SSRRE 2024 – ESAR – Representative, D-2, South Sudan

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, dedication.

The Representative serves as the accredited representative of UNICEF in the country and reports to the Regional Director for general direction and oversight. The Representative is responsible for establishing dialogue with the Government to develop the framework of cooperation in the country and for working closely and collaboratively with the Government and national institutions, UN Mission and UN Country team, other stakeholders and partners, to develop the Government-UNICEF Country Programme of Cooperation in active support of efforts to advance children’s rights as established under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, other international treaties/frameworks, the SDGs, and UN intergovernmental bodies.

As head of the Country Office, the Representative is responsible for providing leadership and vision to the UNICEF Country Office team in managing and leveraging resources for the achievement of results and realization of the rights of children. The Representative leads and oversees the various programme sectors and operations teams ensuring delivery of quality results in accordance with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, standards of performance and accountability framework, ethics and integrity. The Representative is accountable for upholding UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability and ensuring the establishment and maintenance of a non-discriminatory, inclusive and nurturing working environment for all staff and personnel, to enable them to effectively and efficiently deliver high-quality results for children.

This position is available from end of 2024.

How can you make a difference?

The Representative’s key functions and accountabilities include:

• Developing and planning the Country Programme
• Leading and managing the Country Office
• Monitoring and quality control of the Country Programme
• Representation and external relations at global, regional and national level
• Delivering high quality results for children, including in a complex operating environment
• Support to the Resident Coordinator and UN Country Team to advance the UN Cooperation Framework
• Support to the Humanitarian Coordinator and Humanitarian Country Team in the implementation of the Humanitarian Response Plan while advancing the rights of children as articulated in the UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children
• Leading resource mobilization efforts and nurturing and strengthening partnerships
• Leading innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
• Safety, security and well-being of staff, duty of care, programmes and organizational assets

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Qualifications:

• An advanced university degree in social sciences, international relations, government and public relations, public or social policy, sociology, social or community development, or other related fields, is required.
• A minimum of fifteen years of professional development experience that combines intellectual and managerial leadership in development cooperation at the international level, some of which served in developing countries and countries in fragile contexts is required. Relevant professional experience in any UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset including human rights-based approaches.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.
• Experience working in duty stations with significant operational field presence and emergency response is an important asset.

Person Profile:

• Strong programme and peoples management skills and track record at the international level including change management processes.
• International and developing country knowledge and practical field experience, in the areas of programme and operations, preferably from high threat, fragile and complex humanitarian contexts.
• Strong experience in policy development and advocacy and building capacity of weak national systems and capacities.
• Emergency preparedness and response, and related capacity building support experience at country and international levels.
• Proven knowledge and experience in formulating strategies and managing a large size programme (sectoral, development, humanitarian, advocacy, policy dialogue and capacity building, UN Inter-Agency, Multi-Donor Trust Funds).
• Substantive knowledge of application of a human rights-based approach in practice, and results-based programming.
• Demonstrated capacity to build inter-sectoral and Inter-Agency strategic, technical and programme partnerships.
• Ability to direct and foster and negotiate strategic public and private sector alliances and partnerships and mobilize and leverage resources, e.g. multi donor trust fund modalities.
• Proven capacity to lead, motivate and develop a large size team.
• Strong people management, emotional intelligence and diplomatic skills.
• Proven risk management skills and efficient management of financial resources.
• Ability to operate under high levels of pressure and demands.

Country Typology:

• Country Income Level: South Sudan is a Low-Income country
• Duty Station: Juba is an “E”, non-family, and emergency duty station, with 7 field offices
• Office Size: 250 staff
• Annual Budget: Approx USD 200 million per year
• Good for 1st time Representative: No, recommend for current D2 or D1 applicants
• Schooling: this is a non-family duty station
• Healthcare: The system is weak, and medevacs are the norm rather than the exception

Brief country context:

The Republic of South Sudan has great economic potential and opportunities to secure the economic prosperity of its population, including oil and mineral wealth, and an important agricultural sector with abundant livestock and fertile land. However, the long history of conflict as well as deep rooted political and tribal divides, corruption, and lack of transparency has greatly stalled social and economic development.

In August 2022, the Government of South Sudan unilaterally announced a 2-year extension of the Transitional Government to implement the outstanding Articles of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, a move that has raised concerns among international community in the ability of current leaders to sustain peace and ensure a smooth and peaceful transition to new Government.

The national economy is facing rising debt and significant depreciation of the South Sudanese Pound (SSP), what some believe to be real signs of potential hyperinflation. Since the onset of the global economic crisis and the continued signs of volatility in the national economy, the situation is expected to worsen during 2023, especially for the most vulnerable populations and push more people into deeper poverty.

On the humanitarian front, South Sudan continue to face deteriorating conditions. The situation is worsened by endemic violence, conflict, access constraints and operational interference, public health challenges such as measles and cholera outbreaks and climatic shocks resulting in extraordinary flooding and localized drought. These in turn have a severe impact on people’s livelihoods, hamper access to education and water, sanitation and hygiene and health services. Protection concerns remain high, especially for women and girls. People affected by violence have limited access to formal justice as well as restriction in their movement and access to basic needs such as food.

The country programme implementation strategy will adopt a risk-informed approach programming which will allow for contextual analysis and build an effective link where possible to humanitarian action. Starting from 2023, the UNICEF country progamme will offer a vision aligned to the revised National Development Strategy to build – rather than substitute for – capacity in social services delivery. As such this will be a core contribution of UNICEF to a humanitarian development peace nexus strategy aligned with other UN agencies and positioning UNICEF as a key actor for investing in capacity building of government institution to gradually take ownership of social service delivery by contributing public funds and reducing the reliance on Official Development Aid (ODA).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Core Values

• Commitment
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
• Sustainability

Competencies

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others
• Nurtures, leads and manages people

To view our competency framework, please visit here. 

Remarks

This position is classified as “rotational” which means the incumbent is expected to rotate to another duty station upon completion of their tour of duty.  

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.    

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, works directly with child, is a safeguarding response role or has been assessed as an elevated risk role for child safeguarding. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) applies. 

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  

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 may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). 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.