Temporary Appointment Operations Associate at UNICEF | June 2024

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built, we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, Support   

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

How can you make a difference? 

Under the general supervision of the Dodoma Liaison Office, and direct supervision of Admin Officer in compliance with the policies, procedures, rules and regulations, the Operations Associate serves as a principal support for carrying out broad operations and administrative support functions, which may include co-ordination of administrative staff engaged in fields of work such as HR, Finance, IT registry, Supply & Logistics and Transportation as indicated by the requirements and structure of the organization.

In this capacity, the need to project the image of a credible and reliable service provider is imperative to quality of process delivery, and the impact of work directly reflects on the overall reputation of the team in terms of responsiveness to client needs and quality of process execution. At the GS-6 level, the below tasks are expected to be carried out with a high level of independence.

Key functions/accountabilities:

1. Analyses and maintains an overview of the work of the liaison office to ensure timely operational support is provided in general and specialized areas.
2. Supports management of office premises, establishes routine vehicle maintenance, and supervises office drivers.
3. Provides practical input on implementation of administrative guidelines, in close coordination with the Liaison Officer and Administrative Officer. Updates staff on administrative policies, instructions, rules and regulations.
4. Briefs and assists arriving and departing staff on basic administrative and operations procedures and requirements.
5. Contributes to recommendations on the improvement of internal controls systems considering the prevailing conditions in the locality.
6. Keeps supervisor abreast of potential problem areas, makes recommendations for follow-up actions, prepares reports and evaluations on general administrative, operational or specialized tasks.
7. Provides travel assistance to staff members for travel arrangements and entitlements based on the organization’s rules and policies.
8. Assists in the preparation of budgets on travel costs and maintains travel budgetary control records. Processes travel claims. Briefs/de-briefs staff members on issues relating to administrative matters such as security clearance and documentation procedures.
9. Supports procurement/management of administrative supplies, office equipment and vehicles. Maintains inventory of office items.
10. Establishes an office supplies monitoring system. Ensures that services and maintenance of premises and equipment are in accordance with organizational standards.
11. Facilitate in follow up and implementation of HACT assurance activities/recommendations,
12. Maintains inventory of office items. Establishes an office supplies monitoring system. Ensures that services and maintenance of premises and equipment are in accordance with organizational standards.
13. Maintains admin related hard and electronic files, updates data bases ensuring timely and appropriate recording, safekeeping, and disposal of information. Provide general logistical support to visitors and individual contractors for services and physical space planning.
14. Drafts estimates on field office premises, supplies and equipment requirements for budget preparation purposes. Raises Vision documents and monitors the field office budget in close collaboration with Dar es Salaam Office.
15. Maintains field office Petty Cash account (records petty cash expenditures and replenishment), maintains office asset register, ensures timely requests for office supplies, collects pro-forma invoices from office vendors & other service providers, liaises with Dar es Salaam to facilitate timely payments, supports financial forecast for the field office.
16. Arranges for and/or attends meetings on day-to-day administrative matters, participates in discussions of new or revised procedures and practices, interprets, and assesses impact of changes, and makes recommendations for follow-up action.
17. Prepares on own initiative, correspondence, special reports, evaluations, and justifications, as required, on general administrative tasks.
18. Participates in one UN Common services meetings and serves as focal point in the field office for HACT quality assurance activities.
19. Coordinate meetings with all UN tenants in the shared office.
20. Coordinates logistical arrangements including travel, accommodation, and organization of events for the liaison office. Monitors staff compliance of office travel guidance and procedures.
21. Serve as a focal point for effective Supply, finance, HR Planning and Training management while upholding UNICEF core values at all times.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Completion of secondary education, preferably supplemented by technical or university courses in a field related to Finance, Business Administration, and Economics, Administration, or other related fields.
• Work Experience: At least 2 years of progressively work experience in administrative and junior management and operational functions. 
• Skills: Knowledge of finance is a distinct advantage. 
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Swahili is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

[add the 8^th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.