Regional Coordination Officer, Africa 127 views

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, within the Regional Office of the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO). The Regional Coordination Officer reports to a Regional Director of UNDCO .

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Regional Coordination Officer will be responsible for the following:

• Coordinates regional efforts on policy/normative work and system coherence in the Resident Coordination System, including UN Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF).
• Leads the organization of regional fora and consultations with governments, UN (including RECs) and other partners (civil society, regional banks, private sector).
• Leads and facilitates regional surge support to RCs/UNCTs.
• Supports to RCs/UNCTs to ensure quality and timely integrated support to Member States in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
• Supports RCs/UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in complex countries/integrated mission settings; addresses the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding (HDP) nexus where relevant.
• Supports regional and country level engagement with human rights mechanisms (including the Human Rights Up Front initiative) and partners.
• Oversees support to RCs/UNCTs/RCOs in programming and country business strategies
• Ensures capacity development of UN Country Teams on United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) guidance and policies.
• Ensures the support to UNSDG Regional Chair and Regional Director in conducting RC/UNCT performance appraisals.
• Supports RCs, RCOs and UNCT members in the performance appraisal process, and provides advisory support on the Assessment on Results and Competencies (ARC) including compliance with policies and deadlines and vetting of eligible participants.
• Undertakes survey initiatives; guides design of data collection instruments; reviews, analyzes and interprets responses, identifies problems/issues and prepares conclusions.
• Undertakes expansion of partnerships, especially with non-UN entities (regional entities, private sector, South-South, etc.).
• Coordinates resource mobilization efforts at the regional level for UNCTs and development of regional funding and financing strategies.
• Supports UNCTs with developing financing strategies to accelerate achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
• Manages regional pooled funds, including leading on call for proposals and selects projects.
• Keeps abreast of latest emerging trends and innovative approaches for policy/normative work and system coherence in the Resident Coordination System. Supervises preparation of various written outputs, e.g. background papers, analysis, substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.
• Directs substantive support to consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc.
• Manages outreach activities; designs and conducts training workshops, seminars, etc., makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• Leads field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties and drafting mission summaries, etc.
• Coordinates activities related to budget and funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and ensures preparation of related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.).
• Serves as an effective spokesperson and establishes collaboration and partnerships with key officials at all levels inside and outside the organization.
• Ensures effective supervision and development of staff; Guides, evaluates and mentors staff.
• Ensures implementation of gender mainstreaming guidelines by assessing the implications for men and women of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities and risks. Ability to generate and communicate broad and compelling organizational direction. Ability to communicate clearly links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals. Demonstrated ability to provide innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the planning, development, and management of operation. Demonstrated ability to negotiate and apply good judgment. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

• Planning and organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

• Managing performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.

• Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, management, economics or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in sustainable development related programme management is required.
A minimum of three years of experience in partnership development in a development area is required.
A minimum of three years of experience in development planning and policy formulation is required.
Experience with inter-agency or interorganizational collaboration in the development sector is desirable.
Field experience in development cooperation is desirable
Experience in the United Nations system or a comparable international organization is desirable.
Experience working at the headquarters of a development cooperation agency is desirable.
Experience in managing large multicultural teams at the country, regional or global levels is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official UN language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is available for an initial period of one year. Extension of appointment is subject to the availability of funds.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover letter.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.