Organization: UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund
Location: Atbara
Grade: Mid level – NO-D, National Professional Officer – Locally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
Project and Programme Management
Managerial positions
Closing Date: 2024-08-03
Under the guidance of the Chief Field Operations and Emergency, the Chief of Field Office (Northern) is accountable for managing and leading the UNICEF Operation in the Northern Area – River Nile and Northern States – within a country programme. The Chief of Field Office represents UNICEF in his/her Area of Responsibility (AoR), leads and oversees the various program sectors and operational service teams ensuring the delivery of quality results in accordance with UNICEF’s programme of cooperation, country programme management plan, humanitarian response plan and overall vision set forward by the Representative. In fragile and humanitarian contexts, UNICEF action is guided by its global Policy and Framework for humanitarian action: the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
For every child, Hope
PURPOSE OF THE JOB
Under the guidance of the Chief Field Operations and Emergency, the Chief of Field Office (Northern) is accountable for managing and leading the UNICEF Operation in the Northern Area – River Nile and Northern States – within a country programme. The Chief of Field Office represents UNICEF in his/her Area of Responsibility (AoR), leads and oversees the various program sectors and operational service teams ensuring the delivery of quality results in accordance with UNICEF’s programme of cooperation, country programme management plan, humanitarian response plan and overall vision set forward by the Representative.
In fragile and humanitarian contexts, UNICEF action is guided by its global Policy and Framework for humanitarian action: the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action.
KEY END-RESULTS EXPECTED
1. Effective management of UNICEF presence, staff and assets in the Area of Responsibility
2. Effective and coordinated humanitarian response in the Area of Responsibility
3. Effective knowledge management systems adopted and utilized to strengthen area/country programme management.
4. Situation Analysis prepared and updated; critical programme intervention points and measures identified; and programme work plans, recommendations and reports prepared.
5. Programme funds optimally used.
6. Programme monitoring and evaluations effectively conducted to improve programme performance, and programme status reports timely prepared. Gender/sex disaggregated data and inputs relevant to the country programme are provided as an integral part of programming.
7. Rights based and results based programming approach fully incorporated into all phases of programme and project processes.
8. Commitment and institutional capacities of the national and local partners effectively gained and established.
9. Rights perspective and advocacy at the national, community and family levels incorporated in policy analysis for establishing and elevating UNICEF’s credibility in national and international policy debates.
10. Effective partnerships and collaboration achieved and maintained for advocacy, technical cooperation, programme development/management/coordination, information sharing and networking.
How can you make a difference?
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES and DUTIES & TASKS
Within the delegated authority and the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be responsible for all or most of the following areas of major duties and key end results.
1. Effective management of UNICEF presence, staff and assets
Represent UNICEF in the region, by participating in meetings and events, moving forward the agenda for children. This includes field level inter- agency, Humanitarian Country Team and inter-sector meetings on humanitarian issues.
Facilitate, take and implement measures to ensure safety and security of UNICEF staff and assets.
Effectively lead the Field Office team and manage the performance and conduct the staff members to deliver results for children.
2. Effective and coordinated humanitarian response in the Area of responsibility
Coordinate UNICEF humanitarian response in the Area of Responsibility, including in hard to reach area.
Ensure adherence to Humanitarian Principles and CCC, aiming to reach all children in need in line with UNICEF mandate.
Monitor humanitarian and security situation on the ground, analyze humanitarian needs and gaps, and advise the office on critical needs and actions required. Develop intervention and access strategies, and lead delivery of assistance, drawing on capacity from across Country Office as needed.
3. Knowledge Management for Programmes
Ensure that area/country programmes are supported by knowledge management through data collection and analysis, complete and accurate reporting as well as participation in the Programme Knowledge Network system of “lessons learned” and other corporate-level databases.
Participate in information exchange through donor and media visits as well as in the development of training and orientation material.
4. Programme Development and Management
Identify critical intervention points and measures by administering a consistent and transparent monitoring system; monitor analyse humanitarian as well as socio-political-economic trends and their implications for ongoing programmes and projects and humanitarian response.
Draft changes to/or prepare programme work plans as required. Prepare program recommendations for inclusion in formal programme documentation, and new approaches, methods and practices.
Establishes programme workplans, monitors compliance and provides training, support and guidance to the programme team in order to meet objectives. Identifies human resources requirements and on-going staff development needs.
Reviews and evaluates the technical, institutional and financial feasibility and constraints of programme/projects in collaboration with Government and other partners.
Prepares relevant programme reports required for management, donors, budget reviews, programme analysis, annual reports, etc.
5. Optimum Use of Program Funds
Establish and supervise programme work plans and monitor progress and compliance. Monitor the overall allocation and disbursement of programme funds, making sure that funds are properly coordinated, monitored and liquidated. Take appropriate actions to optimize use of programme funds. Ensure programme efficiency and delivery through a rigorous and transparent approach to programme planning, monitoring and evaluation.
6. Programme Monitoring and Evaluations
Undertakes field visits and ensures that his/her staff conduct field visits to monitor and assess
programme implementation and decides on required corrective action.
Carry out a rigorous and transparent approach to evaluate and participate in the major programme evaluation exercises in consultation with the Representative, the Operations Officer, the Evaluation Officer and others to improve efficiency and quality of programme delivery. Participate in annual sector review meetings with government counterparts. Ensure the timely preparation of annual program status reports.
7. Rights-Based and Results-Based Programme Management Approach
Adopt rights-based programmes approach in the formulation of programme goals and objectives and development of strategies and implementation frameworks. Formulate consistent and effective planning, design, implementation, monitoring and/or evaluation of programmes and projects. Bring coherence, synergy and added value to the programming planning and design processes using a results-based management approach to programme planning and design.
Prepare and submit viable recommendations on project implementation, alternative approaches, and optimal utilization of resources that contribute effectively to the fulfilment of the rights of children and women, and recommendations on programme, new initiatives and management issues to ensure achievement of stated objectives.
8. National and Local Capacity Building/Sustainability
Support national systems and service providers, focusing on local capacities, with technical support and guidance for the purpose of capacity building to sustain service delivery for vulnerable population and sustainability.
Ensure the building and reinforcing of the commitment and institutional capacities of the national and local partners starting with taking a strategic approach to the identification of these partners and partnerships.
9. Rights Perspective and Advocacy at the National, Community and Family Levels
Conduct policy analysis from a children’s and women’s rights perspective and advocacy at the government, community and family levels for elevating credibility in national and international policy debates. Promote the organization goals of UNICEF through active advocacy and communication in line with UNICEF national advocacy guidelines and strategy.
10. Partnership, Coordination and Collaboration
Develop partnership and collaboration with internal and external counterparts, including those of the UN and national partners, in order to ensure efficient and coordinated humanitarian action, align positions on common critical issues and challenges, exchange information on programme/project status and implementation and movement/distribution of supplies.
Oversee UNICEF cluster lead responsibilities in the Area of Responsibility, supervising double-hatting coordinators and/or working closely with CO based coordination team.
Collaborate with the Operations Section to establish and maintain sound internal controls supportive of programming endeavours and to coordinate financial and supply management requirements and accountability.
Maintain close collaboration with heads of sectoral programmes in the CO, Regional and HQ advisers for effective overall coordination on programmes and humanitarian interventions.
Plans, develops and implements sectoral programme(s) by collaborating with the government and other partners. Provide leadership in provision of technical advice, negotiation, advocacy and promotion of area/country level goals, leading to agreement on practicable and priority actions to be supported by UNICEF programme and country level cooperation.
POSITION GRADE FACTORS
NOD Grade
The scope of the job is to provide leadership and overall coordination/supervision of the total programme commitment of a medium size Field Office with a broad range of projects. The job requires commitment and strong drive for results for the achievement of overall programme delivery and contribution to the established goals and objectives.
As a manager, manage the programme function by leading a team of Programme Officers and/or the section consisting of a group of professionals and support staff.
Work requires expertise as a technical specialist, or expert for technical project/programme management, requiring initiative, problem solving, creativity, and innovation.
Technical leadership, sound judgement, planning, and resource management expertise and creative approaches are required for advising management and making recommendations on project implementation, alternative approaches, optimal utilization of resources, and recommendations on new programme initiatives and management issues to ensure achievement of stated objectives.
Decision making includes timely and effective decisions on situation analysis, programme strategy, planning, implementation, evaluation and human resources, requiring conceptual/analytical thinking, judgement, planning skills, decisiveness, flexibility, resource management and communication.
Formulate and/or represent UNICEF’s position to external partners. Promote the organization goals of UNICEF through advocacy and policy dialogue by effective communication and influence. Make sound recommendations on policy based on situations in the locality.
The work makes resource management and planning & monitoring expertise essential for managing the overall allocation and disbursement of funds to ensuring they are properly coordinated, monitored and liquidated in accordance with the programme budget allotments.
If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:Download File Chief of Field Offce Northern NOD (based in Atbara).docx
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
QUALIFICATION AND COMPETENCIES
Education An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: social sciences, international relations, public administration, government and public relations, public or social policy, sociology, social or community development, or another relevant technical field.
Experience
A minimum of eight years of professional work experience in programme management, planning, monitoring and evaluation, project administration or another relevant area is required.
Experience working in a large humanitarian operation is required.
Extensive experience coordinating humanitarian response in a complex, high-stake context is required.
Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as required.
Familiarity/ background with emergency is considered as an asset.
Language Requirements Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.
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
4. UNICEF values and competency Required (based on the updated Framework)
i) Core Values
Care
Respect
Integrity
Trust
Accountability
Sustainability
ii) Core Competencies (For Staff with Supervisory Responsibilities) *
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)
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
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 measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will 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.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.
Remarks:
UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female are encouraged to apply.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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.
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.