Type: Fixed Term Appointment - FTA
Grade: NO-B
Duty Station: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Closing Date: 23 August 2023, midnight Sri Lanka time (GMT + 5:30).
Job Description: Link / Attached File
The Position:
Under the guidance of the Representative the Operations Manager (OM) supports planning for UNFPA Country Office (CO) operations, supporting management targets and outsourced services, ensuring timely implementation, monitoring and reporting, addressing risks, promoting efficiency and effectiveness for the accomplishment of desired results.
The Operations Manager, leads the operations team in supporting a smooth functioning of financial and budget management, procurement and vendor management, administration and asset management, ICT, travel and logistics management, and human resources and premises management.
You will report to the Representative and be part of the Country Management Team and the Programme Management Team.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
The Operations Manager ensures a fully accountable, well-managed and results-oriented Country Office (CO). You will contribute your operational expertise to facilitate effective delivery of UNFPA country programme, which aims to realize 2030 Development Agenda in order to make a positive difference in lives of millions of people. Participating in inter-agency coordination, you will foster a collaborative, client-oriented approach towards the UNFPA CO team, UNFPA Implementing Partners and UN community, supporting effective communication and cooperation with Regional Office (RO) and Headquarters (HQ).
You would be responsible for:
- In close collaboration with programme team and senior management, contributing to effective planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting on country programme and projects results and achievements.
- Contributing to strategic and efficient management and oversight of financial resources though; tracking of available resources, ensuring financial policy compliance, establishing reporting structures, control mechanisms and performance indicators.
- Managing day-to-day office operations, ensuring smooth running of the office and provision of high quality and timely service delivery by the operations team in a client-oriented manner.
- Addressing operational bottlenecks in a proactive manner, advising when deviations from regulations may be required, and proposing alternative solutions to meet outcomes.
- Monitoring and facilitating execution of financial, administrative, HR, ICT, logistics and travel services, and overseeing procurement and vendor management, asset and inventory management, premises and common services; maximizing efficiency and effectiveness, streamlining and simplifying internal processes.
- Assessing operational and staffing requirements for implementation of the country programme, supporting optimal staffing of the office and projects through executing timely recruitments, induction and training of personnel.
- Supporting effective national execution of UNFPA activities, monitoring and building capacity of UNFPA Implementing Partners, conducting assurance activities in line with HACT framework.
- Overseeing procurement and vendor management processes in line with corporate procedures, ensuring timely provision of goods and services for the CO; securing required clearances and undertaking negotiations and effectively performing contract management processes.
- Supervising operations team, including out-sourced operations personnel, at the CO
- Participating in inter-agency meetings and contributing to UN reform, as well as ensuring UNFPA interests are reflected in activities related to e.g. common services and premises, financial arrangements security and etc.
- Supporting a continuous flow of up-to-date information between the CO and the Regional Office and HQ.
