UNDP Jobs - 89114- Deputy Director

Deputy Director

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

17-Jan-20 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

D-2

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

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

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. Within the GPN, the Crisis Bureau guides UNDP’s corporate crisis and fragility related strategies and vision for crisis prevention, response and recovery.

Within the GPN, the Crisis Bureau guides UNDP’s corporate crisis and fragility-related strategies and supports UNDP’s interventions across all country settings, with a particular concentration on UNDP’s Strategic Plan Outcome 3 on building resilience to crises and shocks. It hosts technical expertise on the following related areas:

Prevention: contributing to an overall integrated UNDP approach on risk-informed development and prevention, direct prevention-specific capacities, analysis and forecast, dialogue and early action to respond preventively, and reduce the risks of conflicts and mitigate the impact of disasters.
Response: rapid scale up of UNDP capacity on the ground to provide immediate support to central and local governments in restoring basic services, rehabilitating critical infrastructure, restoring livelihoods, along with stabilization efforts.
Recovery: support to central and local governments in building back better, linking crisis response with recovery planning and resilience, strengthening core government functions, peacebuilding and the rule of law.

The Crisis Bureau comprises six specialized teams that leads UNDP’s strategic positioning, thought leadership, policy advice and programming, namely:

Conflict Prevention, Peace Building and Responsive Institutions Team
Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights Team for Sustainable Peace and Development Team
Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility Team
Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery for Building Resilience Team
Crisis and Fragility Policy and Engagement Team
Country Support Management Team

The Deputy Director of the Crisis Bureau has the responsibility and accountability for the day-to-day management and oversight of the Crisis Teams within the GPN, while ensuring high quality performance in UNDP’s work on crisis prevention, response and recovery. In tandem with the Deputy Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS), the incumbent ensures strong cross-organizational cooperation and coherence across all substantive, technical and operational touch-points within the GPN architecture (Joint Directorate, Strategy & Systems Management, Knowledge & Expertise and Engagement & Effectiveness). The incumbent works closely with central and regional bureaux, Regional Hubs and country offices on issues that require planning, sequencing, progression and implementation in order to properly address fragility and crisis which are the biggest obstacles to the achievement of the SDGs.

The Deputy Director reports to the ASG of the Crisis Bureau and is responsible for the following functions:

Strategic Management of the Crisis Bureau
Enabling the Global Policy Network
Overall Management & Resource Mobilization
Partnerships, Representation & Advocacy
Knowledge Management & Knowledge Sharing

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Management of the Crisis Bureau

Lead and manage the work on crisis and fragility within the GPN to ensure optimization of resources and nurturing a culture of results and solutions orientation with the highest performance standards.
Co-lead on the annual work planning and strategic target setting for the Crisis Bureau and ensure strategic guidance and advice on crisis and fragility-related priorities, in close coordination with the BPPS Deputy Director
Ensure timely provision of high quality performance and effective support on crisis and fragility related issues, in close coordination with regional and central bureaux.
Provide reliable intelligence and advice to the ASGs of the GPN on critical issues within the Crisis Bureau portfolio.
Act as Director of the Crisis Bureau, undertaking all decisions and representation responsibilities, in the absence of the Director.
Provide leadership and guidance on resource allocation and management of the crisis/fragility-related windows and sub-windows of UNDP’s Funding Windows, Trac 1.1.3. and related crisis resources mobilized from global entities such as the Peacebuilding Fund, (PBF), Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), etc.
Serve as a full member of the Organizational Performance Group (OPG) chaired by the Associate Administrator and coordinate crisis inputs to OPG and corporate led processes.
Represent the Crisis Bureau in Deputy-level coordination mechanisms on change management and other policy consultation mechanisms.

Enabling the Global Policy Network

In tandem with the BPPS Deputy Director, ensure joined-up work, integrated approaches, staff release and a culture of cooperation across the GPN and the rest of UNDP.
Develop guidelines and principles to underpin a collaborative approach and culture in support of UNDP’s crisis capacity to ensure speed of support, provision of integrated substantive, innovative, strategic and operational resources when required.
Oversee the creation of the business process design, work plans, work flows and terms of reference for the Crisis Bureau’s Country Support Management Team (CSMT) to leverage the full capacities and capabilities within the GPN on crisis-related issues, ensuring coherence with BPPS’ SDG Integration team and function.
In collaboration with other Deputy Directors and Regional Hub Managers, ensure that GPN technical capacities across the 5 P’s of the SDGs serve the entire organization.
Ensure the proper functioning of the Crisis and Fragility Policy and Engagement Team for engagement with key partners (peace, security, humanitarian, conflict and fragility), including policy and programme innovations.
Deliver, through the crisis teams within the GPN, the capacities for policy coherence to strengthen UNDP’s ability to shape global crisis and fragility-related policies on using a development approach, such as resilience and fragility, peacebuilding and stabilization, H/D/P nexus and NWOW, post crisis and transition settings.
Overall management and coordination of GPN response to crises by (i) leading and coordinating as required the Crisis Management Team when activated; (ii) convening the relevant GPN teams to ensure high-quality and speedy support and advice (strategic, financial, operational and coordination), and (iii) managing and drawing on existing deployment mechanisms (SURGE, Experts Roster, Early Recovery Advisor and Coordinator rosters) and in-house technical capacities.
Facilitate strong coordination between CB and BPPS teams to ensure efficient deployment of SDG technical and advisory capacity on crisis and fragility related issues.

Overall Management & Resource Mobilization

Lead the Crisis Bureau teams in the establishment of output-based plans and management plans.
Provide strategic guidance and direction to the Crisis Bureau teams to ensure the implementation of UNDP Strategic Plan.
Create an environment of team spirit and high motivation and provide coaching and mentoring to Crisis Bureau staff.
Management and oversight of the Crisis Bureau teams and the day-to-day crisis operations, ensuring that adequate systems are in place to monitor the status of Crisis Bureau support to country office and implementation of the Strategic Plan.
Supervision of Crisis Bureau teams’ staff and ensure that performance management assessments are carried out according to UNDP procedures.
Lead on the development and rolling out of resource mobilization strategies to tap into crisis and fragility related resources and provide strategic advice to the GPN management on crisis and fragility-related resource mobilization.

Partnerships, Representation and Advocacy for Nexus Issues

Liaise and collaborate closely with UN system partners on crisis and fragility related issues.
Forge partnerships and collaborates with bilateral, multilateral, emerging donors and IFI partners on crisis and fragility related issues.
At the request of the GPN leadership, represent UNDP in relevant crisis and fragility related interagency mechanisms, global forums/mechanisms.
Ensure donor engagement on crisis and fragility related issues, including support to resource mobilization for crisis response purposes.
Identify, develop and sustain partnerships with think tanks, academia, INGOs, NGOs and other crisis partners to leverage knowledge, expertise and resources to contribute to crisis and fragility related issues.

Knowledge Management & Knowledge Sharing

Deliver high quality intellectual leadership on UNDPs development agenda, by integrating crisis and fragility related issues to sustainable development knowledge products.
Ensure strong communities of practice in crisis and fragility related domains.
Ensure continuous improvement of existing crisis response support mechanisms and their effectiveness, both in times of emergencies and day-to-day support, through innovation, testing and feedback.
Coordination of after-action reviews and drawing of lessons from those, with a view to improving the support mechanisms.
Contribute to organizational learning on crisis and fragility related knowledge domains.

Competencies

Core
Innovation

Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership

Ability to persuade others to follow

People Management

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery

Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Technical/Functional
Sustainable Development

Knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Representation

Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues).

Project Management

Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Knowledge Management

Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

Collaboration & Partnerships

Ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with others inside (Programmes/projects) or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support. Sets overall direction for the formation and management of strategic relationships contributing to the overall positioning of UNDP

Management & Coordination

Ability to manage and coordinate campaigns and people with inspiration. Believe in and promote diversity in the workplace and reshaping the workforce to meet need.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Masters) in Development Studies, Physical/Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Economics or related disciplines.

Experience:

At least 15 years of progressively responsible and relevant technical experience and expertise in sustainable human development in development-related organizations as well as experience in programme and project planning and analysis, business systems, HR management and budgeting.
Proven track record of management, technical leadership and resource mobilization skills.
Experience in developing country settings, including those with complex crisis challenges.
Previous experience leading Country Offices as an RC/RR can be an asset

Language Requirements:

Excellent knowledge of English, both written and oral. Working knowledge of another UN language is desirable.