UNICEF, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, works together with partners in 190 countries and territories to promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child.
At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job โ it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
For every child, access
Sudan, surrounded by the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya and South Sudan, positioned next to East, West, and North Africa, is surrounded by complex conflicts in an unpredictable, volatile and rapidly evolving region. Sudan is by size the third biggest country in Africa, with a diverse population of around 42 million people. Sudanโs children make up half of the total population, and the past two decades have seen their lives significantly improve: fewer girls and boys are dying before their fifth birthday, primary school attendance is increasing, immunization coverage is high and the country remains polio free. Still, millions of children continue to suffer from protracted conflict in Darfur, the Kordofans, and Blue Nile, from seasonal natural disasters, malnutrition and disease outbreaks, and from under-investment in basic social services. More than three million of Sudanโs school aged children are not in the classroom. UNICEF has been in Sudan since 1952 and continues with a presence in 12 of Sudanโs 18 states.
How can you make a difference?ย Purpose of the job As a Strategic Business Partner, the incumbent will be accountable for operations functions, facilitate change, provide risk informed, solution-focused analysis, advice and services and contribute to programme and management decisions for delivering results for children in specific operational contexts. Operations Officer will accomplish this by: ย
Facilitating services in the functional areas of operations support: budget, financial management and reporting, facilities management, administration, supply and logistics management, information and communications technology, human resources, and safety and security; Understanding business needs for the office, to propose viable solutions aimed at value for money. Supporting the fundamentals of ICT management, information security and controls; Supporting supply and logistics strategies and interventions to meet programmatic needs while ensuring Value for Money (VfM), including procurement of fit for purpose products and services. Supporting the management of office premises and facilities with a specific focus on inclusive accessibility, eco sustainability and common premises; Facilitating business transactions processed by GSSC from a perspective of Efficiency, Performance, Risk Management and Fraud prevention Supporting the country office during external and internal audit reviews, contributing with responses to audit observations and monitoring implementation of recommendations. Supporting the management of PSFR operations, where applicable. The Operations Officer will be entrusted with the following five pillars, the core focus of all operations functions: Valuing People, Valuing Money, Valuing Risk Management, Valuing Systems and Structures, Valuing Partners. ย Summary of Key Functions and Accountabilities Valuing People: Implement people resources strategies to promote technical competence and foster career progression and retention of a โfit for purposeโ/ agile workforce โข Facilitate an environment of management excellence, staff well-being and accessibility and inclusion through implementation of strategies, policies, procedures. โข Implement solutions related to people management and office culture. โข Support training strategy โข Keep abreast of industry standards in management and finance and share best practices and knowledge learned within the office. โข Support Excellence in Operations in UNICEF derived from the five strategic pillars. Valuing Money: Champion strategic resources to achieve organizational goals and ensure Value for Money (VfM) โข Ensure effective identification and use of resources in various concrete Value for Money (VfM) areas, including eco-efficiency and inclusivity, common premises, costing, results-based budgeting financial monitoring etc. โข Support the financial oversight management, monitoring and reporting of all the country programme budget - and where applicable private sector fundraising budgets; make analysis as needed. โข Implement Supply plan for the office and stay abreast of the regional strategies. Valuing Risk Management: Enhance Risk Management to increase organizational performance and strengthen internal control โข Support the office with up-to-date information to make operational and programmatic risk informed decisions with the enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance (eGRC) platform. โข Contribute and participate in testing of business continuity plans to ensure UNICEF organizational resilience to disaster, risks and staff safety and security as well as Emergency Preparedness and Response to humanitarian situations. โข Support implementation of appropriate implementation of policies and procedures and provide feedback on policy and internal controls as appropriate. Support implementation of mandatory anti-fraud systems, processes and actions. โข Support mitigation of risks of engagement with external partners via appropriate, risk-informed due diligence. Valuing Systems and Structures: Ensure further operational centralization and optimization for maximized efficiency gains โข Participate in the review of Operations processes and recommend measures to minimize cost, reduce duplication of work and maximize efficiencies while creating an environment of smarter controls to render the organization ready to respond to programme needs. โข Contribute to improving IT-enabled business processes to increase productivity and collaboration, better knowledge management, and ensure effective use of UNICEF assets. โข Contribute to CPMP Valuing Partners: Strengthening internal and external-facing partnerships and leveraging UNICEFโs oversight and understanding of financial management across all areas of the office. โข Provide technical support on HACT implementation, including follow-up actions required on result of financial assurance activities. โข Support UNICEF Office resource mobilization partners through written financial reporting, resolve discrepancies and ensure donor accountability and transparency. โข Contribute to UNICEF Office resource mobilization through written financial reporting, and analysis of discrepancies. โข Contribute to developing private sector partnerships especially in middle income countries. โข Engage as stakeholders in the UN Reform, facilitating Business Operating Services (BOS) and proactively paving the way for a potential โone back officeโ in country offices.To qualify as an advocate for every child you will haveโฆ
Minimum requirements:
Education: ย A University Degree (Bachelorโs) in one of the following areas is required: โข Business management โข Financial management โข Accounting โข Public Finance โข Related operations function (Supply Chain, Human Resources, Information Technology, International Business, Project management, etc.) ย Work Experience: A minimum of 1 year of professional experience, at the national and/or international level, is required, specifically 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. Skills :ย Understanding of Results Based Management. Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications. Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Arabic is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (French, Spanish, Arabic, or Russian) is an asset.Desirables:
A professional license from internationally recognized institutions. Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.ย Experience in a UN system agency, large private or public company, or experience working in a developing country and/or humanitarian/ emergency context. Experience in working with corporate ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning) and IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards). ย Experience in supporting successful client-oriented work units.If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about childrenโs rights and making a lasting difference on childrenโs lives, one of the global leading entities on childrenโs rights would like to hear from you.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
UNICEF is also proud of a diverse workforce who are profoundly committed to supporting the full realization of childrenโs rights, and in uplifting a rights-based approach in all that we do.
The UNICEF competencies required for this post areโฆ
(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 othersย
Click here to learn more about UNICEFโs values and competencies.
UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children.ย The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.
We offer aย wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks andย 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.ย
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.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be 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 canceled.
Remarks:
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
UNICEFโs active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable females are encouraged to apply.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally requiredย to resign from their government positions 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.ย
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicantsโ bank account information.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.