SRO Director/Representative, D-1, FTA, Kingston, Jamaica

Background information:

The Sub-Regional Office (SRO) located in Kingston, Jamaica has six other offices to the programme in the English-speaking and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries which as MICs have made significant progress in terms of economic and human development. However, the region lacks reliable data and the necessary capacity to analyze and disseminate censuses and surveys results.  High-unmet need for family planning is one important issue being addressed by the sub regional office as well as adolescent pregnancy, gender-based violence and environmental disasters. Nearly 20 percent of live births in the region occur to adolescent mothers. The sub-region has the second highest adult HIV prevalence rate in the world. 

The 22 English-speaking and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries and territories are classified among the middle-income to high-income countries; they are affected by small physical boundaries and population size, limited resource base, high and rising levels of unemployment, inequality of income and wealth and vulnerabilities to natural disasters. This is exacerbated by accumulated debt, with debt levels surpassing 100 per cent of gross domestic product in some countries.  

UNFPA Caribbean is a critical partner of national and inter-governmental entities in the implementation of the Agenda 2030, the Montevideo Consensus and the SAMOA Pathway. Civil society organizations consider UNFPA a critical partner, bringing legitimacy and credibility to their engagement at local, national, regional and global levels.  With an increase in frequency and impact of geophysical hazards in the region, such as hurricanes Maria and Irma (20170; hurricane Dorian (2019) as well as the protracted Venezuela crisis and impact to the Caribbean, the Sub-regional Office has become a seasoned and trusted humanitarian partner in the region. 

The Position:

The UNFPA SRO Director plays the leading role in guiding UNFPA work to the priorities and mandate of the organization at the sub-region. Through compelling advocacy and thought leadership, the UNFPA Representative effectively positions UNFPA to be the visible centre of innovation and excellence on issues of population and development, sexual and reproductive health, and gender, human rights and culture. Placing the ICPD issues at the centre of the overall development agenda, the UNFPA Representative plays a significant part in ensuring a coordinated and comprehensive engagement across the UN system, with bilateral donors and civil society, with national counterparts and other partners at the national and sub-regional level.  UNFPA Representative provides leadership for the work of UNFPA in the countries of the sub-regional and at the sub-regional level, and is accountable for the UNFPA programme to ensure that no one is left behind.

Key activities include:

• Strategic direction, plannng and management 
• Programme leadership and representation
• Programme oversight and coordination
• Resource Mobilization

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
 

Job Purpose:

You would be responsible for:

Strategic direction, planning and management

• Lead the positioning of UNFPA on strategic and substantive issues in the sub-region on the basis of global and regional policies and strategies;
• Lead and direct the process of scanning the environment on country and  sub-regional level issues and analyzing the implications for the work of the Fund and the Sub-regional Office;
• Identify and promote UNFPA’s comparative substantive role and specific contribution in the national and sub-regional development environment and agenda, and in the changing aid environment and take and active role as part of the regional network to ensure coordination and knowledge management for the region.
• Provide overall vision, direction and management for the work of UNFPA in the sub-region;
• Establish priorities for the work of the Sub-regional Office in line with UNFPA priorities and substantive global, regional and country level priorities;
• Establish processes to ensure that policies and procedures, programming tools and mechanisms, and sound business practices are incorporated into UNFPA country and subregional operations;
• Establish processes to ensure that state-of-the-art knowledge incorporated into the UNFPA knowledge sharing mechanism is available for use in country and sub-regional operations;and
• Direct the process of establishing, building the capacity of and maintaining partnerships, alliances and networks in the sub-region. and contribute to the region as a whole.

Programme leadership and representation

• Act as the principal adviser on country and sub-regional level issues to the Regional Director and senior management of UNFPA;
• Act as senior advisor for the promotion of the organization’s capacity for effective delivery, including on the development of regional and global policies, positioning, strategies, and plans;
• Provide leadership in the substantive development and execution of the organization’s country and sub-regional level policy dialogue and country programme, assessing and addressing implications of national and sub-regional trends on UNFPA’s work in the countries and the sub-region;
• Direct the process of developing strategies and plans for the implementation of the Subregional Programme, including for the delivery of technical assistance for capacity development and for humanitarian and emergency situations, and guide the implementation of these strategies and plans; Represent UNFPA at the country level and provide its perspective in high level national, UN, and other initiatives and events;
• Act as a leading spokesperson within the United Nations Country Teams (UNCTs) in the sub-region, promoting effective coordination on development issues with integration of population and development, sexual and reproductive health, and gender issues in the larger development agenda;
• Advocate and engage in policy dialogue for concerted action by the international community,the UN and national counterparts on issues related to sexual and reproductive health,population and development, and gender, human rights and culture, and creates awareness of the critical role of ICPD issues in the overall development agenda and the achievement of the MDGs, including in the development of CCA, UNDAF and other national and subregional development frameworks;
• Liaise with and represents UNFPA before regional multilateral institutions and mechanisms in the sub-region;
• Actively promote and support participation of civil society and private sector in development process at national and sub-national levels;
• Support the Resident Coordinator (RC) system and is an active member of the UNCTs promoting inter-agency coordination and consultative processes;
• Proactively contribute to and promote the UN reform process within the country UNCT context, and inter-agency collaboration at the sub-regional level; and
• Initiate opportunities for South to South collaboration, especially for programme and technical support to countries in the sub-region.

Programme oversight and coordination

• Lead formulation and oversee implementation of the sub-regional programme, ensuring that they reflect country and sub-regional priorities;
• Ensure the application of results-based management and quality assurance frameworks and procedures for the work of the Sub-regional Office, including in the delivery of technical assistance;
• Ensure the application of financial and substantive monitoring processes, and the evaluation of the sub-regional programme;
• Establish processes for the incorporation of evaluation results in the work of the Subregional Office;
• Promote and support national execution modalities through appropriate UN, sectoral or direct budget support modalities, based on a risk based approach;
• Establish processes to ensure the Sub-regional Office complies with Audit recommendations; and
• Ensure, and is accountable for, UNFPA contribution to joint UNDAF results.

Management of resources

• Assume overall accountability for the management and work of the Sub-regional Office;
• Propose and secure annual allocations for the sub-regional programme, and ensure the efficient and effective use of such resources in compliance with UNFPA financial rules, regulations, and procedures;
• Direct the formulation and implementation of a resource mobilization strategy for the countries and sub-region, and mobilize, in coordination with IERD and the RO, additional financial resources for the countries and sub-region;
• Develop and guide an integrated and systems approach to the work of the Sub-regional Office;
• Oversee staff accountability, learning and career management within the office and the subregion, including out posted staff;
• Supervise the SRO Deputy Director and other international and national staff, including out posted staff, provide them with managerial direction and motivation;
• Contribute to the appraisal of RC performance; ensure RCs in the countries of the subregion are adequately briefed on UNFPA mandate and organizational strategies and priorities;
• Communicate standards of performance, and assign responsibilities for achieving results according to the Sub-regional Office OMP and the PAD system;
• Uphold standards for the recruitment and selection of the highest quality of staff for the Subregional Office, and in the sub-region, including out posted staff;
• Establish and maintain a harmonious working environment; seek to strengthen teambuilding by encouraging active participation and interaction at all levels; foster staff motivation, development and empowerment; and lead by example;
• Establish a SRO security strategy and plan in line with UN procedures and requirements;
• Ensure an ethics-based approach to management of all human and financial resources; and Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Regional Director 

WORKING RELATIONS

Internal Relations: all units in UNFPA HQ and the RO. The SRO Director and UNFPA Representative is the primary authority and representative on assigned sub-region programme formulation and delivery. The SRO Director and UNFPA Representative advocates for the subregional programme, including resources, at all levels at HQ, and the Regional Office.

External Relations: Government officials at all levels, UN agencies Representatives, heads of civil society organizations (national, sub-regional, regional and international), donors, etc. Partners at the sub-regional levels. External advocacy and representation substantially affect UNFPA’s image as a reliable, trusted and creative partner.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

Advanced university degree in one or more of the following disciplines: Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Demography, Gender, International Relations, International Development, Economics, Public Administration, Management or other related field.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• 15 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in public administration and international development of which at least 8 years in the field of population and development at the international level;
• Job knowledge and technical expertise –up-to-date knowledge of issues of population and development, sexual and reproductive health, and gender, and their place in the development agenda;
• Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results;
• Excellent communication skills in speaking and writing in English; knowledge of Spanish is an asset.
• Demonstrated commitment in development work, especially the mission of the United Nations Population Fund and dedication to the principles of the United Nations;
• Programme and management experience at the field level is essential.

Languages: 

Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another official prominent regional UN language is desirable.   

 

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity;
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system;
• Embracing cultural diversity;
• Embracing change.

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results;
• Being accountable;
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen;
• Thinking analytically and strategically;
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships;
• Communicating for impact. 

Functional Competencies:

• Influencing the public policy agenda - Demonstrates cultural sensitivity, political savvy and intellectual capacity in handling disagreements with UNFPA’s policy agenda in order to promote and position UNFPA in an adverse and hostile environment
• Achieving results through programme design and innovative strategies -
• Conceptualizes innovative, results oriented programmes and holds self-accountable for outcomes
• Building strategic alliances - Leverages the larger resources of national governments and other development partners
• Fostering innovation in others - Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking
• Developing strategy at country level - Actively develops partnerships with potential donors and government counterparts in all sectors at country level
• Expert knowledge of own discipline - applies a broad knowledge of best management practices; defines objectives and work flows, positions reporting relationships in such a way as to obtain optimum effectiveness for the country office

Managerial Competencies (if applicable):

• Providing strategic vision and focus;

• Engaging internal / external partners and stakeholders;

• Leading, developing and empowering people / creating a culture of performance;

• Making decisions and exercising judgment.

 

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, rental subsidy, education grant, home leave, health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.