Assistant Representative job position at UNFPA. Deadline: 5/04/2025

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
(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 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.

Main Responsibilities/Expected
Results: 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:

A. 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.

B. Development Financing – S/he will

• Conceptualise 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.

C. 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,
• Communicating for impact

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 judgmentInternal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization

Compensation and Benefits:

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

How to Apply

External Candidates

Disclaimer:

UNFPA does not charge any application,
processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection
with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters
or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

In accordance with the Staff Regulations
and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the
international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status
in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to
renounce such status upon their appointment.