Switzerland: Chief of Section P-5

Organization: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Switzerland
Closing date: 02 Oct 2014

ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING AND REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: This position is located in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Programme Support Branch (PSB), Appeal Coordination & Analysis Section (ACAS). The Chief of Section reports to the Chief of the Programme Support Branch in Geneva.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Within delegated authority, the Chief of Section will be responsible for the following.

· Provides policy guidance to the Chief of Branch, on conceptual strategy development and management of the implementation of overall strategies and intra and inter-divisional/departmental policies and procedures.

· Plans and oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Section; ensures that substantive work programmes and programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion, coordinating diverse projects in the Section, and, in liaison with other organizations of the United Nations System, non-governmental organisations, donors and others as appropriate.

· Manages, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Section under his/her responsibility. Co-ordinates the day-to-day work carried out by the Section; provides programmatic and substantive reviews of drafts prepared by others.

· Provides substantive input in the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, the Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.

· Contributes to the reporting to intergovernmental bodies and donors on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.

· Ensures that the outputs produced by the Section maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the t/Section under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.

· Prepares inputs for the work programme of the Branch, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.

· Carries out programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Section, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates.

· Recruits staff for Section taking due account of geographical and gender balance and other institutional values.

· Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.

· Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Section and across organizational boundaries.

· Represents the Organization at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive-related issues.

· Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.

Work implies frequent interaction with the following:

Senior managers and staff within the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Staff within the UN Secretariat, Missions Heads and other UN offices, funds, programmes and specialized agencies. Representatives of Governments and representatives of non-governmental organizations. Chairs and members of intergovernmental bodies.

COMPETENCIES

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

PLANNING& ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience:A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience in humanitarian affairs, international development or a related area is required. Management experience at a senior level is required. UN and/or NGO experience, including field experience, is highly desirable. Experience in humanitarian/development financing, information management, and/or data/trend analysis would be an asset.

Education:Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international affairs, business or public administration, finance, accounting, law or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Languages:English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

How to apply:

The position is intended to fill functions of short-term duration This temporary position is for an initial period of three (3) months. All posts are subject to availability of funds.

Please state your full name and the temporary job opening notice number OCHA/G/128/2014 as the subject in your e-mail application and send one email application for every temporary job opening announcement. Documents should be saved as pdf file, with the title formatted as follows: FAMILY NAMEgiven name Doc-t type.pdf. For example: GREY_Joe _PHP.pdf.

All applicants are requested to submit a completed personal history profile (PHP) to Laetitia Rougeron rougeronl@un.org with a copy to Christina Connolly connolly-fornoza@un.org and ochavacancies@un.org . Please indicate the temporary job opening number OCHA/G/128/2014 in the Subject of your e-mail.

Note that applications to United Nations Secretariat positions can be generated in the new Inspira recruitment system. We encourage you to create an electronic personal history profile and to apply to these and other positions for which you are interested and qualified at http://inspira.un.org

Note that applicants’ eligibility cannot be fully assessed if the personal history profile is not properly completed. Applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. Potential candidates under serious consideration will be contacted by hiring manager directly. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her; in this context, all staff members are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers In accordance with established rules and procedures.

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