NATIONAL POST: Assistant Representative, Banjul, The Gambia, NO-C

The Position:

The Assistant Representative, in Coordination with the Representative, designs, develops, and manages an innovative and responsive country programme. You will lead the programme team, inspiring it to translate the regional and country goals into tangible solutions and results. 

Job Purpose:

You will contribute to the management of UNFPA programme activities in the areas of population and development, reproductive health and gender. Working to advance the ICPD policy agenda in a politically sensitive environment, you will respond to changing priorities of Governments. Promoting partnership and strategic alliances with counterparts in government, multi-lateral and bilateral agencies and civil society will be key to your role. You will coordinate technical advisers and contribute to UN systems coordination through participation in policy dialogue and provision of inputs into joint common system initiatives.

Reporting to the UNFPA Representative, you will act on his behalf as required.

You would be responsible for:

• Conducting policy dialogue with Government, UN and other development partners to incorporate UNFPA’s priorities and agenda into national plans and strategies, and UN systems, initiatives and development frameworks.

• Translating global strategies into country-specific advocacy strategies. This includes creating and delivering evidence-based advocacy messages to promote UNFPA’s programme goals, taking into account political and social sensitivities.

• Promoting a results-based approach, integrating innovative policies and strategies into the design and formulation of country programmes, sub-programmes and projects. You will ensure programmes are responsive to the country’s needs in areas of UNFPA’s strategic priorities.

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

• Promoting knowledge sharing and continuous learning including testing, evaluating and documenting innovative strategies and best practices internal and external to UNFPA, and integrating these as appropriate.

• Contribute to resource mobilisation by identifying potential donors, preparing proposals including outlining co-financing resources for support to the country programme, and supporting the government and other agencies in coordinating assistance for programmes.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

Advanced university degree in Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Demography, Gender, International Relations, International Development, Economics, Public Administration, Management or other related discipline.

Knowledge and Experience:

• 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in the field of development and population activities, including programme designing, appraisal and management.
• Demonstrated ability to refine programme design to ensure alignment of organisational programme objectives to national priorities/capacities.
• Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to foster engaged partnerships at a high level of representation and to maintain political partnerships.

Languages:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably French and/or Spanish, would be a plus.