Operations Manager

Under the guidance of the Resident Representative (RR) and the direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative (DRR), the Operations Manager acts as an advisor to Senior Management on all aspects of CO management and operations. This includes strategic financial and human resources management, efficient procurement and logistical services, ICT and common services consistent with UNDP rules and regulations. The main role is to lead the operations, ensuring smooth functioning of the CO/programmes/ projects operations, consistent services delivery and constant evaluation and readjustment of the operations to take into account changes in the operating environment as and when needed.

The Operations Manager leads and guides the Operations Team and fosters collaboration within the team, with programme staff and with other UN Agencies and a client-oriented approach. The Operations Manager works in close collaboration with programme and project teams in the CO, operations staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP HQ staff, UNDP GSSC, and Government officials to successfully deliver operations services.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure the strategic direction and implementation of operational services, common services, and security management.
• The Operations Manager leads the implementation of operational services with an approach that fosters innovation, foresight, and ensures the relevance and quality of operational services to all clients, while assuming calculated risks.
• Full compliance of operations with UN/UNDP rules, regulations and policies, implementation of corporate operational strategies, establishment of management targets and monitoring of achievement of results.
• Establishment of collaborative arrangements with potential partners, a Client Relationship Management system for resource mobilization purposes and appropriate operational partnership arrangements to establish and maintain strong client-orientation and services.
• CO business processes mapping and establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Finance, Human Resources Management, Procurement, Logistical and ICT services, and in line with GSSC services.
• Constant monitoring and analysis of the operating environment, timely readjustment of the operations, advice on legal considerations and risk assessment.
• Advise senior management on key strategic operations issues and escalate matters of substantial operational risk or threat accordingly, including common services clients.
• Knowledge building and sharing with regards to management and operations in the CO, organization of the operations staff trainings, synthesis of lessons learnt/best practices, and sound contributions to UNDP knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Play a key role in the development and implementation of Business Continuity Plans.
• Establishment of common services, maintenance of coordinating machinery to ensure integrated activities on common services and implementation of the UN reform.
• Escalate to senior management matters of risk or threat to the client/inter-agency relationships.
• Elaboration of the strategic approach for implementation of common services in line with the latest developments in common services and the best practices.
• Proper planning and tracking of common services budget and of Agencies contributions to the common services account.
• Implementation of UN Joint UN Business Operating Strategy (BOS) and making active contributions to UN interagency working groups for operational reforms to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Liaise with the Security function in UNDSS and UNDP to ensure compliance with MOSS and RSM requirements.

Ensure effective and accurate financial resources management and oversight of the Finance team.

• Enable proper planning, expenditure tracking and audit of financial resources, including extra-budgetary income in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations and in line with GSSC services.
• Foster proper management of the contributions management business process and accounting for contributions to ensure that the money due to UNDP is properly identified, consistently and uniformly classified, recorded on a timely basis and received with sufficient supporting documentation.
• Approver role in the ERP for voucher and Treasury transactions approvals, bank reconciliation. Approval of pending disbursements as the “third authority” (cheques, bank transfers, EFT). Approval of bank reconciliations.
• Organization of cost-recovery mechanisms for CO services provided to projects and UN Agencies, including ensuring preparation of proforma invoices for UN agencies.
• Organization and oversight of CO cash management processes, including liquidity management, recommendation of imprest level, risk assessment, bank relationship management; timely accounting and reconciliation of all transactions, security for cash assets on site.
• Monitoring of financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions and investigation of anomalies or unusual transactions. Provision of information to supervisors and other UNDP staff at HQ of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained.
• Member of bank signatory panel.
• Transaction and stop payment approval on internet banking system.
• All financial transactions are identified, recorded and verified in compliance with IPSAS as outlined in the corporate policies and procedures.
• Act as focal point for HACT Implementation

Ensure strategic human resources management and oversight of the HR team.

• Ensures the implementation and compliance with corporate human resources policies and the People for 2030 strategy.
• Optimal staffing of the office and projects.
• Oversight of recruitment processes in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations and in line with GSSC services, appropriate use of different contractual modalities, contracts management.
• Establishment and maintenance of the proper performance management and staff development systems.
• Implementation of the learning strategy ensuring access of the staff to role appropriate learning activities.

Ensure efficient procurement and logistical services and oversight of the Procurement team.

• Oversees CO compliance with corporate rules and regulations in the field and elaboration of the CO procurement strategies including sourcing strategy, supplier selection and evaluation, quality management, customer relationship management, e-procurement promotion and introduction, performance measurement.
• Leads the elaboration of the CO contract strategy including tendering processes and evaluation, managing the contract and contractor, legal implications. Oversight of procurement processes and logistical services in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations, and with the respective approval rights in the ERP as per Internal Control Framework.
• Guides the proper management of UNDP assets, facilities, and logistical services, including full compliance with IPSAS in the accounting for the procurement, utilization, and disposal of the CO’s assets.

Ensure forward-looking ICT and Digital services and oversight of the ICT team.

• Fosters the use of digital tools to enhance effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and transparency
• Oversees the use of the ERP functionality for improved business results and improved client services.
• Guides the identification of opportunities and ways of converting business processes into web-based systems to address the issues of efficiency and full accountability by the ICT team.
• Ensures the maintenance of a secure, reliable infrastructure environment for ICT and adequate planning for disasters and recoveries.
• Identification and promotion of different systems and applications for optimal content management, knowledge sharing, information provision and learning including e-registry, web-based office management system, etc.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics or related field OR
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the above fields in combination with two (2) years of qualifying, relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the Master’s degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years (Master’s degree) or 7 years (Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in operations management, and managing staff and operational systems
• Completed operations certifications from a reputable institution is a distinct advantage
• Experience and knowledge of integrated HR, finance, procurement, and ICT management systems would be highly desirable;
• Experience in Peoplesoft HCM or Oracle systems is highly advantageous;
• Experience dealing with  operations management in the UN system or UNDP is an asset;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc)
• Experience in facilitating and promoting a continuous learning culture is desirable.

Language:

• Fluency in English required.. Fluency in other UN languages is also beneficial.

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/requisitions/job/17823