Pakistan: NATIONAL POST: Assistant Representative, Islamabad, Pakistan Country Office, NOD

The Position:

The Assistant Representative is responsible for designing, developing and implementing an innovative and responsive country programme. You will respond creatively to complex challenges and frequently changing demands in terms of a fluctuating resource base, multiple funding arrangements and donor contacts, and complex programme execution modalities.

You will report directly to the UNFPA Deputy Representative.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2018-2021), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.

In the face of challenges resulting from the delay in reducing fertility in Pakistan, including gaps in fulfilment of women’s reproductive rights, the need for significant expansion of infrastructure and services to serve a larger population, the difficulty in achieving education goals with the growth of its school-aged population and a less favorable age structure for economic development, UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need principled and ethical staff, who embody human rights norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

In a highly complex operating environment, you will play a vital role in promoting partnership, synergy and strategic alliances with counterparts in government, multi-lateral and bi-lateral agencies and civil society.

You will contribute to the management of UNFPA activities in the areas of reproductive health, population and development and gender, and provide information on achievement of results in the implementation of the country programme.

You will facilitate and coordinate technical advisers and experts and contribute to UN systems coordination through participation in policy dialogue and provision of inputs into joint common system initiatives

You would be responsible for:

A. Programme development and management

• Promote a results-based approach and integrates innovative policies and strategies into the design and formulation of country programmes, program components and projects based on strategic priorities and responsive to the country’s needs in the areas of reproductive health, family planning, youth, population and development and gender.

• Facilitate the achievement of programme results by identifying, providing and coordinating substantive and technical inputs into programme development and implementation, ensuring substantive monitoring and oversight and coordinating and evaluating the inputs of consultants and technical experts.

• Promote knowledge sharing and continuous learning, testing, linking and documenting innovative strategies, approaches, lessons learned and best practices inside and outside UNFPA and replicating these strategies and approaches. Ensure that programme staff integrate new substantive policies, methodologies and tools.

• Participate in the United Nations Common Country Assessment and Development Assistance Framework exercises as part of the broader UN Reform initiatives.

B. Advocacy and Partnership

• Conduct substantive policy dialogue with Government counterparts and UN and other development partners to facilitate the incorporation of UNFPA programme priorities and ICPD agenda into national and sub-national plans and strategies, UN systems initiatives and development frameworks.

• Provide strategic inputs towards advocacy efforts of the Country Office by preparing or reviewing relevant documentation, i.e. project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles and participating in donor meetings and public information events.

• Translate global and regional strategies into country specific advocacy strategies; Create and deliver effective evidence-based advocacy messages to promote UNFPA programme goals taking into account political and cultural sensitivities.

• Advise on and build strong technical and programme multi-sectoral partnerships for advocacy for the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development through national institutions, networks, alliances and coalitions.

C.Management of resources

• Participate in the formulation of the annual work plans and monitor their day-to-day implementation through consultations, correspondence and field visits.

• Contribute substantially and strategically to resource mobilization initiatives; assist in the formulation and implementation of a resource mobilization strategy for the country and mobilize resources to fill gaps.

• Support the UNFPA Deputy Representative in ensuring systems of accountability for the management of Country Office resources as per UNFPA policies and procedures.

• Coach and supervise national professional and support staff, providing them with managerial direction and motivation; oversee staff performance and advise on development needs; undertake capacity building among UNFPA staff and counterparts for issues pertaining to programme and financial management and advocacy towards the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.

Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA leadership.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree in Population Studies, Demography, Statistics, Public Health, or related Social Science field.

Knowledge and Experience:

• At least 7 years of increasingly responsible professional experience, preferably in programme/project management in the public or private sector;

• Excellent organization skills, attention to detail, precision and accuracy;

• Demonstrated ability to refine programme design and to ensure alignment of organizational programme objectives to national priorities/capacities;

• Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results;

• Excellent communication skills to foster partnerships at a high level of representation and to maintain political partnerships in the assigned country;

• Strong interest in development work, especially the mission of the United Nations Population Fund and dedication to the principles of the United Nations;

• Knowledge of the UN system would be an advantage;

• Experience in a humanitarian or crisis context is an asset.

Languages:

Fluency in English and Urdu are required, knowledge of local languages is an asset.

All applicants should apply on the link below. Please note the vacancy is open to NATIONAL OF PAKISTAN ONLY.

Job ID-19130: https://www.unfpa.org/jobs/national-post-assistant-representative-islamabad-pakistan-country-office-nod

CLOSING DATE OF APPLICATIONS IS  15 NOVEMBER 2018 AT 5PM PAKISTAN TIME