Closing date:

Head of regional liaison office for North East Asia and the global education training institute, P5

City/location:
Incheon
Organization:
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

This job posting has closed

13-ADM-UNISDR-27857-R-INCHEON CITY (X)

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Organization setting and reporting

Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in socio-economic and humanitarian fields. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR has over 100 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and 5 regional offices and other field presences. Specifically, UNISDR coordinates international efforts in disaster risk reduction, and guides, monitors and reports on the progress of the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action; campaigns to create global awareness of disaster risk reduction benefits and empower people to reduce their vulnerability to hazards; advocates for greater investments in disaster risk reduction to protect people's lives and assets, and for increased and informed participation of men and women in reducing disaster risk; and informs and connects people by providing practical services and tools such as PreventionWeb, publications on good practices, and by leading the preparation of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction and the organisation of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.This post is located in the Regional Liaison Office for North East Asia and the Global Education Training Institute in Incheon, Republic of Korea. The incumbent reports to the Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction Coordination and Regional Programs.

Responsibilities

  • Takes the lead to develop, implement and evaluate the UNISDR biennium work plan for North East Asia, ensuring programmatic cohesion with work plans of the UNISDR Regional Offices for Asia and the Pacific, and UNISDR Regional Liaison Office for Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC); directs subordinates in programme/project development, implementation, monitoring and assessment; directs review of relevant documents and reports; identifies priorities, problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; identifies and initiates follow-up actions.
  • Takes leadership to develop, implement and evaluate a capacity building and training programme that will focus primarily on urban and climate change risks to promote the understanding of
  • the links between disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation agendas and processes.
  • Leads activities related to work plan budget and funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and ensures preparation of related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.); prepares inputs for the work programme, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
  • Manages, supervises and delivers the work programme and ensures that the outputs produced by the Office/Training Institute maintains high-quality standards; that documents, reports, learning programmes, resources and materials are clear, objective, state-of-the- art and comply with the mandates of the Office/Training Institute.
  • Represents the UNISDR at international, regional, national and inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. and provides programmatic and substantive expertise on issues related to disaster risk reduction; serves as an effective spokesperson for the office, ensuring communication of events and activities as well as visibility of UNISDR work both regionally and globally.
  • Builds partnerships and creates a conducive environment for broad and focused cooperation in areas of the office responsibility; promotes inter-regional networks and partnerships to enhance effectiveness and coherence in activities related to disaster risk reduction and capacity development, leads initiatives aimed at building community of practices across countries and regions and promotes best practices.
  • Ensures effective delivery of partnership agreements and programmes subscribed by the ISDR secretariat for the region and monitors consistency of agreements and donor funded projects as part of the overall ISDR work programme and priorities.
  • Directs substantive support to consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc. Ensures effective implementation and follow-up of national and regional platforms.
  • Contributes to the reporting to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
  • Carries out other programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Office/Training Institute, e.g. 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 and evaluation of candidates for job openings.
  • Manages guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision; recruits staff or consultants/external service providers as appropriate.
  • Participates in the senior management team of the UNISDR Secretariat and contributes to conceptual development and design of UNISDR strategies, policies and initiatives.

Competencies

Core 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

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

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:

Leadership

  • Serves as a role model that other people want to follow
  • Empowers others to translate vision into results
  • Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives
  • Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support
  • Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions
  • Drives for change and improvement; does not accept the status quo
  • Shows the courage to take unpopular stands

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 against facts
  • Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision
  • Makes tough decisions when necessary

Education

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in development, environment, social sciences, economics or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in training and capacity building, management, disaster risk reduction, development, economics or related field is required. Experience in managing and leading field or regional offices of multilateral development organizations is desirable. Qualifying years of experience are calculated following the receipt of the first level university degree recognised by the United Nations.

Languages

Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required.

Assessment method

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special notice

Extension of the appointment is subject to the availability of the funds. This post is funded from extrabudgetary funds.

Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover note.


United Nations considerations

The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

No fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.

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