Head of Sub-Office, North East at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Job ID: 9792
Location: Maiduguri, Nigeria
Practice Area - Job Family
Languages: Required: English
Grade: P5
Vacancy Type: FTA International
Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension

Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of Key Functions:

• Strategic programme planning, coordination and implementation
• Management of the Sub-Office
• Representation and Coordination
• Management of communication flow
• Partnership building and donor liaison

Ensures strategic programme planning, coordination and implementation in North-East Nigeria, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Analyses the emergency, socio-economic and political situation and trends in North-Eastern Nigeria and identifies opportunities and entry points for UNDP.
• Manages the consolidation of UNDP’s regional programme development and implementation in the framework of comprehensive area-based programming and guided by the needs of effective implementation of the nexus between humanitarian, development and peace-building interventions.
• Ensures overall efficient coordination of programmes/projects including planning processes and timely delivery of results with the Country Office
• Ensures identification and promotion of joint programming and planning opportunities
• Supports capacity building of national counterparts.
• Oversees project implementation through close monitoring of results. Ensures effective application of RBM tools, management of scorecard targets and other benchmarks.
• Coordinates and follows through on decentralized local evaluations.
• Promotes identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned for organizational sharing and learning.

Responsible for effective office management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensures smooth running of the Sub-Office, builds an effective SO team, and promotes team work and an environment that is conducive to delivering results. 
• Ensures full responsibility for the appropriate use and management of resources attributed to the Sub-Office by tracking use of financial resources, ensuring the integrity of financial systems and consistent application of the Internal Control Framework and/or rules and regulations.
• Has Atlas manager rights as delegated. Responsible for the management of the Sub-Office staff, monitors their performance, completing performance assessments where necessary.
• Ensures timely and regular reporting.
• Oversees the effective efficient and compliant management of all operational processes including financial transactions, procurement & logistics, and administrative services.
• Under the supervision of the Country Director ensures enforcement of security procedures and MOSS/MORSS requirements in the Sub-Office.
• Mitigates possible risks and impacts associated with the Sub-Office operations (e.g. logistical and security)
• Ensures full compliance with audit requirements and timely follow-up to audit recommendations.

Responsible for representation and coordination in the area focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Represents UNDP vis-à-vis the local authorities of Borno and in relevant cluster coordination meetings and development partners at the local level.
• Ensures proper coordination and inputs to interagency initiatives at the local level.

Promotes communication flow in the Sub-Office focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Ensures internal communication and coordination at SO level and effective and proactive communication between relevant CO units (both programme and operations units) and the SO.
• Monitors the perception of UNDP at the local level and suggests media activities that positions UNDP more strategically and effectively as a neutral broker for local development.
• Enhances local visibility for UNDP in development effectiveness
• Ensures that local development results are effectively communicated in collaboration with Communication Office in the Country Office.

Fosters partnership building and donor liaison focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Contributes to the development of the CO Partnership and Resource Mobilization (PRM) strategy, including planning tools to implement the strategy.
• Identifies new partnerships and strengthens existing ones at the SO level through innovative approaches to partnership development.
• Encourages ways of increasing Sub-Office funding base such as engaging in resource mobilization efforts in consultation with local counterparts and following-up with donors on local opportunities.

Impact of Results:

• The results of the Head of the Sub-Office in Maiduguri impacts on the standing and reputation of UNDP in the North East.
• When requested by the Country Director, the Head of Sub-Office represents UNDP in international and national forums, liaises with external clients and a broad range of constituencies and UNDP counterparts in the Government, local and international media, civil society as well as counterparts from other international organizations.

Competencies
Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda:

• Influencing the public policy agenda
• Dialogues with national counterparts and other stakeholders to strengthen advocacy efforts, incorporating country, regional and global perspectives

Results-Based Programme Development and Management:

• Achieving results through programme design and innovative resourcing strategies
• Ensures the full implementation of country programme and Financial Resources to obtain results

Building Strategic Partnerships:

• Building strategic alliances
• Makes effective use of UNDP’s resources and comparative advantage to strengthen partnerships
• Creates networks and promotes initiatives with partner organizations

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches:

• Fostering innovation in others
• Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking
• Conceptualizes more effective approaches to programme development and implementation and to mobilizing and using resources

Resource Mobilization:

• Developing resource mobilization strategies at country level
• Contributes to the development of resource mobilization strategies at SO level
• Actively develops partnerships with potential donors and government counterparts in all sectors at country level

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

• Participating in the development of policies and innovative approaches and promoting their application throughout the organization
• Promotes UNDP as a learning/knowledge sharing organization

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

• Expert knowledge of own discipline
• Possesses expert knowledge of advanced concepts in primary discipline, a broad knowledge of related disciplines, as well as an in-depth knowledge of relevant organizational policies and procedures
• For managers: applies a broad knowledge of best management practices; defines objectives and work flows, positions reporting relationships in such a way as to obtain optimum effectiveness for the unit/branch
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself personally
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
• Demonstrates expert knowledge of the current programme guidelines and project management tools and manages the use of these regularly in work assignments

Client Orientation:

• Meeting long-term client needs
• Anticipates constraints in the delivery of services and identifies solutions or alternatives
• Proactively identifies, develops and discusses solutions for internal and external clients, and persuades management to undertake new projects or services
• Advises and develops strategic and operational solutions with clients that add value to UNDP programmes and operations

Core Competencies:

• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
• Building support and political acumen
• Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
• Building and promoting effective teams
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
• Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning
• Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Master's Degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Business Administration, or other relevant development areas.

Experience:

• 10 years of relevant experience in development programme management, especially post-conflict and emergency contexts, in a governmental, multilateral organization in a multi-cultural setting
• 3 to 5 years of senior-level management responsibilities of similar size and complexities.
• Programme management experience within UNDP, and knowledge of UNDP programme and operations rules and regulations is a requirement.
• Knowledge of post-crisis and early recovery programming constitutes an important advantage.

Language Requirements:

• Strong written and spoken skills of the UN working language of the duty station. A second UN language desirable.