Job: Mission Support Officer - UNOPS Rapid Response Roster

Location: Multiple 
Deadline: Tuesday, 22 October 2013 

Description

Vacancy code VA/2013/B0010/4043

Position title Mission Support Officer – UNOPS Rapid Response Roster, Multiple positions

Level ICS-10 Department/office Sustainable Infrastructure

Duty station Multiple

Contract type International ICA

Contract level IICA-2

Duration between 2 weeks and 4 months

Application period 07-Oct-2013 to 23-Oct-2013 Print

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

Background Information - UNOPS

The pool of experts is used as a surge capacity for short term rapid deployments (between 2 weeks and 4 months). UNOPS Rapid Response provides a capacity of specialized humanitarian personnel and trained and prepared engineers to conduct infrastructure assessments in the context of conflict, disaster and preparedness. One of the objectives of UNOPS Rapid Response is to rapidly deploy personnel to the field. To accomplish this, a pool of experts for the above mentioned position has been established. Once approved as a member of a pool, candidates remain members for a three year period, after which they will be re-assessed should they wish to remain part of the pool.

The mission of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peace-building, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need. In line with its mandate UNOPS acts as a central resource for the United Nations system in procurement and contracts management as well as in civil works and physical infrastructure development, including the related capacity development activities. UNOPS has significant experience in post-conflict, post-disaster and geographically difficult environments and in the field of emergency reconstruction of disaster stricken communities. UNOPS has a solid track record of providing effective disaster response operations and continues to be called upon to conduct infrastructure assessments in both conflict and disaster contexts.

Functional Responsibilities

The Mission Support Officer is responsible for supporting the Mission manager with the day-to-day operations of the mission and coordinating mission progress and implementation. He/she identifies operational and financial problems and proposes solutions in resolving them by taking appropriate action, drafting required correspondences to parties concerned and preparing reports. He/she shall provide analytical and management advice and support to the Mission Manager in all aspects of the mission with a focus on implementation, and procurement, HR and budget management. It is understood that the Mission Support Officer can be working in complex and challenging environments with limited resources. He/she shall perform the following specific duties: Implementation:

Support mission manager in direct implementation of mission plans; Manage assigned delivery of work packages, taking responsibility for progress and initiating corrective action where necessary; Coordinate and liaise with the Mission Manager on the progress of mission implementation; Provide management support and advice to the operations of the mission, including HR Management, Finance and Procurement Advise the Mission Manager of any deviations from the plan; General operations troubleshooting and problem solving; Work with mission manager to identify and manage risks;

Stakeholder Management, Coordination and Liaison: Support the coordination and management of communications; Provide support in liaising and building relationships with United Nations (UN) agencies and international non-governmental organizations (I/NGOs) for the purposes of facilitating activities and improving the quality and relevance of information analysis; Participate in meetings with UN agencies, NGO's and other Stakeholders as required;

Procedures, monitoring and reporting: Ensure that all organizational policy is complied with; Provide substantive inputs and assist the Mission Manager in the preparation of mission reports and documents; Maintain records of mission files and other support documents; Support the Mission Manager in maintaining the following: i. Electronic Blue File; ii. Procurement, HR and Finance files as required by those practices as per OD12. Manage the compilation, consolidation and analysis of relevant data of the mission; Assist the Mission Manager in the preparation of mission completion reports and ensure compliance with contractual obligations; Support the Mission Manager in managing budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met; Alert PM on shortfalls and over-expenditures;

General Duties: Support the completion of lessons learned as per reporting format; Any other related duties as may be assigned;

Competencies

Key Competencies

Ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g. civil strife, natural hazards and humanitarian crisis). Ability to work in a team and to build and sustain effective work relationship with subordinates and peers to achieve organizational goals; Ability to interact, establish and maintain effective working relationships with people in a multicultural and multi-ethnic environment, with sensitivity and respect for diversity; High level of professionalism and ability to work independently, under pressure and to adhere to strict deadlines; Excellent analytical, organizational, data management and decision making skills; Self-motivated, ability to take ownership of actions, and provide flexible and effective solutions to challenging situations; Strong skills in planning and problem solving; Ability to multi-task and prioritize work schedules; Experience in the total financial management of a product line/portfolio/program/project; Ability to perform a wide range of specialized administrative and financial tasks; Ability to work with accuracy under pressure and with minimum supervision;

Project Management Skills Budget Management Financial Rules and Regulations Knowledge Management Monitoring and Evaluation Project Management Reporting UNOPS Procurement Administration UNOPS HR Administration

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education Advanced University Degree in Project Management, Business Administration, International Relations, Political/Security/Development Studies, or other relevant discipline. A Bachelor's degree in combination with relevant years of experience may be accepted in lieu of a master's degree. PRINCE2 Certification is an asset

Work Experience A minimum of 5 years of relevant and progressive professional experience specifically in the field of project management and operations management with focus on monitoring, reporting, development and coordination, including at least 2 years (preferably 3 years or more) of experience with disaster management, humanitarian emergency related project management and cluster coordination systems; Experience in liaising with government officials, representatives of international and national organizations, private sector companies and other stakeholders; Experience and demonstrated knowledge of UN rules and procedures in procurement, finance, HR management and administrative rules and regulations required; Experience in an engineering related field an asset; Understanding of the humanitarian emergency operating context Good technical background in any construction related field an asset; Strong computer skills; Understanding of project framework and environment; Experience and knowledge of financial/budget monitoring; Good knowledge of UNOPS procurement, financial, HR management and administrative rules and regulations Knowledge of PeopleSoft (ATLAS) system

Language

Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement.

Knowledge of additional UN languages is an asset;

Contract type, level and duration Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (Retainer) Contract level:I-ICA 2 Contract duration: Depending on the mission, but between 2 weeks and 4 months. The fee will be based on a daily/monthly rate to be negotiated, depending on experience and the length and complexity of the mission. For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: http://www.unops.org/ENGLISH/WHOWENEED/CONTRACT-TYPES/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements-ICAs.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

More Info and Application