The Senior Operations Manager, at the P5 level, is reporting to the Deputy Regional Director, D1 in the Regional Office.

How can you make a difference?

• The Senior Operations Manager supports the Deputy Regional Director in the management of resources and organizational assets ensuring effective planning and control as well as efficiency and economy of implementation and utilization of such resources and assets as well as the adequate management of risks.
• As a Strategic Business Partner and regional advisor, the incumbent will be responsible to lead for results, drive change, provide risk informed, solution-focused analysis, advice and services and contribute to programme and management decisions for delivering results for children in all operational contexts within the Regional office and provide technical leadership and guidance for Operations in all countries and field offices within the region.
• The incumbent is responsible for supporting initiatives of change and avoidance of duplications in all areas of collaboration between Programmes and Operations including liaison with key stakeholders in the Country and Regional Offices in order to contribute to the improvement and effectiveness of implementation of UNICEF mandate.

Key Functions, Duties And Accountabilities

• Valuing People: Lead, manage and develop people resources to promote technical competence and foster career progression and retention of a “fit for purpose”/ agile workforce for the Operations function.
• Valuing Money: Champion strategic resources to achieve organizational goals and ensure Value for Money (VfM).
• Valuing Risk Management: Enhance Risk Management to increase organizational performance and strengthen internal control.
• Valuing Systems and Structures: Ensure further operational centralization and optimization for maximized efficiency gains
• Valuing Partners: Strengthening internal and external-facing partnerships and leveraging UNICEF’s oversight and understanding of programmatic financial management.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in one of the following areas is required: Business Administration; Financial management; Accounting; Public Finance; and Operations related function.
• A minimum of ten years of relevant professional experience at the national and international level, is required, specifically in advocating and implementing strategic organizational initiatives 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.

Additional experience in one or more of the following areas, would be desired:

• Audit and investigations
• Safety and security
• Grant Management
• Enterprise Risk Management
• 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.
• Experience in working with corporate ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning) and IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards) is highly desirable.
• Experience in Results Based Management is a requirement.
• Experience in managing successful client-oriented work units is an asset.
• Experience in co-creating policy is desirable.
• Prior experience working with diverse and executive level stakeholder groups or multi-stakeholder partnerships is highly desirable.
• Previous hands on experience in strategic and managerial leadership, preferably in a multi-office context, is required.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications is required.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese an asset.