UNV Jobs - 50980- Portfolio Manager

Portfolio Manager

Advertised on behalf of

UNV

Location :

Bonn, GERMANY

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-Dec-2014

Application Deadline :

09-Nov-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year initially

Languages Required :

English French

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The UNV Peace and Development Programming Sections oversee and implement UNV’s programmes. They advocate for the integration of volunteerism in peace and development at global, regional and national levels, targeting specific focus areas in which the role of volunteerism adds significant value.

They mobilize volunteers to support the peace and development agenda of UNV partners, including national volunteerism interventions as well as proactive mobilization of UNV and other volunteers. They ensure quality volunteer management of UN Volunteers.

They work to promote advocacy for volunteerism, and will support the documentation of the contribution of volunteerism to peace and development and will target national development fora, governments and parliaments with a view to influencing national policies, legislation, statutory frameworks and budget in order to promote volunteerism for peace and development.

Both Sections focus on both “Development” and “Peace” issues and areas. However, the Development Programming Section oversees the “predominantly development” countries, and the Peace Programming Section oversees the “predominantly peace” countries.

The Development and Peace Programming Section supports UNV Programme activities in priority and strategic countries, in the following focus areas:

Basic Social Service;
Community Resilience for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction;
Youth;
Peace Building;
National Capacity Development through Volunteer Schemes.

The Portfolio Team within the Peace and Development Programming Sections is responsible for the implementation of UNV’s programmes, including volunteer management, at global, regional and local levels.

Reporting to the Chief, Development Programming Section, the Portfolio Manager (PM) is responsible for effective strategic planning and programming in the portfolio of countries based on the UNV’s Strategic Framework, building and maintaining relationships with main partners, effective coordination between HQ and Field Units, monitoring of the programme implementation and providing substantive inputs to corporate initiatives related to programming and volunteer management. The Portfolio Manager supervises the overall Portfolio Team, consisting of Portfolio Associate(s) and Field Units.

In addition, the PM acts as a focal point for one of the thematic focus area for UNV providing substantive programme and policy advice on all matters related to that focus area. He/She is expected to have and/or develop the knowledge, competencies, skills and networks necessary to support UNV HQ and Field Units on all substantive issues and queries related to that focus area.

Duties and Responsibilities

Perform strategic planning and programming based on the UNV Strategic Framework:

Keep abreast of development challenges and priorities in countries under portfolio to identify relevant entry points for UNV programming and mobilization of volunteers;
Keep abreast of and provide substantive guidance or strategic direction on volunteerism in specific focused areas and appropriate programming approaches;
Initiate, formulate and manage projects and programmes contributing to the Strategic Framework in priority countries;
Forecast demand for UN Volunteer assignment in countries and programme within the portfolio;
Provide guidance and support to resource mobilization at the local level in close collaboration with and under guidance of the relevant HQ units;
Maintain substantive documentation regarding country portfolio, including country profiles and statistics sheets.

Build and strengthen relationships with main partners within the UN system and external partners on the operational and programmatic issues:

Build and strengthen relationships with the UN partners on programmatic matters relating to his/her portfolio and focus areas;
Build and strengthen relationships with VSOs, CSOs, NGOs, universities, community organizations and other partners at the regional and national level in support of programme operation in close cooperation with PCD;
Promote the work of UNV Programme and volunteer participation in public events, International Volunteer Day (IVD) and corporate events;
Plan, negotiate and monitor Exchange of Letters (EOL) and budget in line with agreements with partners;
Provide advisory support on UNV programme and mandate to different stakeholders;
Identify potential sources of funding to support the programme approaches at the local and regional levels in close collaboration with PCD.

Ensure effective coordination between HQ and Field Units for quality programming and volunteer management:

Provide guidance to Field Units on all aspects of volunteer management;
Coordinate the recruitment process of selected candidates up to date of arrival in the country of assignment;
Implement different volunteer modalities as per prevailing provision under each scheme and modalities;
Implements volunteer management tools;
Ensure timely and accurate processing of UNV contracts and entitlements;
Reviews and approves TORs in line with corporate policies and parameters guiding the recruitment of volunteers;
Provides guidance to Field Units on programme design and integration, results based management;
Based on programmatic and operational requirements and priorities, organize capacity building events (e.g. regional, local meetings, conference and workshops, etc.);
Ensure strategic use of all UN Volunteers modalities;
Ensure responses to critical incidents are processed in a timely and proper manner; support effective crisis management practice in the field; document lessons learned.

Monitor the implementation of programming and volunteer management at the field level:

Monitor compliance with periodic volunteer reporting (VRS) with view to extracting data for analysis and use in making improvements of portfolio operations and use in corporate documents, advocacy and learning;
Monitor the implementation of joint and non UNV implemented projects, extracts and analyses financial reports and conduct regular reporting on expenditure and budget balance as required;
Assess project progress and ensure quality of project reporting;
Perform project management in Atlas for UNV implemented projects, extracts and analyses financial reports and conduct regular reporting on expenditure and budget balance as required.

Provide substantive focus area inputs and support to cross-unit and corporate initiatives related to programming and volunteer management activities:

Support development and implementation of UNV’s corporate policy and programme in assigned focus area;
Act as focal point on assigned focus area and provide inputs to project development in the assigned focus area;
Coordinate and consolidate inputs from projects and programmes in the assigned focus area for corporate and other UN global reports;
Represent UNV in global meetings and with main agencies working on assigned focus areas; Build network and partnerships for substantive and operational cooperation on volunteerism in assigned focus area;
Provide support to the manage the implementation of corporate (global) projects in assigned focus area;
Support knowledge management and UNV staff capacity building in assigned focus area.

Ensure effective management of the portfolio including Field Units:

Establish annual workplan for the Portfolio Team to support group level and corporate planning targets;
Manage portfolio staff including supervision and guidance of Portfolio Associates, as well as the Field Units, in a matrix arrangement with UNDP Country Offices and UN missions, including participating in Programme Managers, Programme Officers and Programme Assistants performance assessments and capacity development activities.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda

Contributes to the elaboration of advocacy strategies by identifying and prioritizing audiences and communication means;
Performs analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management

Identifies country needs and strategies using a fact-based approach;
Sets performance standards, monitors progress and intervenes at an early stage to ensure results are in accordance with agreed-upon quality and timeframes and reports on it;
Ensures the programme implementation and Financial Resources to obtain results.

Building Strategic Partnerships

Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build alliances;
Takes responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches

Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals;
Generates for regional and innovative ideas and effective solutions to problems;
Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations;

Resource Mobilization (HQ)

Develops detailed knowledge and understanding of key donors, their priorities and areas of interest and adapts content and approach of resource mobilization activities to their requirements;
Uses knowledge of donors and successful programmes and projects to contribute to fund raising and resource mobilization strategies.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;
Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines (programme management);
Continues to seeks new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit;
Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

Client Orientation

Anticipates client needs;
Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective.

Core Competencies:

Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents;
Building support and political acumen;
Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
Building and promoting effective teams;
Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
Creating an emotionally intelligent organization;
Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards;
Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning;
Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master degree in social sciences, political science, public or business administration, economics or related fields.

Experience:

5 years of relevant professional experience and proven track record in managing and implementing development programmes at HQ and/or field offices;
2-3 years of experience should be in an international organization, preferably UNDP/UNV;
Experience in managing volunteer programmes and/or in a development context involving volunteers is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and French.

Note:

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

The successful candidate will hold a UNDP letter of appointment.