Deputy Director, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), D-1, New York Headquarters, USA

The Deputy Director, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) supports and advises the ECW Director on all aspects of ECW's accountability, capacity, effectiveness and efficiency. With overarching responsibility for Operations, manages the Accountability, Finance and Governance Workstream, including coordination with the Fund Support Office, and coordinates with relevant HQ's departments on financial, administrative and human resource rules and regulations. In consultation with the Director, supervises ECW investments, and leads ECW's strategic planning, workstream/team coordination, M&E, data and reporting.

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

For every child, dedication.

How can you make a difference?

The Deputy Director supports and advises the ECW Director on all aspects of ECW's accountability, capacity, effectiveness and efficiency. With overarching responsibility for Operations, manages the Accountability, Finance and Governance Workstream, including coordination with the Fund Support Office, and coordinates with relevant HQ's departments on financial, administrative and human resource rules and regulations. In consultation with the Director, supervises ECW investments, and leads ECW's strategic planning, workstream/team coordination, M&E, data and reporting.

Your key functional accountabilities include:

Operational Management

• Leads ECW's Workstream/Team on accountability, financing and governance processes, and ensures that the work of ECW and its Operational Manual is coordinated and aligned with the relevant governance structure and approvals.
• Leads ECW's work with the Fund Support Office and other departments of the hosting agency with regards to financial, administrative and human resource rules and regulations.
• Leads support services on procurement, programme finance and risk-management
• Promotes the effective and efficient management of the Fund in accordance with relevant rules, policies, procedures and standards based on annual work plans and available human and financial resources.
• Leads on developing, maintaining and updating internal operational procedures and policy guidance.
• Ensures compliance with both internal and external procedures, including Standard Operating Procedures.
• Establishes and oversees processes to identify, develop solutions and act on operational and financial bottlenecks
• Develops, implements and oversees processes to monitor management of partner agreements in close cooperation with relevant colleagues and FSO
• Oversees management of assets, facilities and logistical services and compliance with corporate human resources policies and strategies, supporting the Director in ensuring optimal staffing of the ECW Secretariat.
• Contributes to leadership in generating, fostering and maintaining management excellence among ECW staff, ensures sound management-staff relations and promotes general staff welfare and security.
• In collaboration with Department for Human Resources, leads the work on learning and staff capacity development to ensure that all ECW staff have the capacity required to deliver on the five core objectives of Education Cannot Wait.
• Supervises some Workstream/Team Heads and supports staff on a regular basis according to the responsibilities outlined in the office organogram and ensures that Performance evaluations are undertaken in line with organizational requirements.
• Initiates and integrates management improvement activities that will enhance ECW   performance and achievement of management excellence.
• Fosters a conducive working environment and provides the team with clear strategic leadership and direction with regard to effective human resources and performance management.

Leadership on Strategic Planning, Processes and Policy Guidance

• Coordinates ECW processes in planning and management, including the strategic planning process as well as any other ECW operational governance body initiatives and requests.
• Oversees resource and grant management support that includes: programme delivery management, resource allocation, and consolidated pipeline management, in collaboration with workstreams/teams.
• Advices on financial sustainability and programme resource management.
• Ensures that ECW's role is fulfilled by contributing to strategic planning and decision making of ECW and advises ECW Director on strategic analysis and positioning of ECW.
• Develops and maintains inter-agency and donor partnerships in the areas of operational policy and guidance, ensuring systemic consistency and quality oversight of ECW investments related to technical and financial aspects.
• Ensures that ECW's institutional overall response is well-coordinated and conducted in close cooperation and collaboration with other relevant actors, including donors, and within and beyond the UN system.
• Participates in external meetings and policy discussions with collaborating partners on efficiency, effectiveness and accountability.

Field support

• Oversees ECW's Multi-Year Resilience Plans (MYRPs), provides operational and financial guidance and facilitates a strategic prioritization of ECW's organizational response, including large scale and "forgotten" emergencies.
• Ensures rapid, high quality support on MYRPs, provides oversight and participates in external forums related to the MYRPs in crisis-countries.
• Chairs meetings on country investments and budget status and advises the ECW Director.
• As member of the ECW management team, participates and provides advice on priority setting, design and development of policy guidance for ECW, identifies emerging policy issues, need for guidance to the field and management support, opportunities for change in investment approaches, new and innovative solutions.
• Deputizes during Director's absence.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An Advanced University Degree in social sciences, public administration, international relations, government and public relations, or other related fields, is required.

• A minimum of 12 years of professional development experience with an emphasis on operational, organizational and financial experience, combining intellectual and managerial leadership in development cooperation at the international level, including field experience in emergency and crisis countries, is required. Relevant professional experience in any UN system agency or global non-governmental organization is an asset.

• Oral and written proficiency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Core Values

• Commitment
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Integrity

Leadership Competencies:

• Delivers Results
• Engages and Nurtures
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness
• Manages Complexity and Change
• Creates and Maintains Impact and Partnership
• Innovations and Takes Risks

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.