Sr. Business Management Associate, GS-7 in Business Innovation & Support Section, UNICEF Global Shared Services Centre, Budapest, Hungary

The role of the post is to ensure that standardized process steps are followed, documentation is organized and available, status reports are prepared and shared with all stakeholders and follow-up actions are adequately addressed. And support the section with the execution and implementation of all major initiatives supported by the section.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, a calling.

We are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not a job, it’s a calling.

UNICEF’s Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC) in Budapest, Hungary provides services to UNICEF offices globally in the areas of Finance, Human Resources, Payroll and Information Technology. For more information about GSSC please visit our webpage at Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC)  and check this YouTube.

The Business Innovation and Support (BIS) section has been established to drive business modernization and efficiency across UNICEF. The BIS section supports staff globally and works closely with all HQ Divisions, regional and country offices for simplification and automation of processes applying LEAN principles and project management methodologies. It combines business experience, technical skills and project management, distributed around five streams: Digital and Data Innovation, Business Process Innovation, Customer Support Services, Knowledge Management, Release / Demand Management. The close collaboration between these five pillars contributes to the achievement of GSSC’s mission.

How can you make a difference?

The role of the post is to ensure that standardized process steps are followed, documentation is organized and available, status reports are prepared and shared with all stakeholders and follow-up actions are adequately addressed. And support the section with the execution and implementation of all major initiatives supported by the section.

Summary of Key functions/accountabilities:

1. Demand and Release Management Support

• Oversee the completion of design, development, and deployment artifacts (including Sprint plans and release readiness schedules) for the technical aspects of GSSC-led technology-enabled initiatives, ensuring adherence to established processes.
• Coordinate with team leads  to ensure documentation and plans are exhaustive and that repositories, including dashboards and reports, project team sites and other digital databases are up to date and regularly maintained.
• Assist in demand and release management across all Streams in BIS by undertaking additional duties as directed.

1. Reporting and Management Support 

• Research, analyze, verify , and synthesize data and information for monitoring the implementation and identifying good practices, lessons learned and potential bottlenecks for the timely delivery of business initiatives.
• Assist in the preparation of periodic or ad-hoc reports to track progress and  coordinate the preparation of timely and high-quality background material and status updates for use in BIS  review meetings and workshops.
• Throughout the  lifecycles, compile and proactively track risk factors determined in management meetings and reviews.
• Monitor and advise budget owners on financial status of BIS-administered technology-enabled initiatives potential over-expenditures and recommend possibilities for reallocation to ensure the optimal use of available funds.

1. Resource Management Support

• Act as the Section’s administrative liaison with HR and Operations and as needed:
• Ensure timely completion of end-to-end staff recruitment processes, including support to supervisors in the development of resource requirements,
• Facilitate recruitment and provide oversight support for non-staff contract management to ensure compliance with administrative instructions/directives, organizational rules and procedures This includes supporting the preparation of contractual documentation for engaging consultants and institutional contractors, LTA documentation and CRC submissions as needed.
• Prepare periodic and ad hoc management reports to provide information on the fulfillment of contractual obligations and achievement of results.

Please review the entire Job description here.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Completion of secondary education (high school diploma) is a minimum requirement, supplemented with University degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Business Administration, Management, Computer science or any other relevant qualifications is an asset.
• Work Experience: A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant professional work experience in information technology management (medium scale) with a proven track record of interfacing with multiple levels of the organization and successful  completion of IT product management is required
• Or a minimum of four  (4) years related experience with Bachelor’s degree;
• Or a minimum of two (2) years related experience with Master’s degree may be substituted
• Strong understanding of IT product management methodologies and tools
• Experience of dealing with ambiguity, complex problem solving and creating innovative solutions.
• Ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Skills: Expertise in MSOffice apps, design, development, visualization and reporting capabilities is required.
• Hands-on experience in a cross-cutting business analysis/process management improvement capacity is highly desirable.
•  ITIL@Foundation certification (IT Governance and Service Management) and use of methodologies such as AGILE method, V-cycle, Redmine, etc.) will be an asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in both spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.
• Internal applicants from GSSC are required to complete the Learning Path corresponding to their current level before applying for another position. Additionally, they must attach a snapshot of the completed path to their applications. Applications that do not meet these two minimum requirements will not be considered. For further details on learning paths, please visit the L&D Portal  Learning in the GSSC (sharepoint.com).    

As an advocate for every child, you will receive

• UNICEF offers an attractive remuneration package including a tax-free annual net base salary starting HUF 854,234 per month. Please check SalCalcLocal (undp.org) for simulation.
• Holidays and leave, including 30 days of annual leaves per year
• Parental leave
• Dependency allowance
• United Nations sponsored medical insurance plan
• Pension plan
• Optional life insurance plan
• Access to professional development and learning programs, online learning and learning path
• Access to staff well-being support
• Access to career development support

Please visit Compensation and Benefit site on UNICEF Career page

Applicants must be nationals of EU countries or in possession of a valid work permit not sponsored by employer. Please attach a copy of your work permit to your application submission

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 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 appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be 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 canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. 

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.