IT Product Manager, Common Services & Communication

Background information – ITG

The UNOPS Information Technology Group (ITG) unit is focused on innovation and harnessing cutting-edge technology to deliver solutions to UNOPS that truly address business needs.

Working with UNOPS IT Group is a unique opportunity to deliver systems to users around the world – making an impact on development and solving practical problems for the UNOPS workforce and thereby help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

ITG’s goal is to provide greater effectiveness, efficiency, and differentiation to UNOPS products and services. UNOPS IT Group is responsible for architecting, designing, delivering, and managing all UNOPS IT infrastructure and business applications. The unit includes Enterprise Architects, Business Analysts, Solutions Designers, Developers and QA Testers from all around the world who are based primarily in Denmark and Thailand.

Background Information – Job Specific

Under the supervision of the Platforms Team Lead, the Product Manager, Common Services & Communication will be responsible for leading a team managing all aspects of product delivery of a group of products throughout their lifecycle, so they are continually fit for purpose and meet business needs. In doing so, the Product Manager will be responsible for partnering with the relevant business stakeholders, to understand the core business needs and to help translate the business needs into effective solutions, features and maintenance effort delivered by IT that address the needs and result in improvements in the form of increased effectiveness, efficiency, or differentiation for UNOPS products and services.

This role is a maternity replacement that can start as early as September, for a 10 month period, renewable based on performance and availability of funds.

Functional Responsibilities

1. Leading the Product Team
2. Product vision
3. Requirements gathering and analysis
4. Data and process design

1. Leading the cross-functional Product Team

• Acts as a coordinator for the team and provides guidance to the team on relevant matters.
• Embeds a spirit of learning and continuous development within the team to ensure continued professionalisation of services provided and fine-tuning of professional craftsmanship.
• Sets team objectives, performance measurements, standards and results expected to ensure timely and client focused services. Monitors implementation and oversee progress.
• Works closely with the IT Project Management and Support office to oversee the development of estimates and operational requirements to enable accurate planning of projects under the suite of products, with realistic timelines.
• Establishes team priorities, and supervise the implementation of work plans
• Promotes teamwork and collaboration by providing the team with clear direction, objectives and guidance to enable them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently.
• Fosters a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.

2. Responsible for product vision

• Partner with key stakeholders to understand their needs, challenges and objectives. Make recommendations and influence the direction of the product developments, to best fulfil the business objectives.
• Creates and maintains product roadmap in alignment with relevant stakeholders
• Prioritises features in a project to achieve the set strategic goals for the client.
• Collaborates with the Senior Product Manager and the other product managers, to identify opportunities for better alignment between different products, so end to end business processes can be enabled.
• Holds responsibility for effective coordination of activities across all stages of the product management.
• Acts as a Project Manager for product development/delivery, bridges gaps and manages dependencies between different business units if an when needed.

3. Gathers and documents requirements and performs analysis to identify key business needs

• Assesses client needs utilizing a structured requirements process (gathering, analyzing, documenting, and managing changes).
• Analyzes client operations to understand their strengths and weaknesses to uncover opportunities for improvements.
• Identifies business needs and benefits of the change in the business process and ensure separation from preconceived solutions.
• Produces documentation of the business need, benefits of change, and detailed requirements.
• Proactively guides the business on solution possibilities, providing the product expertise needed to lead the business to make decisions.
• Provides functional support in the development and review of design activities for system improvements, changes, enhancements and upgrades as they relate to Common Services & Communication.
• Assists in the development of acceptance criteria, test scenarios and test cases for functional testing of solutions delivered by ITG.

4. Collaborates with business functions to perform data and process design

• Produces process and data flow design in close collaboration with the Common Services & Communication business function as well as other relevant business functions that may be impacted by the change in the process.
• Ensures that requirements and process design span across wider value delivery processes.
• Negotiates with business functions to drive the potential realisation of tangible benefits from changes to business processes.
• Makes recommendations and demonstrates how to best utilise UNOPS business systems to accomplish business objectives.

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Master’s Degree, preferably in Product Management, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, HR, Procurement or other relevant discipline is required.
• A Bachelor’s degree in combination with additional two years of experience may be accepted in lieu of master’s degree.
• Secondary education in combination with additional six years of experience may be accepted in lieu of a master’s degree

Experience

Required Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience required in the area of processes relating to High-level corporate solutions, Service Desk systems and Reporting systems
• Minimum of 1 year in a team management role is required
• Minimum 2 yrs of experience in partnering with a broad range of stakeholders to understand business needs, formulating solutions and influencing
• Experience with performing high-level system support function is required
• Experience in user training is required.
• Demonstrated experience in developing training materials for enterprise systems is required
• Experience in quality assurance and functional documentation is desired.
• Excellent communication skills and good IT understanding

Language

• Fluency in English is a requirement.
• Working knowledge of another UN language(s) will be considered an asset.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement Contract level: IICA2, ICS10 Contract duration: 10 months

This role is a maternity replacement that can start as early as September, for a 10 month period, renewable based on performance and availability of funds.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization – UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Background Information – UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.