UNICEF
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, 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.
The prevention of conflict and epidemic outbreaks requires leveraging development and humanitarian programmes for a nexus approach across a wide range of contexts in DRC, which will be particularly challenging as the MONUSCO Peace Keeping Mission departs the country.
As head of the Country Office, the Representative is responsible for directing and guiding senior managers of large and complex programmes and operations, providing leadership and vision to the team in managing and leveraging resources for the achievement of results and realization of the rights of children. The Representative leads and oversees programmes, emergency, communications, security and operations teams ensuring the delivery of quality results in accordance with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, 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.
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
- Constructively engaging with the Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator, UN & Humanitarian Country Teams to advance the UN Cooperation Framework
- Leading resource mobilization efforts and nurturing and strengthening partnerships including with multilaterals, non-traditional donors and the private sector.
- Leading innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
- Safety, security and well-being of staff, 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 15 years professional development experience that combines intellectual and managerial leadership in development cooperation at the international level, some of which served in developing and emergency countries is required. Relevant professional experience in any UN system agency or organization is an asset.
- Oral and written proficiency in French and English is required to be successful in the position. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.
Person Profile
The ideal candidate will be a strategic leader able to acquire, develop, and retain a talented multicultural and diverse workforce through effective performance management by directing the country programme towards results for children while implementing UNICEF’s vision, mission, and objectives. S/he will have strong management skills and demonstrated ability to foster strategic and operational partnerships with governments, the private sector, UN agencies and civil society. The ideal candidate will have also demonstrated complex leadership competencies as follows:
- People leadership skills: able to provide inspiration, vision, and effective direction, and unleash high performance from an increasingly diverse and/or dispersed team. Capacity to effectively lead, inspire, motivate and develop a large team of international and national staff towards the realization of sustainable programme results in a complex environment; Team leadership skills: able to build, develop and lead diverse, cross-functional teams of significant size, including senior level personnel. The most critical element will be demonstrated ability to attract, develop, and retain talent through effective performance management.
- Result orientation skills: able to create an environment of accountability focused on results, and to make difficult and risk-informed decisions when necessary.
- Collaboration and Influencing skills: able to foster collaboration throughout the country office and field offices and leverage integrated and cross-cutting programmes. Ability to develop positive and effective relationships and build consensus through effective communication and interpersonal skills.
- Change leadership skills: able to create, operationalize, and optimize change initiatives that contributes to strengthen UNICEF’s presence and relevance in country and globally.
- External representation skills: the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a track record of strategic partnering at high level.
- Political skills: able to establish effective working relationships with a government looking for partnerships more closely aligned with their agenda and a keen interest in south-south cooperation.
- Strategic skills: capable of standing back, analyzing evolving needs and constraints and changing tack to deliver maximum impact for children in times of change.
- Programme Management and Leadership:
- Experience in a range of country contexts with demonstrated ability to build the capacity of the government to develop child rights-based policies, norms, and standards, as well as to monitor service delivery at the operational level;
- Knowledge and skills to operate in a complex programming environment and in humanitarian, conflict, post-conflict and fragile countries;
- Strong track record in the preparedness, management and response to major emergencies and humanitarian situations, including leading recovery and longer-term development programmes with emphasis on the nexus between development/humanitarian programmes, as well as system strengthening;
- Strong capacity in partnership/relationship building, resource mobilization, leveraging, and fundraising;
- Ability to work closely with other UN agencies through the UNCT and the humanitarian coordination forums, providing leadership on children’s rights – particularly those affected by humanitarian crisis and prevailing inequities;
- Capacity to raise the profile and visibility of children’s issues and to advocate and negotiate in highly sensitive/complex environment;
- Ability to strategize, effectively lead teams and achieve results in a complex programmatic, operational, and volatile security context; in-depth understanding of integrated community-centered capacity development and human rights-based approach to programming;
- Political savvy, tact, and capacity to ensure high level representation and advocacy.
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
For every child, you demonstrate…
Core Values
- Commitment
- Respect
- Integrity
- Trust
- Accountability
- Sustainability
Competencies
- Builds and maintains partnerships (level III)
- Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (level III)
- Drive to achieve results for impact (level III)
- Innovates and embraces change (level III)
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (level III)
- Thinks and acts strategically (level III)
- Works collaboratively with others (level III)
- Nurtures, leads and manages people (level III)
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.
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.
To apply for this job please visit secure.dc7.pageuppeople.com.