Business Operations Analyst

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Office of Information Technology and Management (ITM) plays an essential role in delivering high-quality ICT systems and Green Energy services to a global network of over 170 countries, partners, and territories with UNDP presence. The mission of the ITM Smart Infrastructure Services (SIS) is to create smart facilities, build local capacity, and inspire movements to ensure efficient and sustainable management of technologies in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The Smart Facility solutions encompass a range of services, including Green Energy, Connectivity, Security, IoT, and Data management. The ITM framework emphasizes best practices to deliver resilient and sustainable business solutions, fostering innovation throughout the organization.

The Service Delivery team acts as the first responder to the needs of country offices, supporting ICT and Green Energy projects from procurement, logistics, and finance perspectives. This team collaborates closely with colleagues globally to address operational challenges in energy and ICT infrastructure.

Given the high volume of activities within the Service Delivery unit, the finance and administrative responsibilities require dedicated professionals to meet the demands of UNDP offices, partner agencies, and vendor expectations efficiently and effectively. The Business Operations and Finance Analyst plays a pivotal role in this context, focusing on procurement requests while also engaging in supply chain operations and strategic initiatives such as stakeholder and change management, pricing, budgeting, and documentation. Continuous process improvement is a key aspect of this role, achieved through collaboration with team members and other departments.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Operations Specialist, the Business Operations Analyst will perform the following tasks:

• Provide Business Operations Services: 
  • Act as business partner for Service Owners and Project Managers to analyze, advise, and ultimately add value to Smart Facility service offerings from a procurement and financial perspective. Depending on the needs of the service or project this may entail:
    • Strategy development, risk analysis and mitigation
    • Financial reporting, budgetary planning and pricing
    • Change management, documentation and communication
    • Stakeholder management; ensuring close collaboration with UN internal stakeholders and external stakeholders, mostly suppliers. 

• Ensure Cross-functional support across Service Delivery tasks:
  • Support the Operations Analysts, with cost recovery, reconciliation, budgeting and reporting: support and coordinate all CO and Partners requests; 
  • Support Managed Services delivery by ensuring  outreach stakeholders. Following and reporting on  customer satisfaction, sales capacity and customer range. On the vendor management side, support activities ensuring   business relationship with Suppliers, to improve delivery; 
  • Continuous enhancement of the ICT strategic framework with proper knowledge management efforts and Organization of Webinars to share Knowledge.  
  • Contribute to the enhancement of the unit’s processes and order management platform (UNall and Quantum) to improve workflow efficiency, and ease end-user experience;
  • Support other roles in the Service Delivery team: general business operation functions in the unit include finance, procurement, human resources, knowledge management and further administrative duties. Ability to work with a variety of tasks and in project management mode for completion of special projects; 

• Facilitate knowledge and capacity building and knowledge sharing:
• Identify, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners. 
• Participate in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on project related issues. Support establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for dissemination of knowledge from the project, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and to support UNDP’s engagement in this area. 

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

• The candidate will be directly reporting to the Operations Specialist; 
• The Global ICT Advisor has the overall responsibility to guide both the Operations Specialist and the Business Operations Analyst;

Competencies

• Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies: 

Business Management & Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Business Direction, Strategy & Systems Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element an impact on other parts of the system.

Data & Data Analysis: Ability to extract, analyse and visualize procurement data to form meaningful insights and aid effective business decision making.

Business Management & Operations Management: Ability to effectively plan, organise and oversee different parts of corporate operations, simultaneously and in an integrated way, in order to convert the organisation’s assets into the best results in the most efficient way. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.

Communications & Marketing: Ability to communicate the value of a product or service.

Procurement & Contract Management: Knowledge of contract management concepts, principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations.

Information Management, Technology & Strategy Portfolio Management and Governance: Knowledge of developing and implementing ICT strategy, portfolio and project management services,  governance, and policies. Knowledge of project management principle. PMP or PRINCE2 certification of equivalent desirable.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent ) in Management, International Business, Development Studies or related field is required, OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above,  in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Applicants with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience. Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience  in project management, finance and/or procurement related activities. 
• Demonstrated ability to compile and analyze technical and financial data, and produce reports and key figures for decision making is required;
• Understanding and experience delivering Managed ICT and Green Energy services is required;
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both within and outside the organization will be an advantage;
• Experience  in managing strategic vendor relationships is desired.
• Experience in utilizing data visualization tools to create dashboards that enhance operational insights is desired.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing strategies to improve customer satisfaction and expand service offerings is desired.
• Oracle CRM/ERP system knowledge is desired.
• Experience and knowledge of “ServiceNow” platform is desired.
• Experience in developing presentation and reports through Excel, Powepoint, PowerBI is desired.
• Demonstrated ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge is desired.
• Demonstrated experience identifying and executing opportunities to improve operational efficiency is desired.
• Previous UN or NGO experience is desired.
• CIPS 2 certification is desired.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required; 
• Fluency in one or more additional UN languages will be an added advantage.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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