Head of Programme Support

UNOPS Myanmar is one of UNOPS’ leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for some of the largest development programmes in the country. In addition, UNOPS is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund in Myanmar and for the Global Fund’s regional artemisinin-resistance initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS also provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs. UNOPS plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Please note that Myanmar is currently classified as a non-family duty station.

The Access to Health Fund (2024-2028) is the fourth round of multi-donor financing for health in Myanmar, building on the work of the Three Diseases Fund (2007-2012), the 3MDG Fund (2013-2018) and the first phase of the Access to Health Fund (2019-2023). To improve health equity in Myanmar, Access to Health focuses on the most underserved and vulnerable populations under a rights-based approach, bringing health services where they are most needed, in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected areas. The Fund works with local and international partner organizations and other key stakeholders to increase people’s access to health services (maternal, newborn and child health; sexual and reproductive health and rights; combating HIV, tuberculosis and malaria; emergency health services) and to strengthen local health systems.

The Fund is driven by the conviction that pooling donor resources enables programme coherence and leads to greater impact. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), as the Fund Manager, administers the funds and provides monitoring and oversight. In addition to the donors to the pooled fund, Access to Health receives funding from Takeda Pharmaceutical Limited through its Global CSR Programme and multilateral finance institutions to improve access to health services in Myanmar.

The Access to Health Fund is structured in five departments reporting to the Fund Director: Programmes (Deputy Director of Programme) and three Regional Team Leaders), Strategy (Head of Strategy and Four Team Leaders working on Cross-cutting themes, Health Systems Strengthening, and Strategic Purchasing), Monitoring and Evaluation (Senior Officer and two Team leaders), Special programmes (managing earmarked funds from multilateral finance institutions and Takeda that do not contribute to the pooled fund but align with the overall strategy of the Fund) and Communications. 

The Head of Programme Support will play a crucial role in leading the Fund as it navigates growing complexities in the programme implementation environment and evolving donor requirements. The Head of Programme Support will interact and collaborate closely with the UNOPS Myanmar Programme Management Office that oversees due diligence and compliance, contract and grant management, best practices/standardization, and finance, budgeting and reporting. 

The Head of Programme Support, will report to the Fund Director and bring excellent strategic leadership skills, and a track record of operationally managing complex programmes with multiple donors. This includes expertise in procurement processes and grants management within highly challenging contexts.

The Head of Programme Support is responsible for working towards the results (outlined below) in the following functional areas:

• Budgeting and financial reporting (donors and other stakeholders)

• Grants

• Programme Operational support

• Audit and oversight of programmes, performance and coordination

• Procurement and Contract management

Functional Responsibilities

1. Leadership and management

2. Fund management support unit governance,  implementation and coordination

3. Knowledge management and innovation

4. Procurement unit management and strengthening

1. Leadership and Management

• Under the supervision of the Fund Director, provide strategic oversight and leadership to the Access to Health Fund. Act as Fund Director’s OIC  when required, e.g. in the absence of the Director;

• Under the supervision of the Fund Director, represent the Fund to high-level stakeholders in aspects related to the operations management of the Access to Health Fund; 

• Support the Fund Director to maintain an oversight of the Funds Operations, Finances, Grants and Procurement activities;

• Lead or co-lead work in areas requiring special attention or turnaround, initiate and lead/support adjustments when required;

• Establish excellent collaboration with Support Services and the UNOPS Myanmar Country Office Programme Management Office (PMO). collaborate closely with the Programme Management Office to identify roles, responsibilities and communication lines between the PMO and the Fund as a means to maximise effectiveness, efficiency, avoid duplications, and reduce administrative burdens for the Fund and its implementing partners;

• Lead simplification processes, including improving the Fund’s approach to contractual and financial management and requirements for grant recipients as well as UNOPS overall process innovation and digitalisation initiative;

• Support the conceptualization of an organizational structure suited to reducing costs while maximizing results aligned with the Fund’s strategy;

• Ensure effective staffing; mentor, coach, and support the Fund's staff to support the development of others; 

• Acts as a positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles; 

2. Fund Management Support Unit governance, Implementation and Coordination

• Establish and maintain a functional operations function with all appropriate support functions (grants, procurement, audit, contracts, admin and finance); liaise with relevant functions and departments within the Myanmar Country office and wider UNOPS, and other UN organisations;

• Responsible for all Fund-related operations service including budgeting and financial reporting, grant/ contract management, Due Diligence Assessment (DDA), risk management, programme-specific operational support, audit, procurement, output analysis and oversight, in accordance with UNOPS Rules and Regulations;

• Foster clear communication amongst the Fund Operational Support staff and with the other programme support stakeholders;

• Establish and execute the programmes operational implementation (finance, grants and procurement) in collaboration with the team and stakeholders. This includes defining objectives, performance measurements, standards and expected results to deliver timely, cost-effective, and client-focused services. Ensure the efficient use of UNOPS tools, systems, and processes aligned with the Fund's objectives;

• Identify, assess and manage risks and opportunities for the Programme Operational Support in alignment with the Fund’s overall goal and objectives;

• Revise and simplify existing and/or develop Access to Health Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), manuals, plans, budgets, reporting templates and all necessary programme support devices and tools aligned with UNOPS and MMCO policies and procedures, as may be required for the Fund’s grant implementation;

• Lead the development of funding proposals from a finance and operations perspective, working closely with the Fund’s programmatic functions, as well as donors, partners and beneficiaries;

• Support the Fund in further developing systems for identifying and selecting implementing partners in accordance with UNOPS’ Rules and Regulations;

• Oversee effective due diligence processes for downstream partners, including conducting assessments and implementing improvement plans;

• Work closely with the UNOPS Myanmar Programme Management Office and Support Services to maintain and simplify operations as feasible while ensuring that funds are held, disbursed and accounted for in a timely, transparent and efficient manner;

• Work in collaboration with the UNOPS Myanmar Programme Management Office to guide the Fund in preparations for and during the audit processes;

• Work closely with the UNOPS Myanmar Programme Management Office to ensure compliance with the relevant policies to address fiduciary risk and fraud, while continuing to maintain the space to operate in Myanmar;

• Support simplification and optimising implementing partners' results and financial reporting aligned with donor reporting systems enabling timely and accurate annual reporting while reducing bureaucratic burdens on implementers and streamlining processes within the Fund; 

• Support the Fund Director in the engagement with new and existing donors and stakeholders, for the negotiations and review of legal agreements, fund flow and related appropriate UNOPS processes;

• Oversee implementation of efficient administrative systems, policies, and procedures to ensure smooth daily operations and compliance with UNOPS rules and regulations incl analyse work processes within the Fund to develop streamlined procedures,and identify possible areas for simplification;

• Work closely with the UNOPS Programme Management Office throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring compliance with donor and UNOPS rules and regulations while maintaining a focus on simplification and reducing bureaucratic burden; 

• Oversee budget planning, forecasting, and resource allocation, ensuring adequate fund flow and tracking spending. Support the Access to Health Finance personnel  to adjust financial plans based on operational needs and funding changes;

• Prepare accurate and timely financial reports for internal and external stakeholders, including donors. Analyze financial data to provide insights into programme performance and cost efficiency;

• Develop and support the capacity of the Access to Health finance team to ensure high performance, providing training and support on relevant policies and practices, as needed;

3. Knowledge management and innovation

• Lead the development and introduction of innovation to ensure continuous incorporation of best practice approaches;

• Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for Institutionalise and share good practices and lessons for the Funds development and knowledge building;

• Lead the introduction of new technologies and artificial intelligence as appropriate to gain operational efficiencies, effectiveness and oversight;

4. Procurement team management and strengthening

• Oversee and lead the direction of the Access to Health procurement team in the new context of Myanmar to ensure procurement processes are in line with UNOPS’ procurement policy, guidelines and QA standards whilst maintaining operational feasibility in the country context and coordinating with procurement units of MMCO and Asia Regional Health Cluster as relevant; 

• Support and guide tax exemption process and guide the team as required;

• Coordinate with Access to Health programme and strategy teams for the annual procurement forecasting exercises and technical inputs;

• Support the team for supply chain assessment and tracking Procurement Supply Chain Management; 

• Master’s degree in Law,  Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or related field is required.
• A Bachelor's degree preferably in the above fields in addition of two more relevant years of experience (total of 12 years of relevant experience), may be accepted in lieu of a Master's degree.

Experience 

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible, relevant experience in the areas of operations, administration, finance, or programme implementation is required.
• Demonstrated experience in roles with independence and decision making authority on budgets is highly desirable.
• A minimum of 3 years experience in managing grants, contracts and/or overseeing finance functions is required.
• Experience in managing a team is essential.
• Experience in managing a procurement team or overseeing procurement processes is considered advantageous.
• Experience with working or coordinating  with donors is considered advantageous. 
• Proven experience in a wide-spectrum of operations-oriented management, including but not limited to financial forecasting for project acquisition, budgeting, procurement and project monitoring is required.
• Experience working with or exposure to donor organizations and experience in working with NGOs and civil society would be an asset
• Experience with  UNOPS IT systems, regulations and rules is an advantage.
• Experience in setting up and managing programmes in conflict settings is an asset.
• Experience working in a culturally diverse setting would be an asset.
• Willingness to travel regularly, both locally and internationally is required. 

Language

• Fluency in both written and spoken English is required; 

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement
Contract level: IICA4, ICS12
Contract duration: Open-ended (subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds, and satisfactory performance)

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

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

• Note that Yangon, Myanmar is currently classified as a non-family duty station.