Service Centre Manager at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights, capacity development and the empowerment of women.

We invite applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill the position below:

Job Title: Service Centre Manager
   
Job ID: 26036
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Grade: P4
Agency: UNDP
Posting Type: External
Vacancy Type: FTA International
Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension
Practice Area - Job Family: Crisis Prevention and Recovery - STABILIZATION
       
Background
The nexus of security-humanitarian-development issues around Lake Chad has given rise to an intractable extremist insurgency that has left tens of thousands of people dead, approximately 2.5 million displaced, and more than 10 million people in the region affected and in need. While robust national and multi-national military operations have re-taken territory previously controlled by Boko Haram, UNDP recognizes that a new approach is required to consolidate these gains and establish the conditions necessary to transition from military to civilian responsibility for security, and from the provision of humanitarian assistance to the resumption of stalled development processes.  In this context, the UNDP is strengthening its presence in the North East region by establishing a sub-office in Maiduguri. 

The sub-office will serve as the centre of operations for programming which will include a Regional Stabilization Facility, a Disengagement, Disassociation, Reconciliation and Reintegration (DDRR) and Recovery and Resilience programme.  The Sub-Office (SO) for North East (NE) Region of Nigeria has been operational since 2017 and UNDP has established an Operations Service Centre to support management and operations functions related to the effective delivery of programmatic results.

Under the guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative – Operations (DRR-O) and direct supervision of the Head of Stabilization, the Service Centre Manager acts as an advisor to on all aspects of the Sub-Office (SO) management and operations and will be responsible for and contribute directly to the effective and efficient operations of the UNDP SO in Maiduguri, Nigeria.  He/she will liaise directly with the relevant staff to ensure coordination of delivery as appropriate.

The Service Centre Manager is responsible for strategic financial and human resources management, efficient procurement and logistical services, and ICT and consistency with UNDP rules and regulations. The Service Centre Manager ensures consistent services delivery to the programmes and projects in the Northeast (NE) region of Nigeria. The incumbent will lead in applying policies and methods to maximize the SO performance in operations demonstrating capacity for innovation and creativity and providing advice to Management on readjustment of the operations to take into account changes in the operating environment as and when needed.

The Service Centre manager leads and guides the SO Service Centre Team and fosters collaboration within the team and with other UN Agencies operating in the NE, consistent with rules and a client-oriented approach. The Service Centre manager works in close collaboration with programme and project teams in the SO, operations staff in the CO in Abuja, other UN Agencies in the NE, and State Government officials to successfully deliver operations services.
   
Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of Key Functions:

• Ensuring strategic direction of operations
• Financial resources management and supervision of the Finance team
• Human Resources Management and supervision of the HR team
• Efficient procurement and logistical services and supervision of the Procurement team
• Supervision of ICT team
• Common services organization and management, establishment of partnerships with other UN Agencies

Ensures the strategic direction of operations focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Compliance of operations with UN/UNDP rules, regulations and policies, implementation of corporate operational strategies, establishment of management targets and monitoring achievement of results.
• Provision of advice on strategies, policies and plans affecting SO operations, delivery of practice advisory, knowledge and learning services.
• Collaboration with CO Management to establish collaborative arrangements with potential partners, a Client Relationship Management System for resource mobilization purposes and appropriate operational partnership arrangements.
• SO business processes mapping and establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Finance, Human Resources Management, Procurement, Logistical and ICT services, Results Management.
• Constant monitoring and analysis of the operating environment, quick readjustment of the operations, advice on legal considerations and risk assessment.
• Knowledge building and sharing with regards to management and operations in the SO, organization of the operations staff trainings, synthesis of lessons learnt/best practices, and sound contributions to UNDP knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Ensures effective and accurate financial resources management and supervision of the Finance team focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Proper planning, expenditures tracking and audit of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations, performing the function of Manager Level 2 in Atlas for vouchers.  Approval of pending disbursements as the “third authority” (cheques, bank transfers, EFT). Approval of bank reconciliations.
• Management of cost-recovery system for the services provided by the SO to projects and other UN Agencies. Accurate planning, forecasting and reporting of extra-budgetary income.
• Proper management of the contribution management business process and accounting for contributions to ensure that the money due to UNDP is properly identified, consistently and uniformly classified, recorded on a timely basis and received with sufficient supporting documentation.
• Organization and oversight of SO cash management processes, including liquidity management, risk assessment, bank relationship management; timely accounting and reconciliation of all transactions, security for cash assets on site.
• Member of the bank signatory panel.
• Routinely monitors financial exception reports for unusual activities, transactions, and investigates anomalies or unusual transactions. Informs supervisors and other UNDP staff at the CO and Headquarters of the results of the investigation when satisfactory answers are not obtained and ensure that all financial transactions are identified, recorded and verified in compliance with IPSAS as outlined in the corporate policies and procedures.

Ensures strategic human resources management and supervision of the HR team focusing on achievement of the following results:

• SO compliance with corporate human resources policies and strategies.
• Optimal staffing of the sub-office and projects.
• Oversight of recruitment processes and performance management systems ensuring link of job design with recruitment, performance management and career development.

Ensures efficient procurement and logistical services management and supervision of the Procurement team, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• SO compliance with corporate rules and regulations in the field and management of the SO procurement strategies including sourcing strategy, supplier selection and evaluation, quality management, customer relationship management, e-procurement promotion and introduction, performance measurement.
• Management of the SO contract strategy including tendering processes and evaluation, managing the contract and contractor, legal implications. Oversight of procurement processes and logistical services in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations, acting as Manager Level 2 in Atlas for Purchase orders approvals.
• Proper management of UNDP assets, facilities and logistical services, including full compliance with IPSAS in the accounting for the procurement, utilization and disposal of the SO’s assets.

Ensures effective and adequate supervision of ICT team focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Designs and maintains appropriate Business Continuity management mechanisms and plans
• Maintains a secure, reliable infrastructure environment for ICT and adequately plans for disasters and recoveries
• Use of Atlas functionality for improved business results and improved client services.
• Identification of opportunities and ways of converting business processes into web-based systems to address the issues of efficiency and full accountability.
• Promotion of different systems and applications for optimal content management, knowledge sharing, information provision and learning including e-registry, web-based office management system, etc.

Ensures proper common services organization and management, establishment of partnerships with other UN Agencies focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Elaboration of the strategic approach to implementation of common services in line with the UN reform, the latest developments in common services and the best practices.

Impact of Results
The key results have an impact on the overall economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of CO operations as it relates to the use of corporate resources in the following areas:

• Financial services
• Human Resources
• Procurement and logistical services
• ICT
• Common Services and the implementation of the UN agenda on common services and joint procurement.

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Master's Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics or related field.

Experience:

• 7 years of relevant experience at the national and international level in providing management advisory services and/or managing staff and operational systems and establishing inter-relationships among international organization and national governments.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems and ERP systems, preferably PeopleSoft.
• Experience of accrual accounting, IPSAS or IFRS is highly desirable.
• Experience in crisis country will be an asset not a requirement.

Competencies
Functional Competencies:

Building Partnerships:

• Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build alliances
• Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners
• Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments
• Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing
• Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
• Develops and/or participates in the development of mechanisms, including identifying new approaches to promote individual and organizational learning and knowledge sharing using formal and informal methodologie

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

• Understands advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines (financial resources and human resources management, contract, asset and procurement, information and communication technology, general administration)
• Continues to seek 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 tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments

Promoting Organizational Change and Development:

• Performs appropriate work analysis and assists in redesign to establish clear standards for implementation

Design and Implementation of Management Systems:

• Carries out research into existing systems to identify best practice and make recommendations to management on applicability to UNDP
• Identifies and recommends remedial measures to address problems in systems design or implementation

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

Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management:

• Provides inputs to the development of organizational standards for accountability and results-based management

Core Competencies:

• 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. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking

UNDP Certification programmes Prince2, Procurement, HR, Accounting and Finance will be an asset

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement.

Application Closing Date
20th September, 2019.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Disclaimer

• Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
• UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant Information about UNDP Rosters

• Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity:

• UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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