Consultancy: Project Manager for Our UNICEF Volunteer Initiative - PSN, DRP - NYHQ, Requisition# 508157

As Project Manager, you will manage the day-to-day operational aspects of UNICEF’s new global volunteer initiative.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Background

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection, and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. 

To bring people power into the center of our work, UNICEF is laying the foundation for a network of millions of volunteers, who will champion change for children, vastly extend our reach and bring us closer to the communities we serve as part of UNICEF.

A concerted approach to volunteering is new for UNICEF, and will require new ways of collaborating and learning across functions and jurisdictions.

About us
We are a small team working at UNICEF to support the skills, experience, creativity, and ideas of colleagues, and to help build a global volunteer force of millions who take action for children.

Our team is gathering and consolidating existing tools and resources; generating the additional systems and tools that colleagues need; fostering a vibrant community of practice among colleagues working with volunteers; and offering research, strategic, and execution support to country teams as they launch and/or scale volunteer activities.

Most of the things we produce will be accessible by UNICEF country offices and National Committees in 190 countries and territories. Initially, we will work with 5-10 pilot or leader countries to create volunteer initiatives that model ways of working and inspire colleagues across the organization.

About the Role

As Project Manager with UNICEF’s Global Volunteer Office, you will coordinate all the Office work streams to help successfully deliver the annual workplan. Together with Project Leads who manage the different Volunteer Office work streams, you will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Volunteer Office - coordinating and communicating within the Office and across other HQ Offices and Divisions, and with Country Offices and National Committees. You will work to ensure Project Leads meet deadlines and workplan deliverables, while keeping the Volunteer Office accountable and internally disciplined.

While the role has dedicated responsibilities to project teams, you will report to the head(s) of the Global Volunteer Office, giving you wide exposure to UNICEF overall operations and an opportunity to influence “how” the new global volunteer initiative is developed and implemented.

Purpose and Expected Results:

Project Management

As Project Manager, you will manage the day-to-day operational aspects of UNICEF’s new global volunteer initiative. Your core responsibilities will include: 

• Maintain detailed timelines and project workplans for all project deliverables and key milestones; hold project teams (Internal Communications, Content Management, Country Support, etc.) accountable to project plans and deadlines.
• Monitor and report on progress for all project deliverables and key milestones to all stakeholders.
• Jointly with Project Leads, deliver project status meetings and updates to Volunteer Office teams.
• Coordinate the different work streams to strengthen efficiency and avoid duplication. Help define project tasks and resource requirements.
• Communicate across the Volunteer Office teams and work streams, with other HQ Offices and Divisions, and with Country Offices and National Committees teams to set expectations, ensure alignment, identify potential issues and escalate where necessary.
• Manage allocation of resources.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all questions for the Volunteer Office and direct these questions within the Office as appropriate and ensure follow-up, if necessary.
• Capture feedback to improve processes and make delivery of workplan activities and results more efficient/effective; identify and make recommendations for improved processes.
• Provide other support as needed.

Duty Station  

New York, New York.

Timeframe 

Start date: November 30, 2017                                                                 

End date: 13 November, 2018

The ideal candidate will have the following key competencies, technical background, and experience: 

Key competencies

• Critical thinking and problem solving skills
• Planning and organizing
• Decision-making
• Communication skills
• Influencing and leading
• Team work
• Negotiation
• Adaptability
• Ability to work well under pressure

Technical background, and experience required

• Post-graduate degree or equivalent in International Relations, Social Sciences, Management or related field.
• 5+ years of experience managing complex projects, i.e. development of project plans, delivery milestones, resource management, budget and financial management, etc.
• Knowledge of and commitment to child rights. Knowledge of UNICEF priorities and sensitive issues.
• Excellent communication skills (written/verbal/visual).
• Solid event-planning skills.
• Excellent inter-personal skills and the ability to work well under pressure.
• Ability to correctly prioritize competing needs and make the right trade-offs.
• Passion, a sharp mind, high integrity, a hands-on attitude, and an entrepreneurial, problem-solving spirit. Personal commitment to humanitarian values.
• Ability to work independently, demonstrate initiative, and produce concrete results.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the organization.
• Fluency in English
• Experience working with UNICEF an advantage

To view our competency framework, please click here. 

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable).  Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

Remarks

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.   

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.