Job Description

The Position:

The Assistant Representative is a senior position based in UNFPA Rwanda's Country Office, a member of the Country Office Senior Management Team, and reports directly to the UNFPA Country 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 strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; 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:

UNFPA Rwanda has been collaborating with the Government of Rwanda to deliver on the ICPD Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within national development frameworks and the UN Delivering as One (DaO) context. In line with its Country Programme, UNFPA works to ensure that sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights (SRHR), gender equality, youth empowerment and population and data are central to national initiatives to promote social economic development. 

The Assistant Representative is a senior position based in UNFPA Rwanda's Country Office, a member of the Country Office Senior Management Team, and reports directly to the UNFPA Country Representative. S/he works closely with the other members of the country office management team to analyze and assess relevant political, social and economic trends and provide substantive inputs to project formulation and evaluation, joint programming initiatives and provides technical assistance to the government in the articulation of national development frameworks. S/he facilitates the work of consultants, technical advisers and experts and promotes partnership, synergy and strategic alliances with counterparts in government, multilateral and bilateral agencies and the civil society. S/he contributes to UN systems coordination through participation in policy dialogues and the provision of inputs into joint common system initiatives.

The incumbent will support the representative in provides vital technical inputs to all activities pertaining to external relations and private sector partnership and assists the country office in innovative financing, mobilizing resources and partnerships in support of UNFPA Mandate and Programming in Rwanda. More importantly, the position will lead UNFPA’s efforts to articulate and implement its value proposition in development finance, and the use of innovative financial approaches to support program interventions in the country. S/he will lead resource mobilization efforts and work with other colleagues to develop funding proposals and strategic partnerships while demonstrating “value for money” to donors through effective articulation and communication of results.

You would be responsible for:

Under the overall guidance of the Representative and in collaboration with the other members of the CO management team, the Assistant Representative will perform the following functions:

Thought Leadership - S/he will

•  Leverage access to senior government and national officials to prompt and advocate for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Rwanda. 
• Analyze and interpret the political and socio-economic environment relevant to population and development, reproductive health and gender and identify opportunities for UNFPA assistance and intervention.
• Keep abreast of new policy developments and strategies, analyse policy papers, strategy documents, national plans and development frameworks and advise the Representative including preparing briefs and inputs for policy dialogue, technical assistance coordination and development frameworks. 
• Contribute substantially to the implementation of UNFPA activities in line with the national priorities and in accordance with the UNFPA’s Strategic Plan, programme policies and procedures while taking into account political, social and cultural sensitivities.
• Advise management on the policy dialogue needed for the preparation and revision of national and local level plans of actions ensuring that UNFPA’s priorities are taken into account in National Development Plans and Sector Plans through active participation and leadership in relevant working groups with Government and Development Partners.

Development Financing - S/he will

• Conceptualize and develop a development finance strategy for the country office to gradually move from funding to financing, including innovative approaches to stimulating domestic resources for the advancement of the ICPD Program of Action in Rwanda.
• Establish strategic partnerships and initiate innovative financing proposals in support of the UNFPA Country Programme in Rwanda.
• Engage with traditional and nontraditional partners in the country including the private sector to unpack approaches that will result in the  overall sustainable financing of the country program.
• Market innovative financing tools, such as the UNFPA Strategic Investment Facility with International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and the private sector.
• Support CO efforts for resource mobilization to finance the SDGs, partnership expansion including with the private sector using innovative financing mechanisms.
• Collaborate with partners, to ensure collaborative, mutually reinforcing, and consistent approaches to supporting the government and one UN efforts for promoting Innovative Financing instruments in financing the health and other relevant social sectors.
• Lead the CO strategic partnerships and initiate other innovative financing proposals in support of the UNFPA Country Programme in Rwanda.

Resource Mobilization & Strategic Partnership - S/he will

• Lead the implementation of the CO resource mobilization strategy by analyzing information on potential donors, preparing substantive briefs and project proposals in line with donor priorities, creating feedback mechanisms and providing information on progress of donor funded projects.
• Undertake periodic reviews, regularly update and coordinate the implementation of the Country Office Innovative Financing and Resource Mobilization Strategy.
• Coordinate the development of proposals with CO Team in areas of potential partnerships and maintain a tracking system of donor funds to ensure timely use of and reporting on funds.
• Lead the preparation of high quality donor reports, ensuring timeliness and responsiveness to the requirements of the donor, working in collaboration with technical and management colleagues.
• Coordinate donor updates and organize donor briefings as necessary, including to advocate for the needs of women, girls and young people.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

Master’s level degree in Economics, Health financing and/or Business Administration is required. Other relevant qualifications in the humanities will be considered when accompanied by requisite experience in the core functions of the position.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• At least 7 years of relevant and progressively responsible professional experience in the development sector at the national and/or international levels.
• Specialized knowledge of health financing, innovative approaches to funding international development, international affairs, populations and related activities is desirable.
• Background in donor management and resource mobilization preferable with knowledge of the UN System would be an advantage.
•  Strong analytical ability and professional experience in representing an organization; and proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results.
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills are necessary in this position.
• Substantive experience and increasing responsibilities in programme management with demonstrated ability to refine programme design to ensure alignment of organizational programme objectives to national priorities/capacities.
• Experience in development of policies, ability to negotiate and coordinate with all relevant sectors of government, international agencies and civil society organizations.
• Excellent and proven written and oral communication skills to foster engaged partnerships at a high level of representation and to maintain partnerships is a requirement for this position.

Languages: 

Fluency in written and spoken English is required; knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably French is desirable. 

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

Functional Competencies:

• Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Delivering results-based programme 
• Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization

Managerial Competencies (if applicable):

• Providing strategic focus
• Engaging internal/ external partners and stakeholders
• Leading, developing and empowering people/ creating a culture of performance
• Making decisions and exercising judgment Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization.

Compensation and Benefits: 

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

Application Link

Application Deadline: 23th November 2024

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.