Chief of Staff - READVERTISED

APPLICANTS WHO APPLIED EARLIER FOR THIS POSITION VIDE VACANCY VA/2017/B5007/12440 DO NOT NEED TO RE-APPLY.

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The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) is a global, multi-stakeholder membership and partnership organization that works with poor people, their organizations, governments, and small-scale entrepreneurs to improve sanitation and hygiene at scale. Founded in 1990, the Council maintains a membership of over 4,000 water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) professionals from over 80 countries.

The United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) is the legal and administrative host of WSSCC.

The mission of the Council is to ensure sustainable sanitation, better hygiene and safe drinking water for all people, with focus on the poorest and most marginalized members of society in low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. In order to achieve its mission, WSSCC facilitates sector coordination at national, regional and global levels, and engages rights holders and duty bearers to adopt policy guidelines on menstrual hygiene and disability. The Council also supports national sanitation and hygiene improvement programmes through its Global Sanitation Fund, coordinates knowledge platforms, and advocates on behalf of the 2.4 billion people without access to improved sanitation. More information on WSSCC can be found at: www.wsscc.org

The job of Chief of Staff, Office of the Executive Director (Directorate) is one of a number of new positions established to implement the WSSCC Strategic Plan 2017-2020. In addition to the Directorate, the Geneva-based Secretariat now consists of four departments, each oriented from distinct vantage points to assist member States achieve sanitation and hygiene targets (SDG Goal 6, Target 6.2), and associated goals of education, health, women’s empowerment, climate change adaptation, and urban development. 

The department of the Global Sanitation Fund, is a financing and technical assistance facility supporting the design and direct implementation of 15 national sanitation and hygiene improvement programmes in Africa and Asia. Since 2010, these programmes have empowered over 13 million people to end the practice of open defecation, invest in sanitation, and adopt hygiene behaviors. The Policy Advocacy Department performs a range of normative activities and direct actions to assist member States realize a more inclusive delivery of sanitation and hygiene services. Its primary focus is policy advocacy targeted at governments, working in a mutually reinforcing manner at national, sub-regional and global levels to bring about meaningful improvements in national policy, budgeting and programming on health, education, and women’s empowerment, as well as water and sanitation.  

The Evidence and Learning Department pursues for the organization the primary functions of documentation, monitoring, applied research, evaluation, and knowledge management. It both draws upon and supports the two lead departments, while providing an interface with policy and research institutes. The External Relations Department is responsible for public affairs, corporate communications, and assists senior managers align WSSCC operations at country level while also supporting WSSCC National Coordinators in 15 countries.

The Directorate provides a vital coordination and support function for the four departments, assisting the Executive Director to advance the vision and operations of the Council. The primary functions of the office are strategic planning, results-based operational planning, change management, financial analysis, governance, resource mobilization, organizational oversight (working with UNOPS Geneva) and strategic initiatives. It is also the principle interface with the host agency (UNOPS), donors, and the WSSCC Steering Committee.

The Chief of Staff will report to the Executive Director of WSSCC and will serve as a standing member of the WSSCC Senior Management Team. 

1.     Management of the Office of the Executive Director (Directorate)

• Supervise personnel responsible for the core functions of the Directorate, including strategic planning, change management, organizational accountability, financial analysis, governance, resource mobilization, results-based operational planning and (in house) logistic/travel support, event coordination, oversight and strategic initiatives;

• In delineated role, assist the Executive Director to facilitate efforts by staff and management to monitor the implementation of the new Strategic Plan 2017-2020, working closely with the Program Manager, Evidence and Learning to apply the new Results Framework; address HR and accountability challenges.

• Manage results-based operational planning, coordinating efforts by senior managers and staff to use effective planning techniques and templates to design, implement, monitor and analyze annual plans; supervise and coordinate (in house) office administration, travel support and event planning support and logistics.

• Supervise Senior Programme Officer and Senior Finance and Systems Officer to work with UNOPS and WSSCC Senior Managers to ensure appropriate budgeting exercises, monitor budget expenditure and contractual obligations, analyze spending patterns and value for money, and inform budget planning.

• Consolidate and analyze quarterly travel plans and work with Senior Managers to implement policy guidelines on travel, ensuring compliance of Staff to new procedures.

• In his/her capacity deputizing the Directorate, act as designated (in-house) head and focal person for all WSSCC operational matters. 

2.     Support to WSSCC Senior Management Team (SMT)

• Facilitate smooth working relations among Executive Director, Staff and Senior Managers. Act as WSSCC-wide Officer-In-Charge (OIC) ensuring continuity when Executive Director is absent, and working with Senior Managers or designated departments Officers-In-Charge / secondary line managers;

• Organize monthly Senior Management Team meetings, consolidating agenda items based upon inputs from Senior Managers, and specific Thematic Task Teams;

• Monitor implementation of decisions taken by Senior Management Team, working with Executive Director and Senior Managers to ensure delivery against agreed targets and deadlines;

• Strengthen inter-departmental dialogue and facilitate internal communication among Staff and between Staff and Senior Managers;

• Monitor the design and implementation of WSSCC country models, working with Senior Managers to prepare updates on WSSCC operations in 16 (or more) countries in Africa and Asia.

3.     Support to the WSSCC Governing Body (Steering Committee)

• Manage the preparations for bi-annual Steering Committee meetings, and annual Donor Accountability Meetings;

• Prepare, in collaboration  with Program Manager, External Relations Department, documents and materials for meetings of the Steering Committee, and prepare reports on the proceedings and decisions of the Steering Committee meetings;

• Work with the WSSCC Chair and Executive Director to facilitate the implementation of new governance structure, including preparation of governance documents and elections of Steering Committee members;

• Collaborate with UNOPS and WSSCC senior managers to ensure the implementation of the decisions of the Steering Committee.

• Sustain regular communications between the WSSCC Chair and the Executive Director, working with the Personal Assistant to the Chair to prepare documentation for approval of the Chair, and implement follow up actions.

4.     Resource Mobilization

• Provide the WSSCC Executive Director support to mobilize resources for the core operations of WSSCC and for member States implementing national sanitation programmes supported by WSSCC through its Global Sanitation Fund;

• Supervise the Programme Officer, Resource Mobilization to convene the Resource Mobilization Task Team, comprising representatives from multiple departments, to undertake fund raising initiatives with prospective donors, maintain relations with current donors, and develop fund raising and communications materials in cooperation with other departments;

• Collaborate with Senior Managers to mobilize resources for member States in the countries for which they are responsible, monitoring progress through quarterly updates on WSSCC operations in 16 countries (or more) in Africa and Asia;

• In delineated role, assist WSSCC Executive Director in select countries to leverage the results of GSF-supported national sanitation improvement programmes to mobilize resources -- community savings, domestic private capital, government counterpart funding, World Bank lending, and the investments of bilateral cooperation agencies – for attainment of national sanitation targets.

5.     Strategic Initiatives

• In delineated role, assist the WSSCC Executive Director to advance strategic initiatives that promote efforts by member States to achieve SDG Goal 6, Target 6.2, and associated targets on health, education, women’s empowerment, climate change adaptation, and urban development;

• Work with WSSCC Executive Director and External Relations Department to organize a WSSCC Global Forum on Sanitation and Hygiene that convenes member States participating in regional Sanitation Conferences in South Asia and Africa, representatives of marginalized groups and their organizations, local governments, development partners, and other members of WSSCC; coordinate and oversee all related logistical and other event related support.

• Work with the WSSCC Executive Director to facilitate South-South cooperation, drawing upon peer exchanges among Executing Agencies and Implementing Partners of the Global Sanitation Fund, WSSCC National Coordinators, and focal points in government departments responsible for sanitation and hygiene;

• Direct and oversee the implementation of special projects on water for sanitation and hygiene, urban sanitation and public spaces, and on sanitation and associated goals, incubating these in the Directorate for future application in specific WSSCC departments.

• Minimum 10 years experience working for international organizations promoting sanitation, health, or other social and economic development issues.
• Minimum 2 years experience holding senior management responsibilities.
• Familiarity working with wide range of stakeholders including national governments, development partners, non-goverrnmenal organizations, private sector, and donors.

• Strong management skills with demonstrated ability to anticipate and resolve problems;
• Political acumen, discretion and tact necessary to ensure smooth relations with senior managers, staff and external partners;
• Familarity with social and economic development issues in Africa and/or Asia;
• Demonstrated ability to work well in multilingual, multi-cultural institutional settings;
• Excellent facilitation, negotiation, analytical writing and communication skills
• Confidence leading small teams, setting own goals and undertaking multple task within tight timelines;
• Creativity and resourcefulness in order to work strategically and efficiently;

• 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 for abiding 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/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH A COVER LETTER.

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale. 

Based in Geneva, the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR) supports UNOPS offices throughout the region through: management, financial and programmatic oversight of global and country-specific portfolios, clusters and operations centres, including hosting services; fund and management advisory services; project implementation; procuring goods and services; and managing human resources.

ECR ensures that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between business units and projects across the entire region.

ECR operates global portfolios from offices in Geneva, Brussels and New York, and country-specific programmes from its operations and project centres located in Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries.