Deputy Representative Programme, P-4, Bissau, Guinea Bissau #12105

The Deputy Representative reports to the Country Office (CO) Representative for general supervision and direction. The Deputy Representative supports the Representative on the overall management of the CO and for coordinating closely with the different programme sections on all phases of the Country Office Programme, from formulation to delivery of results in accordance with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework, ethics, and integrity.
The Deputy Representative supports the Representative in leading and leveraging partnerships with both public and private sectors for the achievement of results and fulfilment of the rights of children.

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, dedication

The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is classified in place 177th, out of a total of 191 countries with a Human Development Index of 0.483 in 2021.  The economy is fragile, with weak mobilization of domestic resources, lack of dynamism in the private sector and weak development of human capital. Agriculture (essentially for subsistence, but with a great deal of exports of raw cashew nuts) and fishing, also artisanal, are the main sectors of economic activity in the country.

Population projections from the United Nations Population Fund, in 2019, the average life expectancy at birth was 59.4 years, with 61.3 years for females and 57.3 for males. Data from 2018 indicate that around 35.7% of the population lived in urban areas and 64.3% in rural areas. In terms of age structure, the country’s young population predominates: 62% of people are between 0 and 24 years old. Women represent 51.1% of the population and 49% are between 15 and 49 years old.

The health indicator is among the worst in west Africa, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is 667 per 100,000 live births; Neonatal mortality rate is 22 per 1,000 live births; Infant mortality rate 35 per 1,000 live births; the post-neonatal mortality rate is 14 per 1,000 live births and the infant and youth mortality rate is 16 per 1,000 live births.

Guinea-Bissau is a signatory of the sustainable development goals. The government and its partners found that progress is being too slow compared to the proposed objectives for 2030 due to weak planning, weak investment of domestic financial resources in the health sector and the relegation of primary health care to the background to the detriment of second or third level hospital care.

How can you make a difference? 

The Deputy Representative reports to the Country Office (CO) Representative for general supervision and direction. The Deputy Representative supports the Representative on the overall management of the CO and for coordinating closely with the different programme sections on all phases of the Country Office Programme, from formulation to delivery of results in accordance with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework, ethics, and integrity.

The Deputy Representative supports the Representative in leading and leveraging partnerships with both public and private sectors for the achievement of results and fulfilment of the rights of children.  

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. CO programme planning and development.
2. Support to the Representative on managing the CO.
3. Monitoring and quality control of programmes
4. Alliance building and UN System coordination.
5. Private Sector Engagement and Partnerships.
6. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  GJP – Deputy Representative Level 4.doc

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

Minimum requirements:

[Include the vacancy requirements aligned to the category and level of the position. You can see examples in the branded VA example.]

• Education:
  • An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: social sciences, international relations, government, and public relations, public or social policy, sociology, social or community development, or another relevant technical field.

• Work Experience:
  • A minimum of eight years of professional development experience that combines technical and managerial leadership in development cooperation at the international level, some of which served in a developing country is required. Relevant professional experience in any UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset
• Skills
  • Political acumen, maturity, and negotiation skills.
  • Good advocacy and communication skills to support the positioning of children among competing development priorities.
  • Policy analysis, innovative planning, and programme design expertise to guide the continuous relevance of UNICEF programmes in a rapidly changing context.
  • Experience in technical upstream programming and institutional system and capacity building.
  • Good networking and collaborative partnership engagement record.
  • Good resource mobilization and resource leveraging in resources constrained setting.
  • Solid risk analysis, risk management and change management experience.
  • Team building, coordination experience and good records in inclusive, supportive and nurturing people.
• Language Requirements:
  • Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.
• Knowledge of French and Portuguese 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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

1. Builds and maintains partnerships
2. Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
3. Drive 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

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

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:

As per 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.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.