Operations Associate, GS6, Fixed Term Position, Regional Services Div (ESAR), Nairobi, Kenya 00128907

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Opportunity

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

How can you make a difference?

The Programme Risk Management (PMR) team situated in the Regional Operations section in ESARO provides guidance and oversight to ESAR Country Offices (COs) in the implementation of the Office of Strategy and Evidence’s (OSE) Programme Implementation Procedure and associated Handbook which currently covers work planning, HACT assurance planning and execution, CSO collaboration and Social and Environmental Standards (SES) including PSEA.

This post will provide admin support to the PMR team as well as to the office in a more general sense. It will also carry out data collection and analysis to enable the team to advance its agenda to ensure quality and efficiency in the development, management and monitoring of government and civil society partnerships at CO level, as well as risk management associated with this. This includes the use of the associated e-Platforms (eTools, UNPP, InSight, Vision, RAM) and analytics that can be extracted from these systems.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

• Participate in supporting HACT assurance planning and execution relevant to ESAR COs through data extraction, analysis and reporting of related information/data to facilitate planning, priority setting and improvement of HACT-related activities.
• Supporting the PMR team in compiling and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data and information from Unicef’s systems to facilitate effective programme and risk management as well as preparation of reports and presentations. This includes contributing to Peer Review exercises.
• Review assessments and programme assurance reports as assigned to identify areas of high-priority weaknesses related to the implementation of HACT to enable the supervisor and team to follow up on these findings for timely action and/or intervention with country offices.
• Support in planning of meetings, webinars, and provide inputs to power point presentations.
• Collaborates on capacity development activities related to programme management and HACT execution in preparing training materials and participating in exercises for implementing partnership systems including UNPP, eTools, eZHACT.
• Preparing monitoring and reporting information on agreed key performance indicators to drive more efficient management and accountability for results, including supporting oversight and analysis for ESAR COs. Illustrative examples include but are not limited to:
• Review of Risk Ratings of Partners
• Analysis of use of UNPP in CSO IP selection including selection modalities (open vs direct)
• Funding trend shifts for localization
• Impairment monitoring
• DCT monitoring including on expired grants
• Benchmark monitoring (dates from submitted to signed)
• Following up on Financial Findings and incomplete engagements in the Financial Assurance Module of eTools.

• Manage the PMR ECM site.
• Manage the team calendar.
• Manage ESARO’s Peer Review Roster.
• Serve as supply focal point for the overall Operations Section.
• Manage ESARO’s Events Calendar in collaboration with PMDR and the ORD.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: JD - Operations Associate_GS6.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Completion of secondary education is required, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses related to the organization's work. A bachelor’s degree from a recognized academic institution in a field relevant to the position may replace three years of related work experience, or an additional two years with a Master’s degree.
• Work Experience: At least six years of administrative or clerical work experience is required.
• Skills:
• Project Management:
• Create project plans, objectives and deliverables
• Track and organize resources like time, budget, and team efforts
• Identify and report potential risks for further guidance
• Collaboration:
• Navigate organizational dynamics and adapt behavior to respond to different situations
• Choose appropriate words, tone and tailors' messages respectfully and persuasively to suit different audiences
• Write clear, concise and well-structured reports and documents using appropriate languageP
• Pay close attention to what others are saying, asking questions for clarification
• Present ideas and information clearly in front of groups
• Problem Solving:
• Analyze data, identify trends, patterns and anomalies
• Evaluate information, analyze problems, identify underlying causes and risks
• Summarize and communicate findings, focusing on actionable insights to support decision-making
• Make decisions in time-sensitive situations, even with incomplete information
• Assess the potential impact of solutions (costs, benefits and risks)
• Digital Dexterity:
• Utilize AI-powered tools and platforms to automate data analysis
• Apply prompts to improve the quality of reports and data, ensuring alignment with internal regulations and policies
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
• Prior experience in programme support functions is an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(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 others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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. 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.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required 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.

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 applicants' bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

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.