Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
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.

Organizational Context

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has worked directly with the government and people of Yemen for more than 50 years. In light of the widespread need, created by the conflict which has been going on for years, UNDP has established sub-offices in Aden and Hodeidah and a Project Office in Mukalla.  UNDP’s Aden Sub-office, which is the larger of the two Sub-offices, is located in the southern port city of Aden, the current interim capital and the seat of the Internationally Recognized Government (IRG) of Yemen.

The Sub-Office plays a representational role vis-à-vis the IRG; a coordination and service provision role vis-à-vis the UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes supports the UN Clinic activities in the South; responds to the distinct local needs which require intense interaction with the authorities and other partners at the local level; and supports UNDP’s expanding programmes in the South in the areas of economic recovery and development, governance and rule of law and climate change, water, energy and environment projects.  

Job Purpose

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Resident Representative (RR) and in close coordination with the Deputy Resident Representative/Programme (DRR/P), Deputy Resident Representative/Operations (DRR/O) and the Programme Team Leaders, the Head of Sub-Office sets the strategic direction at the local level and oversees all Sub-Office (SO) activities. The Head of Sub-Office is part of the senior management team of the Country Office.

The Head of Sub-Office has formal delegated authority from the RR (documented in writing) to represent UNDP at the local level and perform related indispensable management functions.

The Head of Sub-Office leads and supervises the UNDP Aden staff, personnel and project staff in Aden ensuring cross-unit cooperation and coordination. He/she ensures a client-oriented approach and consistency with UNDP rules and regulations in conformity with the UNDP Internal Control Framework and good management practice. He/she advises the senior management on programmes in the southern regions, UNDP presence, cost effectiveness and responses to emerging complex challenges in the area. He/she overseas the Sub-Office operations and the management of the UN Enclave in Aden and the UN Hub in Mukalla, Hadhramaut Governorate where UNDP is the lead agency providing common services to all UN agencies.

The incumbent will work closely with the UN bodies in Aden notably the Area Senior Management Team and Humanitarian Country Team and with diverse internal and external counterparts, including Government, national institutions, civil society, NGOs, INGOs and the private sector to successfully deliver UNDP programme at the local level.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.) Lead strategic programme planning, and ensures programme coordination and implementation in Aden, other relevant hubs and in all southern Governorates:
•    Analyses the socio-economic and political situation and trends in the area and identifies opportunities and entry points for UNDP as well as approaches and modalities to achieve development targets and effectively serve UNDP/Government/UN;
•    Ensures overall efficient coordination of programmes/projects and timely delivery of results taking into consideration agreed upon work plans with the UNDP country office and consistency with UNSDCF/CPD/HRP priorities;
•    Ensures identification and promotion of joint programming and planning opportunities;
•    Identifies and develops new programme and project opportunities, in close collaboration with the Programme Team Leaders;
•    Supports capacity building of national counterparts;
•    Promotes knowledge management to ensure access to best available expertise and facilitate organizational learning.
•    Promotes identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned for organizational sharing and learning; Provides guidance and participates in programme development and ensures programme implementation including budgeting, implementation and monitoring;
•    Oversees project implementation through close monitoring of results, in close collaboration with the M&E Unit and ensures effective application of RBM tools, management of scorecard targets and other benchmarks;
•    Coordinates and follows through on decentralized evaluations;
•    Ensures full compliance with audit requirements and timely follow-up to audit recommendations, in collaboration with the Senior Management.
•    Supports gender mainstreaming in the programme design, development, implementation is guided by global gender strategies and frameworks.

2.) Responsible for effective Office management:
•    Ensures strategic planning and smooth running of the Sub-Office and other relevant hubs, builds an effective SO team, promotes team work and an environment that is conducive to delivering results;
•    Ensures full responsibility for the appropriate use and management of resources attributed to the Sub-Office by tracking use of financial resources, ensuring the integrity of financial systems and consistent application of the Internal Control Framework and/or rules and regulations. Continually finds ways to systematically identify and integrate efficiency gains and cost reductions in all operations of the Sub-Office;
•    Approves contracts and QUANTUM transactions under written delegated authority from the Resident Representative, has Quantum manager rights as delegated. Responsible for the management of the Sub-Office staff, monitors their performance, completing performance assessments where necessary;
•    Builds capacity of the office staff by identifying capacity needs and establishing training/learning programmes, including trainings on gender and social safeguards and ensures timely and regular reporting;
•    In collaboration with the DRR/O and the Field Security Specialist, ensures that the security needs of office and projects are met and is responsible for efficient implementation in UNDP of security measures agreed in the SMT and for compliance with security policy, including MOSS.
•    Mitigates possible risks and impacts associated with the Sub-Office operations and projects (e.g. logistical, security etc.) by proactively designing reduction measures in collaboration with the Security Advisor;
•    Ensures UNDP support to and coordination of common services and oversees the effective provision of services including financial, human resources, procurement and logistics, reviews with UN counterparts service requirements;
•    Ensures that common services and joint arrangements benefit UNDP in its objective to provide efficient and economical support services to the implementation of the country programme.
•    Promote an enabling work environment through adopting open and participatory processes and applying the UNDP corporate policies on gender equality, prevention of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse.

3.) Fosters effective advocacy, partnership building and donors liaison: 
•    Contributes to the development of the CO and SO Advocacy, Partnership and Resource Mobilization strategy, including planning tools and messages to implement the strategy;
•    Identifies new partnerships and strengthens existing ones at the SO level through innovative approaches to partnership development;
•    Encourages ways of increasing Sub-Office funding base such as engaging in resource mobilization efforts in consultation with counterparts and following-up with donors on opportunities. Contributes to resource mobilization efforts for projects that support gender equality and women's empowerment.
•    Represents UNDP in regional fora as requested by the RR.

4.) Responsible for Representation and Coordination in the area:
•    Maintains regular exchanges with Government of Yemen located in Aden as well as international actors and development partners active in the geographical area;
•    Provides strong coordination support to UN Agencies, national authorities and other organizations through the establishment of a wider consultation process;
•    Ensures proper coordination and inputs to interagency initiatives.
•    Represents UNDP with the Area Humanitarian Country Team (AHCT) and the Area Security Management Team (ASMT).
•    Strengthens the Sub-office coordination with national women machineries, women's civil society organizations, and gender networks.

5.) Promotes communication flow in the office:
•    Maximizes communication between the various portfolios and ensures that stakeholders (development partners, bilateral and multilateral donors, private sector, civil society, UN agencies and Government agencies) have one consistent UNDP counterpart;
•    Ensures internal communication and coordination at Sub-Office level and effective and proactive communication between relevant Country Office units (Programme, Operations, Oversight Support Team/Communication) and the Sub-Office;
•    Monitors the perception of UNDP in the geographic area and suggest media activities that positions UNDP more strategically and effectively as a neutral broker for development. Enhances visibility for UNDP in development effectiveness;
•    Ensures that development results, including achievements in gender equality and women empowerment, are effectively communicated in collaboration with the Country Office.

The incumbent of the position should avoid any kind of discriminatory behavior including gender discrimination and ensure that:
•    Human rights and gender equality is prioritized as an ethical principle within all actions;
•    Activities are designed and implemented in accordance with “Social and Environmental Standards of UNDP”;
•    Any kind of diversities based on ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, religion, class, gender are respected within all implementations including data production;
•    Differentiated needs of women and men are considered;
•    Inclusive approach is reflected within all actions and implementations, in that sense an enabling and accessible setup in various senses such as disability gender language barrier is created; necessary arrangements to provide gender parity within all committees, meetings, trainings etc. introduced.

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:
•    The incumbent has the overall responsibility of managing the Sub-Office and all its operations and supervisory responsibilities towards the Sub-Office staff. 
 

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 4:Prioritize team workflow, mobilize resources, drive scalable results/strategic impact
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 4: Easily navigate complexity, encourage/enable radical innovation, has foresight
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 4: Create systems and processes that enable learning and development for all
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 4: Proactively initiate/lead organizational change, champion new systems/processes
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 4: Able to make difficult decisions in challenging situations, inspire confidence
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 4: Construct strategic multi-partner alliances in high stake situations, foster co-creation 
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 4: Create ethical culture, identify/address barriers to inclusion 
   

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

• Business: Direction & Strategy: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
• Business Direction & Strategy: Effective Decision Making: Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications.
• Business Development UNDP Representation: Effectively represent and advocate for UNDP, its values, mission, work, and positions with various constituencies/audiences, shares UNDP knowledge and activities
• Business Management: Partnerships Management: Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies
• Business Management: Communications: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
  Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
• Business Management: Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management
• Partnership Management: Resource Mobilization: Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Development Studies, Crisis and Post-Crisis Studies, International Development, relevant Social Sciences, Public Administration, Business Administration, or other relevant development areas is required. Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years (with master’s degree) or 12 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in development in a governmental, multilateral organization in a multi-cultural setting, including at least 3 years of management responsibilities of similar size and complexities.
• Previous work experience in conflict setting is required. 
• Experience in partnership development and donor liaison is an asset.
• Experience in strategic development, programme implementation and coordination is desired. Experience as part of senior management team in a UN Country Office or a similar setting is an asset.
• Previous experience in Arab region is an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required. Fluency in Arabic is an asset.
   

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Disclaimer
Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders) 
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.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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