DIRECTOR, DIVISION FOR COOPERATION, INTERSECTORIAL FOLLOW-UP AND PARTNERSHIP (re-advertisement)

The Africa Department is responsible for coordinating “the full range of UNESCO’s cooperation with African Member States, African IGOs and NGOs, and with the bilateral partners and multilateral bodies that implement similar programmes for Africa which are related or complementary to UNESCO’s. It is responsible for the liaison, coordination and mobilization needed within the Secretariat to ensure that the priority assigned to the African region is reflected in all programmes”.

Under the authority of the Director-General and the direct supervision of the Assistant Director-General for the Africa Department, the incumbent will be responsible for developing and strengthening technical and financial partnerships for Priority Africa and for monitoring intersectoral cooperation activities with Member States and African and non-African regional organizations.

On this account, it will also be their responsibility to\: 

• Provide leadership and supervision of the staff in the Division and contribute to the elaboration of policy guidance and programme documents that take into account the priorities of Member States and address the challenges relating to the development of Africa. 
• Ensure the effective implementation of the programme for the Division by determining the priorities and resource allocations for optimum realization of the objectives of the Operational Strategy for Priority Africa. 
• Develop and implement, in close coordination with the Bureau of Strategic Planning (BSP) and field offices, the Department’s extrabudgetary resource mobilization strategy in order to identify and create partnership opportunities with potential traditional and non-traditional donors. 
• Contribute to building strategic and close partnerships, in particular through South-South and North-South cooperation including with regional institutions, the private sector and civil society so as to increase funding to support the Operational Strategy for Priority Africa and the implementation of flagship programmes.  
• Provide guidance and supervision for the efficient and timely preparation of the documentation required for the Organization’s governing bodies, ensuring that they are technically and intellectually sound, and are in accordance with the Organization’s strategy. 
• Contribute to consolidating sustainable partnerships with the African Union (AU), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Regional Economic Communities, National Commissions, UNESCO field offices and category 2 field institutes and centres. 
• Ensure risk management through early identification, analysis and assessment of risks, as well as strategy development, and advise the senior management of the Organization so as to manage risks in terms of unacceptable risk prevention, reduction and elimination.

The incumbent will interact and work closely with representatives of Member States, Permanent Delegations to and National Commissions for UNESCO, regional organizations and UNESCO-affiliated institutes and centres, non-governmental organizations and UNESCO field offices in Africa (including the UNESCO Liaison Office with AU and UNECA, in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)) to ensure a maximal impact of UNESCO’s actions for Priority Africa.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in international relations or any related fields. A first-level university degree in combination with at least two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible professional experience in programme management, coordination, policy analysis as well as team management with multidisciplinary staff, including substantial assignments at regional and/or international level. 
• Several years of experience in international cooperation.

Skills/Competencies

• Knowledge of the Organization’s mandate, vision, strategic direction and priorities. 
• Strong managerial and leadership skills, high sense of objectivity, strong analytical capabilities, professional integrity, and diplomacy.  
• Ability to exercise intellectual authority and leadership.
• Sound knowledge of general management practices, use of information and communications technology, and techniques of quality assurance and risk management. 
• Experience in guiding and motivating teams in a multicultural environment and in observance of diversity, as well as in performing supervisory and monitoring duties and ensuring staff training and development. 
• Proven ability to mobilize extrabudgetary resources. 
• Geopolitical knowledge of the Africa region. 
• Ability to build collaborative partnerships and networks. 
• Excellent communication skills with strong representational abilities. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to manage relations with Member States and at all levels of the Organization.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of and drafting skills in one of the working languages (English or French) of the Organization and a good knowledge of the second one. Training will be mandatory in order to acquire the required level of the second working language in a reasonable time-frame.

Education

• Other qualifications or training in disciplines relevant to the responsibilities of the post would be an asset.

Work Experience

• Assignments, preferably at senior level, in the United Nations system.
• Demonstrated experience of management at the international level.
• Professional experience gained in multicultural working environments.

Skills/Competencies

• Proven ability to work efficiently at senior decision-making levels (in governments or international institutions, for instance).
• Human resources and finance management and administration skills.

Languages

• Knowledge of other official United Nations languages (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish).