For Every Child, hope :
UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children’s rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world. To learn more about UNICEF, visit www.unicef.org.
With strong Government commitment to child rights and support from a wide range of partners, Mali has made some progress inmoving forward some child rights indicators in the past decade. For example, infant mortality declined slightly from 56 to 54 per 1,000 live births and stunting among children under five decreased from 38 to 27 per cent between 2012 and 2018. Yet, despite 5 per cent annual economic growth since 2013, Mali remains one of the poorest countries in the world: 44 per cent of the population (55 per cent in rural areas) lives below the national poverty line. The country faces a protracted humanitarian crisis and population displacement, with constrained humanitarian access hampering progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
The organization of UNICEF in Mali around one country office and five BZs represents the relevant operational structure to meet program implementation needs and achieve key results for children. This has resulted in greater involvement of the BZs in the planning and implementation of the Country Program. Within this framework it is expected that human resource management will be efficient and transparent; that staff skills will be continuously improved; and that duty of care and core values will be well established.
How can you make a difference?
Under the guidance and supervision of the Chief Field Office in Kayes, 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 :
- 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.
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. The Operations function is a strategic Business Partner role, assuring the best use of UNICEF assets in alignment with sound management practices, office priorities and goals to deliver results for children.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES and DUTIES & TASKS :
Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primary, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of major duties and key end-results :
- Valuing People: Implement people resources strategies to promote technical competence and foster career progression and retention of a “fit for purpose”/ agile workforce :
- Facilitate an environment of management excellence, staff well-being and accessibility and inclusion through implementation of strategies, policies, procedures ;
- Implement solutions related to people management and office culture.
- Support training strategy
- Valuing Money: Champion strategic resources to achieve organizational goals and ensure Value for Money (VfM) :
- 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. ;
- 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 ;
- 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 :
- 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 ;
- 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 ;
- Support implementation of appropriate implementation of policies and procedures and provide feedback on policy and internal controls as appropriate.
- Valuing Systems and Structures: Ensure further operational centralization and optimization for maximized efficiency gains :
- 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 ;
- Contribute to improving IT-enabled business processes to increase productivity and collaboration, better knowledge management, and ensure effective use of UNICEF assets.
- Contribute to CPMP.
- Valuing Partners: Strengthening internal and external-facing partnerships and leveraging UNICEF’s oversight and understanding of financial management across all areas of the office :
- Provide technical support on HACT implementation, including follow-up actions required on result of financial assurance activitie ;
- Support UNICEF Office resource mobilization partners through written financial reporting, resolve discrepancies and ensure donor accountability and transparency.
To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…
- A university degree (Bachelor’s) in one of the following fields is required: Business management, Financial management, Accounting, Public Finance, Related operations function (Supply Chain, Human Resources, Information Technology, International Business, Project management, etc.) ;
- 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 ;
- 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 ;
- Fluency in French and English is required ;
- Knowledge of the local language of the duty station is highly desirable
UNICEF Competencies :
- Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1) ;
- Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2) ;
- Works Collaboratively with others (2) ;
- Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2) ;
- Innovates and Embraces Change (2) ;
- Thinks and Acts Strategically (2) ;
- Drives to achieve impactful results (2) ;
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (2).
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s Core Values attributes : Care; Respect; Integrity; Trust; Accountability
UNICEF’s core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The technical competencies required for this post are :
- Deciding and Initiating Action (1) ;
- Following Instructions and Procedures (1) ;
- Entrepreneurial Thinking (1) ;
- Analyzing (2).
View our competency framework at UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
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.
Remarks : Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.