benchmarks and project targets.
• Positioning the PSF as a partner of choice in peacebuilding efforts to support both OSESGY and the RCO.
• Administering and guiding the creation of various white papers based upon strategic priorities set by the Steering Committee as well as the senior and technical tripartite.

Responsible for PSF management, focusing upon the following: 

• Leading the project team in both substantive and operational issues ensuring optimization of human and financial resources and nurturing a culture of results with highest performance standards.
• Undertaking day-to-day management of the project, including effective project implementation and document progress towards the achievement of outputs, ensuring delivery of resources and results according to planned targets.
• Managing the project budget and facilitating budget approvals and revision processes as per UNDP policies and procedures.
• Ensuring appropriate recording and accounting documentation as required by UNDP and preparation of required financial reports. Facilitate transparent financial management of the project that can withstand regular audits and evaluation.
• Approving and processing donor agreements and contracts with various organizations collaborating on PSF projects, ensuring UNDP rules and regulations concerning finance, procurement, and human resources are adhered to.
• Preparing work plans, producing timely reports – financial and progress reports – as required by regular and ad hoc UNDP and donor reporting systems.
• Developing Terms of Reference for project consultants/experts hired on a short-term basis and ensure proper delivery of technical services and submission of technical and other reports.
• Overseeing and/or updating the creation of the monitoring and evaluation plan and ensuring its implementation.
• Ensuring gender is integrated and mainstreamed throughout the project outputs.
• Enabling proper coordination, participation, and involvement of relevant stakeholders in project implementation so that the process is inclusive, participatory, and transparent.
• Supporting an environment of learning for staff within the project.
• Ensuring full compliance with audit requirements and follow-up on audit recommendations, in collaboration with senior management.

Advocacy, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization:

• Establishing and maintaining partnerships with stakeholders (government, UN agencies, NGOs, CSOs, and donors).
• Working closely with the Amman-based Strategic Advisor to mobilise funding and support from various partners, including the preparation of strategies, programme briefs and project documents, organization of regular donor meetings and field visits – where appropriate.
• Providing leadership and advocate to address policy related issues and other challenges.
• Guiding the development of the programme’s communication strategy in close collaboration with relevant partners and PSF staff.

Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment:

• Supporting gender mainstreaming throughout the project life cycle including design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation
• Ensure coordination and partnership with national gender mechanisms, women-led organizations, academies, networks, forums, etc;
• Supporting the institutional and technical capacity of the project team and stakeholders on gender equality and women’s empowerment as well as social safeguards aspects;
• Supporting the implementation and reporting of gender-responsive actions,  and allocating the required resources ;
• Contributing to the country office communication, and knowledge management system on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Other Duties:

• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: 

• The position will supervise a team of approximately seven (7) staff.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in social policy, public policy, politics, economics, business administration, development studies or related field is required. Or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills:

• Minimum of seven years (with a Master’s degree) or nine years (with a Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in working on policy development in a cross governmental setting with demonstrated ability to navigate in a highly charged political and security environment.
• Experience in the UN system dealing with programme and fund management is essential.
• Demonstrated experience and working knowledge of the UN coordination architecture, including but not limited to Special Political Missions and Integrated Missions is desired.
• Work Experience in UN coordination mechanisms is desired.
• Experience in the Arab Region is desired.
• Fluency in written and oral English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is an advantage.

COMPETENCIES

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results:  LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
• Think Innovatively:  LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
• Act with Determination:  LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:  LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business Direction and strategy: Negotiation and Influence

• Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates ‘win-win’ situations

Business development: Integration within the UN

• Ability to identity, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work; knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations

Business Development: Collective Intelligence Design

• Ability to bringing together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services or solutions

Business Management: Partnerships management

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

2030 Agenda – Prosperity: Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility

• Forced Displacement, incl. Durable Solutions

Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Management: Portfolio Management

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.

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