Fund Director, Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund

UNOPS mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need. Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, UNOPS vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness. By assisting UN organizations, international financial institutions, governments and other development partners, UNOPS makes significant, tangible contributions to results on the ground.

UNOPS Myanmar

Myanmar is one of UNOPS leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for three of the largest development programmes in the country, namely the Three Millennium Development Goal Fund (3MDG), the Livelihood and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) and the Joint Peace Fund (JPF). In addition, UNOPS Myanmar is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Myanmar and Cambodia, and for the Global Fund’s Regional Artemisinin-resistance Initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including the Government of Myanmar, international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs. UNOPS Myanmar plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT)

The Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) is a multi-donor fund established in Myanmar in 2009 with the purpose of increasing the livelihoods' resilience and nutrition of poor people in Myanmar by focusing on interventions that increase income, food availability, utilization and stability of access to food. LIFT has received funding from 14 donors to date. As the Fund Manager, UNOPS administers the funds and provides monitoring and oversight.

LIFT is performing very well. At the end of 2016, LIFT was providing assistance to over 5 million people in Myanmar, nearly 15% of the rural population. All of these people have access to LIFT-supported financial services. The Fund has helped 500,000 households (2.1 million people) measurably improve their food security (measured in terms of one month’s additional food availability), and has contributed to a reduction in the stunting rates of children under five years from 32% in 2013 to 29% in 2015.

LIFT is expected to continue operations until at least 2019. Read more about LIFT on www.lift-fund.org.

The Fund Director will provide leadership, strategic direction and promote best practice in performance and delivery of the LIFT Fund. The Fund Director is the head of the LIFT Fund Management Office, a team of 50 staff, including technical professionals as well as M&E, policy, knowledge management and programme support professionals.

This role represents a unique and exciting opportunity to lead a major investment in livelihoods and nutrition, at a dynamic time of political transformation in Myanmar. He/she will need to demonstrate strong management skills and be an advocate of continued external support to Myanmar’s poor. The incumbent will have exceptional ability to support work in challenging environments, such as conflict areas. He or she will also need excellent partnership skills, working with a broad range of stakeholders to achieve tangible results for people in need.

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent), preferably in  a subject related to rural development, business administration, public administration or international relations is required;
• First level university degree (Bachelor's or equivalent) may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree;

Experience:

• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in programme/project management is required.
• Solid experience managing large programmes at a strategic level with financial oversight is required.
• Solid experience of managing, or having a worked in a senior position with  a large multi-donor fund is desirable
• Solid practical experience in working with the UN, donors, Non-governmental organizations, public sector and/or civil society is required
• Solid experience of working in rural development and on cross cutting agendas like nutrition is desirable
• Working experience and knowledge and in Myanmar will be a strong asset. Previous experience in South and/or South-east Asia will also be an asset.
• Experience and understanding of working in fragile states is an asset.
• Experience of sector wide approaches in the agriculture or rural development sector will be an asset.
• Knowledge of public sector financial rules, procurement and/or grant-making practices will be an asset.
• Prior experience in public policy dialogue/development at a high level Experience in transition economies would be an asset.
• Knowledge of aid architecture is essential with previous experience working in Grants Management is required

Language requirements:

Fluency in English is required;
Knowledge of an additional UN language is an asset.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• In-depth knowledge of rural development-related issues.

• Ability to advocate and provide strategic policy advice.

• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas of UNOPS, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

• Ability to build partnerships with public sector, UN Agencies, civil society organisations, and non-governmental organisations.

• Promotes a learning culture for LIFT and its partners

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting.

• Ability to lead implementation, M&E of development programmes and projects.

• Ability to lead implementation of new systems and affect staff behavioural/ attitudinal change.

• Excellent conceptual and analytical abilities and an analytic approach to information management

Management and Leadership

• Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback.

• As a UNOPS MG member, ensures that LIFT activities are effectively integrated and benefit from internal synergies.

• Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills.

• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

• Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors.

• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

• Ability to go beyond established procedures and models, creation of new approaches.

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

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.