Under the direct supervision of the UNFPA Country Director based in Senegal, the Chief of Operations of the Gambia Country Office plays the leading role in the formulation and delivery of the country programme and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Office. The Chief of Operations supervises Country Office staff as assigned by the Country Director. S/He works closely with the UNFPA Representative / UN Resident Coordinator based in the Gambia.
Job Purpose
The Chief of Operations is primarily responsible for the formulation and delivery of the UNFPA Country programme, projecting the programme of the organization, promoting at the national level the goals of the programme and ensuring the integration of issues of population, sexual and reproductive health, and gender in the broader development agenda. In close collaboration with the UNFPA Representative, the UNFPA Chief of Operations plays a leading role in strengthening the country’s ownership of and capacity to implement the ICPD Programme of Action within the context of its national development efforts for the achievement of the MDGs and Post 2015 objectives. The Chief of Operations also plays a leadership role within the UNFPA country team, providing an example of creative programme development and sharing knowledge and insights with staff to facilitate broad country programme management. Key activities include:
- Programme Leadership
- Resource Management
- National Capacity Development
- Partnerships and Advocacy
The Chief Operations Officer serves as OIC in absence of the UNFPA Representative; s/he serves on the Country Management Team.
Qualifications and Experience
Education:
- Advanced degree in Public Administration, Management, Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Demography, Gender, International Relations, International Development, Economics, or other related field.
Knowledge and Experience:
- 7 years of increasingly responsible professional and managerial experience, in the field of international development; prior experience in the UN system an asset;
- Demonstrated experience in administration, HR management, finance, information technology and/or office management
- Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results
- Demonstrated ability to refine programme design to ensure alignment of organizational programme objectives to national priorities/capacities
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills to foster engaged partnerships at a high level of representation and to maintain political partnerships in the assigned country
- Knowledge of the region is an asset
Languages:
- Fluency in English is required.
- Fluency in another UN language is preferred.