DIRECTOR OF MISSION SUPPORT

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Juba. Juba is classified in the\"E\" category and as a non-family duty station. The Director of Mission Support (DMS) reports to the Head of Mission (HoM). ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the DMS will be responsible for the following functions: • Acts as the principal adviser to the HoM on all matters pertaining to administrative and technical support activities and, as such, is responsible and accountable to the HoM for the effective general management of the human, financial and physical resources allocated to the mission. • Contributes to the implementation of the mission's mandate by providing the necessary managerial, logistical and administrative support required for the fulfilment of the mandate, including such areas as budget, finance, human resources management, logistics, communications, transport, air operations, etc. • As a member of the Mission Senior Management Team, participates in the mission planning process throughout the mission lifecycle, with particular attention to support areas, and contributes to an integrated approach and consistency in the implementation of the mandate. • Ensures that the mission budget, staff, and assets are optimally allocated to support of mandate implementation across all mission components and guides any reprioritization of resources during the budget period in line with priorities that support effective mandate implementation. Undertakes or oversees reporting methodology for budget and performance in accordance with results-based budgeting guidelines. • Initiates the development and implementation of the mission support work plan and ensures coordination and monitoring of overall strategies and programmes for the support activities of the mission and takes the lead in securing the required human and financial resources for the mission. • Develops and implements a service optimization programme to promote continuous improvement in the quality and delivery of services to mission clients. This will include the establishment of relevant strategic mission performance indicators which provide data and analysis for the review of legislative bodies. Ensures that all processes and systems in place are relevant and cost effective. • Ensures, through collaboration with all stakeholders, a commitment to supply chain management and integrated/shared service delivery that is client-oriented, responsive and allows for efficiencies wherever possible. • Maintains active communication with UN headquarters and the global/regional service centres supporting the mission. • Actively engages with police and military components within the mission to ensure coordinated, high quality support in accordance with their operational requirements. • Establishes a set of robust policies, procedures, practices, standards and tools that are consistent with UN regulations, rules, policies and practice in order to ensure proper budget, accounting, procurement, financial, assets and human resources management and control and certifies mission expenditures. • Liaises, negotiates and coordinates with national authorities with respect to administrative and logistical matters. • Provides guidance, support and supervision to senior administrative and logistics support staff as well as audit and evaluation services, as appropriate. • Actively engages in management performance duties and ensures the provision of management, guidance, development, training, constructive feedback and performance evaluation and appraisal, and administrative support and other management functions to staff in the areas of his/her responsibility. • Maintains good order and discipline of staff under his/her overall supervision. • Develops initiatives to promote the welfare and wellbeing of mission staff. • Represents the mission before legislative bodies, providing information and clarification in support of budget proposals. • Represents the mission support component at meetings, protocol and ceremonial occasions, military parades, etc. • Performs related duties as may be required by the HoM, e.g., provides briefings to visiting senior officials on mission, administrative and technical support activities, etc. • Performs other related duties as required. Competencies• Professionalism: Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of principles, techniques and practices related to specialized advice in a broad range of human resources, financial, logistical, procurement and administrative areas to Head of Office/Mission, to Headquarters and to senior mission staff; ability to ensure adequate preparation of reports or rationale with respect to key logistics and administrative decisions; strong negotiation and conflict-resolution skills. Demonstrated outstanding verbal and written communication skills and proven problem-solving skills including innovation, flexibility and creativity are required. Demonstrated leadership skills including the ability to build productive teams and motivate individuals at all levels of an organization in the pursuit of common objectives is required. Proven track record of personal effectiveness in complex environments and demonstrated ability to build relationships with multiple stakeholders. Shows pride in work and in achievements; Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. • Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. • Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands in the best interest of the organization. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. • Judgement/Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation and gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions; checks assumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the organization; makes tough decisions when necessary. • Managing performance: Empowers staff and delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly. EducationAdvanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in business or public administration, logistics, human resources management, finance, accounting, or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of fifteen (15) years of experience in the areas of administration, finance, logistics, information technology, communication or related fields is required. A minimum of eight (8) years management experience with responsibilities in human, procurement, assets and financial resources management is required. Experience ensuring compliance with support-related regulations in a decentralized operational environment is required. Experience leading change management or complex innovation initiatives is required. Experience supporting complex and multidimensional field operations in conflict and post-conflict environments is desirable. Experience supporting field operations with police, military or security forces is desirable. Experience in leading drawdown in international or large sized organizations in complex environment is desirable Proven experience in negotiating with senior government officials is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).