Senior Operations Manager, Fixed Term, P-5, Nairobi, Kenya, Eastern & Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO)

UNICEF ESARO is seeking a dynamic and people-centric leader to manage the Operations team and provide oversight and technical guidance across the region. If you believe you have the skills and experience for this role, please submit your application.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, support.

The Operations function is a strategic Business Partner role within the senior Management team, assuring the best use of UNICEF assets in alignment with sound management practices, office priorities and goals to deliver results for children.  

The Senior Operations Manager, at the P5 level, is reporting to the Deputy Regional Director, D1 in the Regional Office.

How can you make a difference?

The Senior Operations Manager supports the Deputy Regional Director in the management of resources and organizational assets ensuring effective planning and control as well as efficiency and economy of implementation and utilization of such resources and assets as well as the adequate management of risks.

As a Strategic Business Partner and regional advisor, the incumbent will be responsible to lead for results, drive change, provide risk informed, solution-focused analysis, advice and services and contribute to programme and management decisions for delivering results for children in all operational contexts within the Regional office and provide technical leadership and guidance for Operations in all countries and field offices within the region. 

The incumbent is responsible  for supporting initiatives of change and avoidance of duplications in all areas of collaboration between Programmes and Operations including liaison with key stakeholders in the Country and Regional Offices in order to contribute to the improvement and effectiveness of implementation of UNICEF mandate.

Key functions, duties and accountabilities

Valuing People: Lead, manage and develop people resources to promote technical competence and foster career progression and retention of a “fit for purpose”/ agile workforce for the Operations function.

Valuing Money: Champion strategic resources to achieve organizational goals and ensure Value for Money (VfM).

Valuing Risk Management: Enhance Risk Management to increase organizational performance and strengthen internal control.

Valuing Systems and Structures: Ensure further operational centralization and optimization for maximized efficiency gains.

Valuing Partners: Strengthening internal and external-facing partnerships and leveraging UNICEF’s oversight and understanding of programmatic financial management.

For more information, you can access here  Vacancy Announcement – Senior Operations Manager, P-5, Nairobi, ESARO.pdf. 

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

An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in one of the following areas is required: Business Administration; Financial management; Accounting; Public Finance; and Operations related function.

A minimum of ten years of relevant professional experience at the national and international level, is required, specifically in advocating and implementing strategic organizational initiatives in one or more operations management area including budget; financial management and reporting; facilities management; administration; supply and logistics management; information and communication technology; human resources.

Additional experience in one or more of the following areas, would be desired:

1. Audit and investigations
2. Safety and security
3. Grant Management
4. Enterprise Risk Management

• Experience in a UN system agency, large private or public company, or experience working in a developing country and/or humanitarian/ emergency context is an asset.
• Experience in working with corporate ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning) and IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards) is highly desirable.
• Experience in Results Based Management is a requirement.
• Experience in managing successful client-oriented work units is an asset.
• Experience in co-creating policy is desirable.
• Prior experience working with diverse and executive level stakeholder groups or multi-stakeholder partnerships is highly desirable.
• Previous hands on experience in strategic and managerial leadership, preferably in a multi-office context, is required.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications is required.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese 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

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

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

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 benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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 promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. 

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable programme country female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also 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 cancelled.

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.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.