Chief, resource management section, P5

Vacancy ISDR/T/04/2011

United Nations Core Values: - Integrity - Professionalism - Respect for diversity

This position is located in the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction. It reports to the Director of the secretariat. The Chief of Section will lead and manage the UNISDR secretariat’s Resource Management Section.

Responsibilities:

1. Coordinate work planning, programming, monitoring, planning systems, evaluation and reporting requirements of UNISDR by:
• Supervising the work-programming process and internal monitoring systems and budget of UNISDR, including income tracking, budget analysis and progress reporting;
• Overseeing activities related to project preparation, submission of proposals for resource mobilization and ensuring effective follow-up and reporting to donors as required;
• Convening the internal project review committee to assess the coherence and quality of project submissions, adherence to the work-plan priorities and institutional policies;
• Providing policy advice and technical support to senior management on evaluation issues;
• Establishing mechanisms to monitor organizational evaluation requirements and planning for periodic external evaluations.
• Providing support for the drafting of the UNISDR Annual Report.

2. Supervise administration and support services by:
• Overseeing administrative services unit as first supervisor to the Admin Officer (coordinator) and Finance Officer;
• Supporting and overseeing the development of a reporting system based on the finance system that will ensure regular donor reporting and real time budget information for programme managers;

3. Oversee resource mobilisation efforts by:
• Coordinating the UNISDR fundraising plan in line with the UNISDR strategic objectives, maintaining high level contacts with donors, leading the donor and external relations team;
• Establishing regular communication with traditional and emerging donors towards increasing multi-annual and un-earmarked funding;
• Providing policy advice and technical support to senior management on resource mobilization issues for the UNISDR secretariat.

4. Coordinate unit planning, budgeting, supervise staff and team-building by:
• Coordinating programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Unit, 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;
• Managing, guiding, developing and training staff under his/her supervision, and fostering teamwork and communication among staff in the Unit and across organizational boundaries.

5. Undertake other related duties by
• Representing the Organization at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive-related issues, and participates in international, regional or national meetings to provide programmatic expertise on an disaster risk reduction resource management issues;
• Providing support for other related tasks if and when required.

Competencies:

• Professionalism: 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 operation. Demonstrated ability to negotiate and apply good judgment 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.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
• Planning& 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.
• Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.
• Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Managerial Competencies

• 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 againstfacts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Qualifications:

Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, finance, international relations, environment or economics, law or a related area. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience: A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in program management and development, resource mobilization, donor relations or related fields.
Language: Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required.
Other: Experience in disaster risk reduction related work is an added advantage.