Operator, Multiple positions

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

UNOPS strategy for Afghanistan is aimed at providing maximum support to the Government and people of Afghanistan though the delivery of projects and services in line with the government’s own priorities. The UNOPS Afghanistan Operation Center (AFOC) has been established as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been designated as the implementation agency. At present, UNOPS AFOC is implementing a number of projects in a range of sectors including infrastructure (roads and schools) development, capacity building to various ministries, and environmental protection, among others, on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan and the donor community.

UNOPS is seeking to an IAIC Call Handling Agent (“Operator”) to be responsible for answering and making calls, sharing information with and gathering information from callers, inputting accurate data entry, and flagging urgent issues. The Operator must be proficient with written and spoken English, Dari and Pashtu. Knowledge of Urdu is an asset. The outcome of this consultancy is to further strengthen and streamline IAIC’s management processes as part of its overall objective to strengthen accountability to affected populations in Afghanistan. The IAIC is currently open seven days per week, from 7am to 7pm; Shift schedules are open to change depending on operational requirements. Female operators are available during working hours.

This result of this consultancy achieves IAIC’s objectives through the provision of:

• Information sharing, information gathering, inputting data accurately, and escalation of urgent issues;
• Professional-grade call handling ability, displaying sensitivity, neutrality, and patience, and adhering to confidentiality and data protection principles;
• Knowledge and implementation of protection standards

The incumbent reports to the Project Manager, who reports to the Head of Programme Afghanistan Operations Centre (AFOC) - Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Operator will perform the following duties with transparency and integrity, and in adherence to the humanitarian standards for information management as provided by the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance (ALNAP), the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the Sphere Handbook:

• Capture and relay accurate and timely information to callers in a professional manner while conducting inbound and outbound calls ensuring absolute data entry accuracy and adherence to protection, data protection, and confidentiality principles;
• Liaise with supervisors, other operators, and third parties to gather information and resolve issues. Represent the call centre in meetings, when required;
• Receive inbound calls and make outbound calls, including for monitoring and evaluation purposes;
• Handle calls in a timely and professional manner, including distressing calls. Ensure that all calls are treated with the degree of empathy, respect, dignity, and understanding commensurate with the sensitivity of the call and the vulnerability of the caller;
• Write clear and concise caller notes in English, ensuring a rapid call handling time;
• Build and foster an effective workplace environment;
• Attend briefings, meetings, trainings, quality assurance performance improvement sessions called by supervisors. Maintain and advance core skills (active listening, stress management) and to augment existing skills, knowledge, and capacity on specific areas, including protection and gender-related issues. When required, represent the call centre in meetings;
• Remain informed of accurate and up-to-date information on the humanitarian response and information relevant to affected communities;
• Support visibility efforts to raise awareness of the IAIC among affected populations and humanitarian actors – this may involve field visits and/or representation at meetings, among other activities;
• Support internal and external information management structures to ensure the timely accurate delivery of information to both affected populations: Flag information gaps and call trend analysis to supervisors. Ensure that enquiries that fall beyond the scope of developed scripts, intake forms, and guidance notes are referred to the supervisor for further action;
• Demonstrate an ability to learn quickly, follow procedures, and act professionally at all times – especially under times of stress;
• Conduct self-appraisals and apply for leave in accordance to guidelines;
• Perform duties in line with key performance indicators (KPI) (eg time to resolve issue, time per interaction, optimisation rate, number of interactions handled per day, performance indicators);
• Be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their job; incumbents may be asked to perform other duties which reasonably correspond to the general character of their job and their level of responsibility, including taking meeting minutes. Perform Acting Supervisor duties as required;

The interview process will include a technical examination and a phone/in-person interview. Duration and Timeline: initial two-month contract, with possibility to extend depending on performance.

The incumbent will receive relevant training to implement their duties professionally and to the highest standard. The incumbent must be willing to work flexible hours on a shift schedule.

Impact of results

The outcomes of the role impacts UNOPS IAIC project. The work of the Project Manager contributes to achievement of UNOPS mission and vision:

• To expand the capacity of the United Nations system and its partners to implement peace building, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need.
• To satisfy UNOPS partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost-effectiveness. 

In particular, the results of the Project Manger contribute to the following strategic goals:

• Enhanced accountability and transparency, through the delivery of services that meet or exceed expectations
• Enhanced UNOPS operational capacity through improved process efficiency and effectiveness of UNOPS practices

Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Assessment of task completion
• Successfully meeting deadlines

Education:

• Secondary education required, Diploma or University Degree, preferably in international relations or IT.

• 6 years of related work experience, in the humanitarian or development field, customer service, call centre, IT, administration
• Strong communication skills, demonstrating active listening skills and patience
• Proven experience in usage of computers and office software packages (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Advanced experience in usage of computers and office software packages (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Proven experience of working in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, diverse team.

Desired:

• Experience in accurate data entry
• Experience in gender sensitivity, gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, mine-risk awareness, active listening techniques, basic counselling, and UN referral pathways.
• Strong knowledge of protection issues
• Experience working in a call centre or other related field handling customer enquiries.
• Experience working in the humanitarian field
• Knowledge of current political, economic, and social fabric of Afghanistan
• Working knowledge of communicating with disaster affected populations, accountability to affected populations, and protection response infrastructure

Languages

Fluency in written and spoken English, Pashtu, and Dari is required.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.