Operations Analyst

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Job Description

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

The United Nations Development Program – UNDP works in more than 170 countries and territories, aiding with developing policies, leadership and association skills, institutional capacities, and resilience building, fostering development. The UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025 describes the future direction of UNDP, continuing to work through its six signature solutions on poverty and inequality reduction, governance, resilience, environment, energy, and gender equality.

These are where countries’ needs are greatest and where the capabilities and position of UNDP within the United Nations development system best equip the organization to work. Learning from the lessons of the last four years, the signature solutions will be adapted to better match countries’ evolving priorities. Collaborating across the strengthened United Nations system and beyond, UNDP will develop integrated approaches that apply combinations of solutions for greater impact. Powerful enablers – strategic innovation, digitalization, and development finance – will further accelerate and scale results.
UNDP is part of the 26 United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programs in Colombia, contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development. The UNDP Country Program Document 2021-2024 seeks to support the efforts of the Colombian government for the transition to peace and the consolidation of its position as a medium-high income country; with three work priorities: 1) Stabilization: “Peace with Legality”; 2) Migration as a development factor; and 3) Technical assistance as an accelerator of the achievement of the catalytic
Within this framework, UNDP Colombia Office covering 28 departments in 319 municipalities, works in alliance with the Government – at the national and local levels – the private sector and social organizations in prioritizing actions that allow transforming living conditions of the most vulnerable populations.
At the programmatic level, the office in Colombia is organized into two Clusters that work in an articulated manner on different development initiatives: The Inclusive Sustainable Growth Cluster groups together the Sustainable Development and Productive Inclusion and Social Protection portfolios and the Cluster of Peace Development and Inclusive Governance that brings together the Inclusive Governance, Peace Development and Recuperation and Crisis Response and Rule of Law Portfolios.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the Resident Representative, the Deputy Resident Representative (DRR) and the direct supervision of the Operations Manager, the Operations Analyst acts as strategic support to the Senior Management on critical operational aspects of Country Office (CO) management and operations. This includes strategic advice on financial and logistical services, as well as common services; oversight of the country office management services portfolio and other management projects supporting the country program. All these consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The Operations Analyst will support the Operations Manager regular roles by ensuring the operations annual workplan and goals are kept on targets, guiding the logistics and common services teams, advising the finance working groups and overseeing the management projects portfolio, alerting on potential deviations and managing risks.
The Operations Analyst will liaise with programme teams as needed to boost the implementation of management projects, including those under management services agreements in response to Government and relevant partners’ requests. Regarding common premises, the Operations Analyst will collaborate with respective UN agencies, fostering partnerships with key focal points and creating opportunities in response to the BOS and other interagency initiatives.
Additionally, the Operations Analyst will act as a facilitator to ensure a coordinated and collaborative effort between Human Resources and the Recruitment Services Center. This includes ensuring that hiring processes align with organizational goals, facilitating communication between the two teams, and promoting best practices to improve hiring efficiency. By encouraging strong collaboration, the Operations Analyst will help create a unified workflow that meets the organization’s needs while effectively addressing recruitment challenges.
For backstopping planned activities, will assume as Operations Manager ai, during the CO OM absences. The Operations Analyst might be delegated manager level 2 accordingly.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

As a member of the CO Operations management team, support the strategic implementation of Operations Annual Workplan.

Advice and guide on the full compliance of operations with UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies, and Internal Control Framework (ICF).
Monitor the implement of the corporate operational strategies within the CO plans, informing on the progress towards the establish management targets (BSC); and regularly monitor office performance indicators for achievement of results.
Collect, review and advice on the mapping of CO business processes, and establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Finance, Human Resources Management, Procurement, ICT, Logistic, Common Services, General Administration and other teams in the Operations Unit.
Keep records on the risks identified and the respective management plans, including audit treatments and liaison with HQ units as required. Participates in the CO risk management committees providing advice from the operational policies and perspectives.
Provide sound contributions to UNDP knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Ensure provision of an effective, risk-informed, and accurate financial advice to the Operations Manager and Finance Teams.

Facilitate the planning of CO financial resources, tracking and recording of expenditures in compliance with IPSAS, and audit of financial resources, including extra-budgetary income in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations.
Guide and advice the finance team and finance working groups on key financial indicators integrating operational milestones and program targets, as well as interagency requirements to ensure annual planes are met.
Act as manager level 2 for management projects, agency and management service agreements in line with the internal control framework.
Advice and facilitate the cost-recovery strategy for CO services provided to projects, management service agreements and UN Agencies that includes ensuring timely preparation of proforma invoices for UN agencies.

Ensure provision of efficient logistical and administrative services, as well as common services functions

Ensure CO compliance with corporate rules and regulations related to logistics, administrative and common services, including corporate initiatives such as BOS.
Develop CO strategies to source, supplier selection and evaluation, quality control, customer relationship management, and supplier performance evaluation system for the contract allocated to the unit, including but not limited to travel and logistic LTA, common premises related contracts, security and others.
Prepare and present for interagency approval, the common services annual budget and workplan, procurement plan and key performance indicators.
Guide and advice the procurement processes and logistical services in compliance with procurement principles and guidelines.
Promote a unified vision, coordination and collaborative efforts between Human Resources and the Recruitment Services Center.
Ensure proper management of UNDP assets, facilities and logistical services, and administrative services, including full compliance with IPSAS during purchasing, utilization, and disposal of the CO’s assets.
Ensure proper planning and tracking of common services budget and of Agencies’ contributions to the common services account.
Contribute to Operations Management Team (OMT) activities including the area of risk management.

Ensure effective management of the CO management services portfolio focusing on delivering agreed services per workplans, quality assurance and risk management from formulation to implementation within the country program framework.

Contribute to design, formulation, and negotiation of CO management services agreement portfolio, translating UNDP priorities into local interventions, and oversee their implementation.
Guide and oversee the planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring of the assigned management services agreements and any other operational projects in support to the country program document, in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. Ensure digital technology solutions in programme implementation are managed towards scalability and sustainability in line with UNDP’s digital standards.
Liaise with program, thematic and sector teams to ensure programming principles and results-based management tools are incorporated to the management services agreements portfolio.
Support trends analysis for future informed and anticipatory decision-making processes. Provide inputs to the annual planning and reporting exercises.
Follow up on audit recommendations and ensure the implementation of management responses.
Prepare and aggregate reports on activities, outputs and outcomes, including donor and corporate reports for the assigned portfolio.
Support to the rollout of new initiatives and agreements including through presentation of the proposals to internal committees; finalize contribution agreements; and determine required revisions.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced University Degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, engineer, law, or related field to any of the previous academic areas, or
A first-level University Degree (bachelor’s degree) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Economics, Engineer, Law or related field to any of the previous academic areas in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced University Degree.

Experience:

Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in providing management services and/or managing operational systems and establishing relationships with international organizations and national governments.
Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), and web-based management systems such as ERP.
Previous experience in UNDP is highly desirable.
Experience and good knowledge of accrual accounting, IPSAS – International Public Sector Accounting Standards – is highly desirable.
Experience in supporting the operational management of projects and/or programs (HR, finance, procurement and/or logistics) in the public sector or international cooperation is highly desirable.

Language Requirements: