Chief of Section, Programme Management, Administration

Chief of Section, Programme Management, Administration Org. Setting and Reporting The Department of Operational Support (DOS) was established with a mandate to provide global oversight and stewardship of the Secretariat's operational support arrangements and ensure the delivery of globally harmonized efficient and responsive support services in support of mandate implementation. The core role of the Resource Planning and Analysis Section (RPAS) is to facilitate the Secretariat's pursuit of efficiency and improved service delivery through strengthening its operational support architecture. This includes providing cross-cutting support, change management and advice as well as supporting the Secretariat's strategic coordination of the development system efficiency agenda. A critical role of this position will be leading the Divisions support to the UN80 initiative. The position is located in the Resource Planning and Analysis Section of the Division for Special Activities (DSA), in the Department of Operational Support The incumbent reports to the Principal Officer of the Division. Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Chief of Section, Programme Management will be responsible for the following duties: • Plans and oversees programme/project development and implementation with a particular focus on efficiency and improved service delivery through the framework of the UN80 initiative; review relevant documents and reports; identify problems and issues to be addressed and initiate corrective actions; liaise with relevant parties; and ensure effective follow-up actions. • Lead efforts to actively improve service delivery by exploring new ideas and ways of doing things, offering new and different options to solve problems or meet the needs of clients, and working to persuade others to consider new ideas. • Lead collaborative projects and support relationships with key partners with a focus on supporting the UN80 initiative including Secretariat entities, major service providers, United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes and external partners, by establishing or negotiating agreements, planning and facilitating workshops and retreats, and assisting in developing strategies and managing major transitions of service delivery for clients. • Lead a data driven approach to decision making and programme/project management through the collection, analysis, modelling, interpretation, and communication of significant amounts of data with a particular focus on operational support reviews and analysis, leveraging data analytics and visualization tools e.g., Power BI (or similar) and PowerPoint (or similar) in support of the UN80 initiative. • Represents the Section/Division/Department/Secretariat at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc., on substantive-related issues related to improving service delivery and the development of the global operational support architecture. • Provides substantive input in the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate. • Contributes to the reporting to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate. • Ensures that the outputs produced maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates. • Prepares inputs for the work programme of the Division, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery. • Carries out programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Section, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates. • Recruits staff for the Section taking due account geographical and gender balance and other institutional values. • Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision. • Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Section and across organizational boundaries. Competencies PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge and understanding of administrative and business operations with a focus on project management and change management principles and practices to improve service delivery. Ability to lead support to institutional reform in an international organization setting such as the UN80 initiative. Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities and risks. Ability to generate and communicate broad and compelling organizational direction. Ability to communicate clearly links between the Organization's strategy and the work unit's goals. Demonstrated ability to provide innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the planning, development, and management of programmes and projects. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly. JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary. Education An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in business, administration, finance, human resources, programme management, supply chain, law, information and communication technology (ICT) or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job - Specific Qualification Not available. Work Experience A minimum of ten years of experience at the international level in administration, budget and finance, human resources management, programme management, coordination, supply chain, procurement, ICT or related field is required. Experience in leading project/programme management initiatives in support of institutional reform and organizational transformation in an international organization setting, including developing strategic approaches, and managing complex transition processes for clients, is required. Experience in leading operational support reviews and analysis, including leveraging data analytics, business intelligence and visualization tools to inform decisions, strategies and execution of operational support solutions is required. Experience in collaborating with diverse partners to design, coordinate, and implement change management and capacity development programmes that improve operational service delivery in an international organization is desirable. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details). Required Languages LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level II Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview. Special Notice This position is temporarily available for six months with the possibility of an extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. The job opening is advertised to fill a temporarily vacant position during the absence of the regular incumbent. The regular incumbent is entitled to return to this position at the expiry of the temporary vacancy period. If the regular incumbent exercises the right to return, the appointment or temporary assignment of the candidate selected for this job opening will not be renewed or extended. Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. This temporary job opening may be limited to "internal candidates," who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. Individual contractors and consultants (Non-Staff Personnel) who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered.