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Assistant Administrator and Director, Crisis Response Unit

New York City

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: New York City
  • Grade: Senior Executive level - ASG, Assistant-Secretary-General - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
    • Administrative support
    • Disaster Management (Preparedness, Resilience, Response and Recovery)
    • Emergency Aid and Response
    • Crisis Response
    • Managerial positions
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background

Applications for this vacancy MUST be submitted to the following email address :  exo.cos@undp.org  ONLY applications received at this email address will be accepted.  Include: detailed CV and academic credentials as supporting documentation and indicate this reference #: ASG-CRU.

UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. UNDP works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

Agenda 2030 remains at the centre of the UNs engagement, including in crisis and fragile settings. Underpinning the agenda is the commitment to “Leave No One Behind”, with many of the most marginalized living in protracted crisis settings.? In crisis contexts, this necessitates greater coherence across development and humanitarian actors (as well as peacebuilding actors as relevant), and a focus on prevention and system-wide coherence that is very much at the heart of the on-going reform proposals both on the development and the peace and security sides. As the lead UN development agency working on crisis prevention, response, recovery and resilience, UNDP is very supportive of these approaches and engaged at the global policy level and through its programmatic interventions.

The Crisis Response Unit (CRU) has corporate responsibility to represent UNDP on crisis related issues, which entails coordinating and facilitating UNDP’s crisis response with a whole-of-UNDP approach. At policy level CRU engages with a broad range of UN and non-UN partners and inter-agency fora, in particular in relation to the nexus and the New Way of Working. At the operational level CRU coordinates fast deployments, and mobilizes capacity, expertise and emergency funding to ensure rapid, sufficient and efficient response across all of UNDP; including the provision of secretariat services for the support and coordination functions for corporate crisis response mechanisms, e.g. Executive Team (ET) and Crisis Boards. It guides corporate preparedness for crisis response and manages UNDP’s crisis response tools; and supports early warning, risk analysis and mitigation. CRU is also responsible for UNDP’s inter-agency role on all crisis response and early recovery areas.

Duties and Responsibilities

Applications for this vacancy MUST be submitted to the following email address :  exo.cos@undp.org.   ONLY applications received at this email address will be accepted.  Include: detailed CV and academic credentials as supporting documentation and indicate this reference #: ASG-CRU.

The Director is the leader of the Crisis Response Unit as well as a member of UNDP’s corporate leadership, and as such, serves as a role model for corporate values, behaviors and substantive skills.

The Director, Crisis Response Unit reports to the Administrator/Associate Administrator. He/She is a member of UNDP’s Executive Group and contributes to shaping and monitoring overall corporate strategic directions.? He/She directs and manages the work of the Unit to contribute to the achievements of the organizational priorities and achieve identified outcomes.

The following scope and principal functions of the position include:

  • Participation in UNDP’s highest level corporate decision-making body, the Executive Group (EG), helping to identify and implement strategic directions for the Organization as a whole;
  • Acting as the primary UNDP interface with stakeholders on crisis related issues;
  • Building strategic partnerships with key stakeholders to carry out UNDP’s mission and achieve results;

Managing the Crisis Response Unit and working collaboratively and collegiately across UNDP, to achieve outcomes and results in line with UNDP’s Strategic Plan:

  • Providing overall leadership and shaping strategic thinking for UNDP integrated approach on crisis related issues;
  • Provides executive leadership and management for CRU, supporting the overall goals of UNDP and the UN system;
  • Develops and drives UNDP’s vision and priorities for crisis response, leading timely and informed decision-making and management actions;
  • Ensures high quality performance by providing oversight for all UNDP crisis response actions;
  • Represents UNDP in relevant crisis related UN mechanisms and fora, as well as in the international crisis community;
  • Represents UNDP in relevant fora related to the nexus and the New Way of Working;
  • Ensures global advocacy for UNDP’s role in crisis settings;
  • Engages with the donor community and other actors on crisis related issues, including resource mobilization; and
  • Oversees and is responsible for CRU’s operations in financial, human resources, procurement and general administration’s engagement in the region;

Impact of Results

The result of the work of the Director greatly impacts on the standing and reputation of UNDP in all areas related to crisis related issues. When requested by the Administrator/Associate Administrator, the Director represents UNDP in international and national fora, liaises and interacts on behalf of UNDP with external clients and partners including government, media, civil society as well as other international organizations. The Director is accountable to the Administrator/Associate Administrator for the timely and effective delivery of UNDP’s corporate crisis response to Country Offices.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Strategic Thinking:

  • A clear understanding of development challenges and priorities;
  • Demonstrated ability to identify high level strategic issues, opportunities and risks, develop organizational strategies to meet objectives, and generate and communicate organizational direction and expected outcomes to all stakeholders.

Leadership:

  • Proven track record of excellent management, leadership and representation skills;
  • Demonstrated effectiveness in establishing productive relationships and networks to achieve outcomes; strong people management skills; demonstrated competence for incorporating gender perspectives;
  • Demonstrated personal drive and commitment to organizational objectives;
  • Proven experience in leading change.

Results Focus:

  • Demonstrated ability to provide strategic direction;
  • Demonstrated excellence in successful management of a complex portfolio of responsibilities including translating goals in to practical implementation strategies, and allocating resources accordingly;
  • Proven ability to build organizational capability and responsiveness to achieve outcome;
  • Strong resource mobilization and partnership building skills; mature judgement and initiative.

Achieves Results:

  • Demonstrated ability to provide strategic direction;
  • Demonstrated excellence in successful management of a complex portfolio of responsibilities including translating goals into practical implementation strategies;
  • Proven ability to build organizational capability and responsiveness to achieve outcomes;
  • Mature judgment and initiative.

Communication:

  • Influential and confident oral and written communication skills;
  • Proven ability to negotiate persuasively and achieve objectives;
  • Proven ability to establish and maintain effective inter-personal relationships in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Professionalism:

  • Ability to work collaboratively and collegiately with internal and external stakeholders to achieve corporate goals;
  • Capacity to anticipate and address difficult issues;
  • Demonstrated commitment to acting ethically and with integrity and commitment to the values enshrined in the UN Charter.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced University degree in development-related disciplines, Economics, Business Administration, Public Policy or other relevant Social Sciences.

Experience:

  • At least 15 years of progressively responsible, substantive experience and results achievement experience at the international level, including in development-related advisory services, managing complex development situations, interagency and international cooperation, negotiation of partnerships, mobilization of resources and management of programmes in development related areas with national, regional, international entities;
  • The candidate should have in-depth knowledge of the region and its development context, and of national, regional and intergovernmental institutions and other international entities.

Language:

  • Proficiency in English is required;
  • Proficiency in a second UN language is an asset.

Applications for this vacancy MUST be submitted to the following email address :  exo.cos@undp.org.   ONLY applications received at this email address will be accepted.  Include: detailed CV and academic credentials as supporting documentation and indicate this reference #: ASG-CRU.

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UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
This vacancy is now closed.
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