Programme Management Officer [TJO], P3 (Temporary Job Opening)

Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the Evaluation and Oversight Section (EOS), within the Executive Office of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva. OCHA is part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response efforts. OCHA’s mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions.
The Programme Management Officer will report to the Head of EOS in New York.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Programme Management Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
• Supports OCHA’s strategic engagement with the UN’s oversight bodies: the Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the Board of Auditors (BOA) and the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU); for supporting efforts to strengthen OCHA’s efforts to improve implementation of audit and evaluation recommendations, particularly through their integration into OCHA’s strategic and annual work planning process.
• Supports OCHA’s strategic and timely engagement with the UN’ s oversight bodies, including collating OCHA’ s inputs to the annual workplans of the oversight bodies, supporting relevant OCHA staff at the headquarters, regional and country offices to prepare for and engage effectively with oversight bodies during audits; coordinating and preparing consolidated OCHA response to draft audit reports; and monitoring implementation of oversight findings.
• Contributes to the development of management response plans and other documentation to assist senior management with prioritization of oversight and evaluation findings, and to support decision-making.
• Tracks implementation of oversight and evaluation recommendations through a tracking database and ensures proper updating and maintenance of said database.
• Analyzes the risks identified by the oversight bodies and by independent evaluations and internal reviews.
• Prepares regular reports on the implementation of oversight and evaluation recommendations to support OCHA’s strategic and annual work planning process and to contribute to organizational learning and development.
• Contributes to policy and guidance development on OCHA’s work with the oversight bodies, evaluations, enterprise risk management, and other related areas.
• Provides substantive support to relevant consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc.
• Undertakes outreach activities to OCHA staff related to the aforementioned work, including conducting training workshops and making presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of theories., concepts and approaches relevant to strategic planning, oversight and control process and/or enterprise risk management. Sound knowledge of and wide exposure to current humanitarian assistance challenges and risks that impact on organizational performance. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources, including electronic, sources on the internet, intranet and other databases. Ability to write succinct analysis of trends and risks related to organizational performance and prepare options for decision-making. Excellent drafting skills and the ability to defend and explain complex issues and positions. Ability to meet tight deadlines. Ability to analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges, including resistance to organizational change. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, ‘even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings, Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. Listens to others and correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Strong understanding of OCHA’s core function and headquarters structures and control environment desirable.
• Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.
• 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.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business administration, management, international affairs, economics or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in project or programme management, administration, or related area is required.
A minimum of two (2) years of field experience with a humanitarian or development organization, within the past five years, is required.
Experience in strategic planning, supporting oversight and control processes, or enterprise risk management is required.
Relevant experience with the UN Common System or comparable international organization is desirable.
Experience with audit and oversight body engagement, especially within the UN Common System or comparable international organization is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available for a period of six months, with the possibility of extension (subject to extension of the mandate and/or availability of funds). If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. The selected candidate is expected to start as soon as possible.
• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.
• This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.
• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.
• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.
• Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places 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. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

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.