Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors. Afghanistan is one of the world’s most complex emergencies, and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Afghan people are grappling with the impact of conflict, poverty, economic decline, and natural disasters. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities and require urgent support as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. It is essential that Afghan women and girls can continue to shape the future of their country, and that their gains are protected. UN Women remains fully committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and to placing them at the center of the global response to the crisis in Afghanistan.

Reporting to the Deputy Country Representative - Operations, the Operations Analyst provides support services to the operations team on all aspects of the Afghanistan country office operations, this includes efficient procurement and logistical services and other common services consistent with UN Women rules and regulations. The aim of this position is to ensure: (i) compliance with UN Women policies and regulations; (ii) effective systems to support programme delivery and growth; (iii) accountability to organizational values and principles; and (iv) an enabling workplace environment in which staff potential is maximized.

The Operations Analyst will provide support to Operations Team and foster collaboration within the team, with programme staff and with other UN Agencies through client-approached manner. The Operations Analyst works in close collaboration with programme teams in the Office, providing close guidance to programme staff who perform adjunct operations functions, ensuring that such staff are knowledgeable of rules and procedures governing programme finances, donor reporting, and personnel. She/he also works in collaboration with operations staff in other UN Agencies.

Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Coordinate the operations in Afghanistan country office in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and strategies
  •  Provide professional expertise and technical support on operational issues to the Deputy Country Representative (DCR) – Operations in collaboration with unit heads such as Procurement and Administration Specialist, Finance Specialist and HR Specialist to ensure compliance with UN Women rules and regulations including local guidelines, practices, and policies within Afghanistan’s context.
  • Draft and consolidate workplans from different units under Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency (OEE)  in alignment with the Strategic Note of UN Women Afghanistan,
  • Oversee the implementation of the Annual Work Plans, monitoring and reporting progress on quarterly basis;
  • Participate in review meetings, providing support and input to operational decisions as required.
  • Represent the Operations team in risk assessments and capacity building activities with programme partners, in collaboration with Programme/Project team, to ensure that UN Women rules and regulations are communicated and implemented.
  • Guide and implement business process mapping and the establishment of internal standard operating procedures in all areas of the Operations Team’s functions; 
  • Provide support to unit heads in Operations as needed, contributing to the smooth functioning of the office.

       2. Coordinate audits and risk management in accordance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies and strategies

  • Serve as the focal point for coordination of both office internal audits and project partner audits, ensuring audit findings are responded to by relevant parties in timely manner, corrective actions are implemented, monitored, and reported.
  • Participate in partner risk management exercises in support of office project risk management.
  • Ensure accurate tracking, consolidation and recording of all reported cases of fraud and corruption on a confidential platform

      3. Contribute to procurement processes

  • Provide professional recommendations to the preparation of submissions related to Local Procurement Review Committee (L-PRC), ensuring compliance with procurement policies
  • Review the submissions to the L-PRC to ensure completion of documents and quality of submissions.
  • Manage Supplier Maintenance for UN Women Afghanistan Country Office and ensure suppliers’ profile are up-to-date
  • Guide potential suppliers on the registration process in the ERP system.

      4. Participate in inter-agency activities.

  • Participate in inter-agency meetings and working groups, in absence of unit heads, to ensure UN Women’s interests are reflected in activities such as common services, premises, cost recovery and cost sharing arrangements, privileges and immunities, entitlements and salary surveys, security etc;
  • Liaise with UNDP and other UN agencies on operational issues, activities, and collaboration.
  • Participate as a member of key inter-agency activities, including the UN Afghanistan Contract Information Management System  (CIMS), Business Operations Strategy (BOS) and common systems developed specifically for Afghanistan.

     5. Contribute to knowledge sharing between the CO and Sub-Offices

  • Ensure knowledge is shared and adequately applied between CO and Sub-Offices
  • Coordinate and organize training sessions on new policies, guidelines, compliance requirements as  provided by HQ, ensuring timely dissemination of information.
  • Manage and ensure regular updates of the e-filing system, logs, and communications within the Operations Unit for future audit reference.

    6. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: There is no supervisory role under this position

Competencies

Core Values:

  • Respect for Diversity
  • Integrity
  • ProfessionalismEducation and Certification:

Core Competencies:

  • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
  • Accountability
  • Creative Problem Solving
  • Effective Communication
  • Inclusive Collaboration
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Leading by Example

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf?

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

  • Good knowledge of operation, finance, procurement, human resources, ICT, and security systems and processes, particularly in the UN system is an asset;
  • Ability to provide advice and support;
  • Ability to contribute to the formulation and monitoring of management projects;
  • Ability to handle confidential information;
  • Negotiating skills;
  • Good IT skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, HR or a related field 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.
  • A project management certification would be an added advantage.

Experience:

  • At least 2 years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level, in office management or operations; Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems is required.
  • Experience in coordinating audits is desirable.
  • Experience in procurement is desirable.
  • Experience within the UN system is desirable.
  • Experience in the use of a modern web-based ERP System, preferably Oracle Cloud, is desirable.

Languages:

  • Fluency in English, Dari or Pashtu is required.
  • Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Application:

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Inclusion Statement:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits employ, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity, and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)