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Assistant Regional Representative (Administration)

Kinshasa

  • Organization: UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Location: Kinshasa
  • Grade: Senior level - P-5, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
    • Managerial positions
  • Closing Date: Closed

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.

Assistant Regional Representative (Administration)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The Assistant Regional Representative (Administration) will function under direct supervision of the UNHCR Regional Representative.  The incumbent will advise and assist the Regional Representative in the overall management of UNHCR's administrative activities and issues of concern within the given region in an effective and efficient manner which supports the Organization's mandate.  The incumbent will also have direct working relationship/arrangement with the Head of UNHCR offices within the region. He/she will also have a responsibility to monitor, coach, and guide and intervene with the staff in the region.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability

- UNHCR premises for the country operation are managed in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
- The regional office has adequate services and supplies to deliver its operations.
- UNHCR¿s system of financial management has integrity in the region.
- UNHCR recruits, contracts and deploys staff and makes use of affiliate workforce in the region to meet its current and future operational needs and in a manner that promotes career development and respects diversity
- UNHCR provides a healthy, safe and respectful working environment for its workforce in the region.
- UNHCR¿s system of financial management has integrity at the regional-level.


Responsibility

- Assist the Regional Representative in the overall management of UNHCR¿s country programmes and issues of concern within the given region to ensure the effective and efficient use of UNHCR resources ( i.e. Human, Financial and material) as per the rules and procedures of UNHCR. This requires careful monitoring of ABOD and other expenditure instruments.
- Ensure all required admin, financial and human resources are in place for effective and efficient operation of each country programme within the region; This requires ready availability of office supplies and equipment and servicing facilities of electric/electronic office/communication equipment; further eansure that the disposal of High Commissioners property is done in accordance with the established procedures, rules and regulations.
- Ensure that the all staff positions ,both national and international, are timely filled as per established rules and regulations; ensure the functioning of the Regional APPC is done strictly in accordance with rules and regulations and in a transparent manner.
- Monitors the day-to-day operation of the office, identify problems, and take appropriate action to overcome these through constructive changes ; Facilitate a harmonious and coherent working atmosphere in each office so that team spirit will prevail for collective and desired out put of  by respective staff in each office.
- Guide, Coach and Assist the Admin/Finance staff in each office to timely prepare the relevant  administrative budget and post requirements  as per guidelines and standards of the day in oprder to  incorporate them  into the Regional Operations Plan.
- Liaise, visit and monitor the working and living conditions of UNHCR staff in each country in the region with a view to ensure the availability of reasonable living and working conditions for the staff to effectively discharge their assigned responsibilities. As and when inadequacies are noted, appropriate measures should be initiated in consultation Regional Representative to  ameliorate difficulties and to create a tense free, productive and healthy working environment.
- Keep abreast of all  up-to-date and detailed understanding of UNHCR administrative policies and procedures with particular emphasis on various structural and managerial changes in order to provide accurate information; As and when required provide trainings to the respective Admin/Finace staff in order to ensure that they are up to date with required skills and knowledge to perform their functions.
- Manage and guide the staff by ensuring timely preparation of  Performance Appraisals Reports through respective supervisers. Ensure all staff within the region are fully aware of the UNHCR code of conduct through refresher courses.
- Play an active role in the Security Management Team (SMT) in the relevant region and the inter-agency security and contingency planning process; ensure that appropriate security measures and evacuation plans are in place to protect UNHCR staff; and that security guidelines and procedures as outlined by the Designated Offcial and UNDSS are complied with.
- Organise and facilitate various official missions that visit the region to obseve, assess and monitor the High Commissioners country programme(s).
- Ensure that Support services of Administration and finace remain effective and service oriented at all the time so that other units and services in each respective office can effectively serve the refugees and the cause of the organisation.
- Any other related responsibilities/functions deemed necessary or as delegated by the Regional Representative.

Authority

- Enforce regional compliance with UNHCR¿s workplace standards.
- In coordination with headquarters enforce regional compliance with UNHCR¿s financial rules.
- Enforce compliance with UNHCR¿s human resources policies (e.g. policies on gender, disabilities, diversity, ethics and HIV/AIDS).
- Allocate resources to meet minimum standards for staff working and living conditions.
- Clear the submission of the country operations plans (admin budgets, staffing levels and structures).
- Represent UNHCR in UN and other operations management fora.
- Enforce compliance with UNHCR¿s global strategies, protocols and guidelines.


ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

- Graduate (equivalent of a Master's) degree in Business Administration, Economics, International Law, Political Science, International Relations or a related field plus minimum 11 years of previous work experience relevant to the function. Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) plus 12 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 10 years of previous relevant work experience may also be accepted.
- Job experience: at least 11 years of relevant work experience in progressively responsible functions, preferably within the UN.
- Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.


DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

- Solid UNHCR experience from both the Field and Headquarters.
- UNHCR specific learning/ training activities (i.e. Management Learning Programme, Protection Learning Programme).
- Knowledge of additional UN languages.


This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR Assistant Regional Representative (Administration) positions. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates. C001L4 - Accountability Level 4
C002L4 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 4
C003L4 - Communication Level 4
C004L4 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 4
C005L4 - Client & Result Orientation Level 4
C006L4 - Organizational Awareness Level 4
M001L4 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 4
M002L4 - Managing Performance Level 4
M006L4 - Managing Resources Level 4
M005L4 - Leadership Level 4
M003L4 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 4
M004L4 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 4
X007L4 - Political Awareness Level 4
X001L4 - Analytical Thinking Level 4
X008L4 - Stakeholder Management Level 4 <p>The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.</p>
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
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For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage them – before deciding to apply- to read the country specific security and welfare country profiles which can be found on the Intranet under Support Services - Duty of Care (https://intranet.unhcr.org/en/support-services/duty-of-care.html). Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care.

 

Staff after having applied to High Risk Duty Stations will have access to country specific information webinars with Field Safety Section (FSS) and Staff Welfare Section (SWS) colleagues and provided with a tool to test their psychological preparedness for serving in High Risk Duty Stations. Applicants who applied for a position in a High Risk country will receive, after the deadline for applications has expired, a joint invitation from the Staff Welfare Section (SWS) and the Field Safety Section (FSS) to participate in these webinars. During the Webinars, latest updates on security and well-being will be provided, and FSS and SWS will address questions raised by participants. Applicants are highly encouraged to benefit, when applicable, from all measures as they provide most up-to-date security and well-being information helpful to assess staff’s readiness to serve in a High Risk Duty Station. A Staff Welfare Officer will also be available, if and when required, to discuss with interested applicants the results of the psychological preparedness tool as well as readiness for assignment in High Risk Duty Stations.

 

The candidate must adopt a pro-active mature approach to strengthen the Operation¿s administrative capacity and should possess highly proven managerial skills and competencies.

The incumbent should possess thorough administrative/operational knowledge and functional skills in working in a large multi-agency operation.  It is imperative that at this level the incumbent has proven technical skills and in-depth knowledge of the UNHCR in-house accounting and administrative tools such as MSRP and FOCUS with the capacity to train staff.

She/he will be tasked to manage the administrative support service in a complex environment. The incumbent should have demonstrable competencies and skills in the effective management of the resources entrusted to her/him in a continuously evolving situation.  

The applicant needs to be motivated, hardworking, and able to juggle competing priorities. She/he should also possess excellent communication skills.

S/he must have an excellent working knowledge of French and English, as more and more reports are drafted in the English language. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hosts 529,061 refugees as of 31 December 2018 countrywide (including 216,986 Rwandan refugees, 172,011 CAR refugees, 43,010 Burundian refugees and 95,704 South Sudanese refugees). 
DRC also hosts more than 4 million IDPs mainly located as follows: 1.4 million in Kasai provinces, 1.1 million in North Kivu province, 545,273 in South Kivu province, 603,000 in Tanganyika province, 210,000 in Ituri province, 147,000 in Maniema province, 96,000 in Haut-Katanga province, 64,000 in Haut-Lomami province and 16,000 in Lualaba province. As lead Protection Cluster, UNHCR continues to play a key role supporting the DRC Government in implementing a durable solutions strategy in order to help end the circle of protracted displacement in the country.  
In April 2018, the United Nations system-wide Level 3 emergency declaration for the Kasai region and the provinces of South Kivu and Tanganyika was de-activated. At the same time, security and humanitarian conditions in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu have deteriorated sharply.  In Ituri, on-going violence has seen a rise in the number of internally displaced persons to almost 350,000. A further 92,000 have fled to Uganda, creating a refugee emergency for which an internal Level 2 emergency was declared. In North Kivu, 500,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of the year, bringing the total number of IDPs in the province to 1.45 million.
Both situations have witnessed, among others, forced recruitment, sexual and gender based violence and kidnapping. The recent outbreak of an Ebola epidemic has compounded matters. Along with other humanitarian actors, and working pursuant to its coordination roles for protection, CCCM and emergency shelter, UNHCR is distributing emergency relief items, meeting other essential needs through cash transfers and implementing shelter programmes for returning IDPs in both provinces. The Office is undertaking protection activities, strengthening the capacity of local communities and authorities at all stages of the displacement cycle, fostering peaceful co-existence and dialogue and promoting participation of youth and women in decision-making and promoting dialogue all with a view to addressing critical protection risks and advancing solutions.
In October 2018, 350,000-400,000 Congolese nationals have arrived in the Kasai region, forcibly expelled from Angola, where the majority were working in the unregulated mining sector.  The returns were part of ¿Operacao Transparencia¿ and involved significant human rights abuses in Angola, as well as engendering protection incidents on the Congolese side of the border.  Thousands of returnees have walked or otherwise organized their own return to villages and towns in the Kasais and Lualaba Province, as well as further afield ¿ in many cases overwhelming already fragile communities struggling to cope with the needs of returned IDPs and with interethnic tensions exacerbated by limited services and a fragile political environment.  The humanitarian community is collaborating on immediate responses in the border communities and on upscaling support to areas of return, and has asked for all actors to identify where they will engage. At the same time of addressing the dictates of responding to the ever-changing demands of the IDP emergencies, UNHCR is called to be present to deliver assistance under its mandate to refugee caseloads scattered in various locations throughout the vast DRC territory.
The Regional Office in Kinshasa supervises and provides support to 5 sub-offices and 13 field offices/units within the Country. The Regional Office also currently oversees operations in Gabon, Sao & Principe and the Republic of Congo which provides support to more than 55,000 people of concern.
The Assistant Representative (Administration) will function under direct supervision of the UNHCR Regional Representative.  The incumbent will advise and assist the Regional Representative in the overall management of UNHCR¿s administrative activities and issues of concern within the region in an effective and efficient manner which supports the Organization¿s mandate.  The incumbent will also have direct working relationship/arrangement with the Head of UNHCR offices within the region. He/she will also have a responsibility to monitor, coach, and guide and intervene with the staff in the region. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the third largest country in Africa, and as a result is quite diverse.  Living conditions therefore vary between UNHCR duty stations, with all usual amenities present in the capital Kinshasa, but only very basic conditions in remote duty stations in the provinces, where, for instance, there may be no guarantee of public power supply nor running water.  Accommodation is very expensive in Kinshasa. There are several Supermarkets in town but consumer items are generally very expensive (as everything is imported). For food, local markets offer a much cheaper alternative.  Kinshasa is considered family duty station effective 1 January 2015, despite the fact that most facilities and amenities are still basic.

The unit of currency is the Congolese Franc. The US dollar is the other preferred currency. It may be impossible to exchange traveller¿s checks away from the capital city. Credit cards are usually accepted in major hotels only in Kinshasa. In larger towns and cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani), it is recommended to open US Dollar bank accounts, while in other places, banks may be absent (including ATMs) and payments will be processed in cash.

In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili. Kinshasa is a security level 2 duty station. Security threats in Kinshasa are mainly from crime and potential civil unrest.  UN personnel are not specifically targeted but criminals focus attacks on those perceived to have money and valuaables.  Crimes are primarily committed by street children locally called ¿Shegues¿, more organized gangs and unemployed youth called ¿Kulunas¿ and sometimes uncontrolled elements of the national security forces (police, soldiers, etc.) Female candidates are invited to apply.

Please note that the closing date for vacancies in the Addendum 4 is Thursday 28 February 2019 (midnight Geneva time)

This vacancy is now closed.
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