Re-Advertisement: SSRRE 2027- 2028 - Deputy Representative Operations, D-1, Sudan

Duty station: Port Sudan

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up.

For every child, dedication!

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does, in Programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life, in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions, her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens, addressing inequity, not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital.

It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

How can you make a difference?

Sudan is currently operating in a large-scale L3 emergency context following the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, which has triggered widespread displacement and a sharp escalation in grave violations against children. The operating environment remains highly volatile, particularly across Darfur and Kordofan, requiring a response that simultaneously delivers life-saving humanitarian assistance while sustaining systems across the humanitarian–development–peace nexus. UNICEF’s response is centered on critical child protection priorities, including mental health and psychosocial support, gender-based violence prevention and response, support to unaccompanied and separated children, and explosive ordnance risk education, underpinned by the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism on grave violations.

Within this context, the Deputy Representative Operations plays a critical leadership role in enabling the effective delivery of programme results through strong operational systems, risk informed decision-making, and efficient resource management. The role ensures that finance, supply and logistics, ICT, administration, and other enabling functions are strategically aligned, agile, and optimized to support programme delivery at scale in a highly constrained and rapidly evolving emergency context.

As a member of the senior management team, the Deputy Representative Operations contributes to strategic leadership of the office, ensuring that operational strategies and structures are fit for purpose, compliant, and capable of supporting scale. This includes strengthening internal controls, enhancing risk management, driving Value for Money, and ensuring business continuity under complex emergency conditions. The role also leads on streamlining systems and processes to improve efficiency and accountability, while maintaining strong oversight of partnerships, financial management, and fiduciary risk.

The Deputy Representative Operations supports the Representative in ensuring that UNICEF’s humanitarian response is delivered in a timely, principled, and accountable manner, in line with global policies and frameworks. This includes enabling effective inter-agency coordination on operational matters, supporting duty of care for staff, and ensuring that operational platforms are in place to sustain delivery across multiple locations and modalities in a fragile and high-risk environment.

Strategic Operations will accomplish this by:

• Leading by example and supporting the Representative on managing the office. Acting as Officer in Charge in the absence of the Representative.
• Managing services in the functional areas of Operations: budget, financial management and reporting, facilities management, administration, supply and logistics management, information and communications technology and convening the other functions to arrive at a unified vision.
• Implementing and monitoring strategies, policies, and procedures to support the implementation of child, environment and social safeguards (ESS) across all UNICEF Sudan programmes.
• Ensuring processes are in place to identify, promote and empower the potential in staff through career development, opportunities for stretch assignments and succession planning.
• Acting as member of the Country and Senior Management Teams, representing the organizational risk, governance systems and policies perspective in management discussions, and promoting results-based management.
• Understand business needs for the Country Programme, anticipate challenges, and propose viable, innovative solutions using a solution-focused and value-for-money lens,underpinned by strong quality assurance.
• Providing key contribution to CPD, CPMP, AMP and support to Results Based Management and implementation using Value for Money criteria. Leveraging technology for results and programme accountabilities, making effective adoption of tools and promoting the fundamentals of ICT management, information security and controls.
• Supporting the country office during external and internal audit reviews and responding to audit observations and monitoring implementation of recommendations.
• Guiding Supply and Logistics strategies and interventions to meet programmatic needs while ensuring Value for Money (VfM), including procurement of fit for purpose products and services, and providing advisory support to governments, national systems and partners on supply chain management.
• Leveraging governance, systems, and tools to provide regular feedback on risks and achievements of operations functions in the country. Overseeing business transactions processed by GSSC from a perspective of Efficiency, Performance, Risk Management and Fraud prevention. Supporting the management of PSFR operations and promoting efficiency across systems and processes, where applicable.
• Lead and support relocation and movement of staff within Sudan and in/out of the country in line with the emergency response and the broader programme implementation.
• Ensure efficient, effective, sound risk informed support to the emergency response in the areas of Finance/Accounting, Human Resources, Administration, Supply/Logistics, ICT and Implementing Partners/HACT. Specifically, ensure that the supply operations are effective and efficient and the supply flow in the country is well managed from planning to distribution, and monitoring.
• Lead and provide support in streamlining workflow/business processes for accelerated emergency response and broader programme implementation, and implementation of the emergency procedures as necessary.
• Lead the UNICEF contribution to the interagency coordination on operational matters and duty of care (including specific measures to support national staff).
• Lead and support the management of the Cash on Hand (COHA) and Money Service Providers, as well as the operational support to the humanitarian cash transfer activities.
• Lead and strengthen the implementation and monitoring of the Business Continuity Plan.
• Lead identification of more banking options, payments options to the staff, and availability of cash for programme implementation and operational needs.
• Lead and/or support the establishment of operational hubs as necessary inside Sudan and in neighborhood countries, including identifying and proposing appropriate office premises and accommodation for staff.
• Lead arrangements with the official or de-facto authorities for all operational facilities and relevant agreements (e.g., customs, visas, protocol, security, accommodations, privileges and immunities).
• Undertake visits to zone offices and/or programme implementation sites when feasible and necessary to resolve issues and support major activities.
• Lead/Support PBR or structure/staffing adjustments as needed.
• Serve as Alternate to the Representative in the Sudan wide Security Management Team meetings chaired by the DO/SRSG, Alternate to the Representative in the UNHAS Steering Committee, and Lead UNICEF Sudan representation and engagement in the Sudan IOMT.

The Deputy Representative’s (Operations) key functions and accountabilities include:

• Champion strategic management of resources to achieve organizational goals and ensure Value for Money (VfM);
• Enhance Risk Management to increase organizational performance and strengthen internal control (Valuing Risk Management);
• Ensure further operational centralization and optimization for maximized efficiency gains (Valuing Systems and Structures)
• Strengthening internal and external-facing partnerships and leveraging UNICEF’s oversight and understanding of financial management across all areas of the office (Valuing Partners).
• Lead and optimize distributed operational service delivery models across multiple hubs, field locations, and cross-border modalities, ensuring coherence, business continuity, and duty of care.
• Valuing People: Together with People Management, manage and develop people resources to promote technical competence and foster career progression and retention of a “fit for purpose”/ agile workforce.

Country Typology:

• All duty stations in Sudan are currently classified with special hardship classifications of “E”.
• Large conflict situation, with highly fragile periods of stability and volatile political situation.
• High child mortality rates in parts of the country with inequities; country is behind on most of the SDGs; challenges in sustaining investment for social sectors. Conflict and chronic underdevelopment continue to challenge any progress.
• Protracted conflict in select states (Darfur and Kordofan, Blue Nile.) and evolving, active conflict in new locations.
• Complex socio-political environment, challenged by sub-national disparities and inequities
• Large office of more than 400 staff, with high number of international and national in the capital and a wide range of field locations (11 field offices excluding Khartoum).
• Tour of Duty is three (3) Years.

Brief country context:
Sudan is one of the largest countries in Africa, with an estimated population of around 42 million, approximately half of whom are children. Prolonged political instability, coupled with the absence of a fully functioning government, has contributed to widespread insecurity and culminated in large-scale conflict since April 2023, affecting most states, including the capital, Khartoum. This has led to a severe deterioration of both the economic and humanitarian situation, with an estimated 15.8 million people, roughly one-third of the population—requiring humanitarian assistance.

These overlapping crises have significantly worsened conditions for children. Mortality rates remain high, with approximately one in 18 children not surviving to their fifth birthday. Those who do survive often face multiple deprivations, including malnutrition, disease, limited access to safe water and sanitation, inadequate protection systems, and disrupted access to education. Even prior to the escalation of conflict, an estimated 6.9 million children aged 6 to 18 were out of school, a figure that has likely increased further due to displacement and insecurity.

Climate-related shocks continue to compound vulnerabilities, with recurrent flooding and drought-like conditions contributing to water shortages and food insecurity. At the same time, outbreaks of endemic diseases such as malaria, cholera, and dengue fever remain widespread across multiple states.

Sudan is also a situation of concern under the UN Security Council agenda on Children and Armed Conflict, requiring systematic monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children. The UN operates within an integrated mission setting, with the UN Country Team led by a Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General/Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/RC/HC), alongside the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS).
To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Education:

An Advanced University Degree (Master’s and above) in one of the following areas is required: Business management; Financial management; Accounting; Public Finance; and related operations function (Supply Chain, Human Resources, Information Technology, International Business, Project management, etc.) or a full professional accounting designation (CA, ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA, CPFA) from an internationally recognized institute/body of accountancy with valid membership in good standing is required.

Experience:

• A minimum of Thirteen (13) years of progressive professional experience, at the national and international level, is required, specifically in advocating and implementing strategic organizational initiatives in one or more operations management area including budget; financial management and reporting; facilities management; administration; supply and logistics management; information and communication technology; human resources.
• Prior experience in the development sector or UN system/ international NGOs would be an asset.
• Experience in large scale cash assistance program is desirable.
• Additional experience in one or more of the following areas, would be desired: Audit and investigations, Safety and security, Grant Management, Enterprise Risk Management
• Experience in emergencies and complex contexts is highly desired.
• Experience in a UN system agency, large private or public company, or experience working in a developing country and/or humanitarian/ emergency context is an asset.
• Experience in working with corporate ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning) and IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards) is highly desirable.
• Experience in Results Based Management is a requirement.
• Experience in managing successful client-oriented work units is an asset.
• Experience in co-creating policy is desirable.
• Prior experience working with diverse stakeholder groups or multi-stakeholder partnership is highly desirable.
• Previous hands on experience in strategic and managerial leadership is required.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications is required.
• Language Requirements:
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language and the local language
  (Arabic) is an asset.

For every child, you demonstrate… UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values Competencies:

• Builds and maintains partnerships (level III)
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (level III)
• Drive to achieve results for impact (level III)
• Innovates and embraces change (level III)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (level III)
• Thinks and acts strategically (level III)
• Works collaboratively with others (level III)
• Nurtures, leads and manages people (level III)

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history.

Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.