Chief, Resources Management Unit (P), Athens

Introduction

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations and the leading UN agency in the field of migration. Working closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners, IOM promotes humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It saves lives and protects people on the move, drives solutions to displacement, and facilitates pathways for regular migration, while providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

IOM is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive and supportive workplace where all employees can thrive professionally and feel valued. By creating such an environment, IOM aims to better harness the full potential of migration and strengthen its support to people on the move.

IOM invites candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply and provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process when required. Learn more about IOM’s workplace culture at IOM workplace culture | International Organization for Migration.

Applications are welcome from first- and second-tier candidates, particularly qualified female candidates as well as applications from the non-represented member countries of IOM. For all IOM vacancies, applications from qualified and eligible first-tier candidates are considered before those of qualified and eligible second-tier candidates in the selection process.

For the purpose of this vacancy, the following are considered first-tier candidates:

1. Internal candidates
2. External female candidates
3. Candidates from the following IOM Member States that are not represented among staff members in the Professional and higher categories: Bahamas, Barbados, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Congo (the), Cook Islands, Dominica, Federated States of Micronesia, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Holy See, Iceland, Israel, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Namibia, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Second tier candidates include:

All external candidates, except candidates from non-represented member states of IOM.

Organizational Context and Scope

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Mission (CoM), and secondary reporting line of the Deputy Regional Director, Management of the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in Regional Office Vienna, Austria, in close coordination with the relevant HQ Departments and the Global Shared Services Centre (GSSC), the Chief, Resources Management Unit (RMU) is a core member of the senior management team and the principal adviser to the CoM on resources management, financial sustainability, internal control, oversight and operational risk.

The position is established in Country Offices with a large, complex and/or geographically dispersed portfolio, typically comprising multiple Sub-Offices, significant emergency or high-risk operations, and a substantial volume of donor funding, procurement and implementing-partner activity.

The Chief, Resources Management Unit sets the strategic direction for, and is accountable for, the finance, budget, treasury, human resources, supply chain, administration, premises and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) functions of the Country Office and its Sub-Offices, leading, where applicable, through heads of functional units. The Chief, Resources Management Unit will be responsible for the Country Office’s internal control and management assurance framework, provide independent and evidence-based challenge on the resource implications of major decisions, and ensure that resource management capacity, systems and services remain sustainable, compliant and proportionate to the scale, complexity and risk profile of operations.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Advisory Role

1. Serve as the principal adviser to the Chief of Mission on the Country Office’s financial position, resource management capacity, operational sustainability, and exposure to financial, compliance and delivery risks.
2. As a core member of the Senior Management Team, contribute to the strategic direction and effective management of the Country Office, ensuring that resource considerations are integrated into programme strategy, emergency response, resource mobilization and operational decision-making.
3. Provide independent, evidence-based and forward-looking advice on portfolio trends, funding scenarios and resource allocation, and recommend strategic interventions where financial sustainability or delivery is at risk.
4. Provide constructive challenge on the affordability, feasibility, compliance and risk implications of major proposals and commitments, ensuring that key management decisions are supported by credible financial analysis, documented assumptions and clear accountability arrangements.
5. Set the strategic direction for practices, operating models and systems across resource management functions, sponsor major transformation and service improvement initiatives and provide authoritative feedback to the Regional Office and relevant HQ Departments on the effectiveness, scalability and operational impact of corporate policies and systems in large and complex operations.
6. Provide authoritative advice on financial and other resources management policy matters and actively support donor contract negotiations.

Human Resources

7. Provide oversight of all aspects of human resources management in line with the Department of Human Resources’ overall vision and guidance.
8. Position the human resources function as a strategic business partner supporting organizational effectiveness, workforce planning and people management priorities.
9. Ensure quality assurance of human resources products, advice and processes within the Country Office.
10. Where dedicated Human Resources role(s) are established, provide support in line with the Department of Human Resources’ overall vision and guidance and, in conjunction with the Chief of Mission, play an active role in identifying and addressing workplace issues that lend themselves to early managerial intervention.
11. Ensure effective workforce planning, recruitment support, onboarding, offboarding, staff development and performance-management processes, in coordination with relevant human resources specialists, GSSC and in line with organizational framework and policies.

Financial Management, Treasury and Budget

12. Provide strategic leadership for the Country Office’s financial management and long-term sustainability, including integrated budgeting, multi-year forecasting, treasury, accounting and financial reporting, and ensure that financial resources are aligned with programme strategy, operational priorities and risk appetite in accordance with IOM regulations and donor requirements.
13. Establish appropriate oversight mechanisms for cash-flow forecasting, banking arrangements and cash controls.
14. Exercise delegated financial and signatory authority and remain accountable for the integrity, timeliness and reliability of the Country Office accounts, including the effective management and escalation of material financial exposure.
15. Proactively advise and support the Chief of Mission in exercising overall financial stewardship of the Country Office’s programme portfolio, including effective cost allocation and the prevention and resolution of project over-expenditure.
16. Ensure appropriate financial oversight and assurance arrangements for implementing partners, grants and other third-party delivery modalities, in line with IOM policies and donor requirements.

Risk Management, Internal Controls and Compliance

17. Own the design, effectiveness and continuous improvement of the Country Office’s internal control and management assurance framework across resource management functions. Advise the Chief of Mission on the adequacy of controls, determine proportionate responses to material weaknesses and ensure that delegations of authority and segregation of duties remain aligned with the complexity, operational model and risk profile of operations.
18. Lead, on behalf of the Chief of Mission, the Country Office’s integrated risk management processes, ensuring that strategic, financial, operational, compliance, safeguarding and reputational risks are considered collectively.
19. Coordinate senior management, including the regular review of the risk register and key risk indicators, and lead the process for risk escalation, where required. Coordinate the Compliance and Controls Self-Assessment process for the Country Office and ensure that identified weaknesses are addressed through time-bound corrective actions.
20. Ensure that internal and external audit recommendations are actioned, and that resources management-related weaknesses are addressed in a timely and sustainable manner.
21. Ensure effective fraud risk management mechanisms are in place for activities such as procurement, logistics, fleet management, asset management, warehousing, premises and common services, ensuring that sourcing, contracting and service-delivery models are proportionate to operational scale and risk, deliver value for money and support timely programme implementation.
22. Provide oversight of Country Office ICT services, infrastructure and assets, ensuring alignment with IOM corporate ICT standards, information security and data protection requirements, and business continuity arrangements, in coordination with the relevant ICT support units.
23. Ensure that business continuity, information-security and data-protection arrangements are integrated into Country Office resource management planning and operational decision-making.

Partnerships and Representation

24. Represent IOM, as delegated by the Chief of Mission, in senior-level engagements with government authorities, donors, United Nations entities and other partners on contractual, financial, operational and resource management matters. Lead or support complex donor and partner negotiations, present authoritative analysis of resource implications and risk, and protect IOM’s institutional, financial and operational interests in external commitments.
25. Represent IOM in the UN Operations Management Team and other inter-agency forums, contributing to common business operations, shared services and UN reform initiatives, and ensure that significant commitments arising from external engagements are appropriately assessed and authorized.
26. Act as Officer-in-Charge of the Country Office, as delegated.
27. Perform such other duties as may be assigned, consistent with the seniority, accountability and organizational scope of the position.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Master’s degree in Management Business Administration, Financial Management, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with ten years of relevant professional experience; or,
• University degree in the above fields with twelve years of relevant professional experience.
• Professional certification in one of the domains is an asset

Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.

Experience

• Demonstrated senior managerial experience in large and complex operations, including setting direction across multidisciplinary teams and managers, exercising delegated authority, managing organizational change and fostering an inclusive, high-performing work culture;
• Demonstrated experience integrating financial, workforce, supply chain, administrative, information-management and risk considerations into organization-wide or mission-wide strategy and senior management decisions, including experience advising on high-value, high-risk or politically sensitive commitments;
• Experience in risk management, internal control and compliance frameworks;
• Experience using an Enterprise Resource Planning system;
• Experience in large-scale, multi-location operations;
• Experience in oversight of contracting of partners, vendors, and administration of financial grants;
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation and/or audit is an advantage; and,
• Experience in emergency, humanitarian, or high-risk operational environments is an advantage.

Skills

• Knowledge of ERP (Oracle) is highly desirable;
• Ability to work closely with government and international officials;
• Ability to work under pressure and manage competing priorities.;
• Ability to lead organizational change and to work collaboratively across operational and programme functions;
• Demonstrated ability to build credibility, influence decisions and negotiate effectively with senior government officials, donors, United Nations counterparts and other international partners;
• Demonstrated strategic, analytical and financial management skills;
• Demonstrated capacity to synthesize complex financial, operational, workforce and risk information; frame strategic choices and trade-offs for senior decision makers; provide authoritative, evidence-based challenge and exercise sound, independent judgement in high-risk or ambiguous situations;
• Demonstrated knowledge of internal control principles, risk management and compliance frameworks, and ability to interpret and apply organizational regulations, policies and procedures; and,
• Knowledge of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) is an advantage.

Languages

For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written).

Working knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an advantage.

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.

Required Competencies

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.

Values - all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these five values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
• Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators Level 3

• Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
• Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

Managerial Competencies – behavioural indicators Level 3

• Leadership: Provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example and demonstrates the ability to carry out the Organization’s vision. Assists others to realize and develop their leadership and professional potential.
• Empowering others: Creates an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.
• Building Trust: Promotes shared values and creates an atmosphere of trust and honesty.
• Strategic thinking and vision: Works strategically to realize the Organization’s goals and communicates a clear strategic direction.
• Humility: Leads with humility and shows openness to acknowledging own shortcomings.

Notes

Internationally recruited professional staff are required to be mobile. Please refer to this link for guidance on IOM Job Category. Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation. This selection process may be used to staff similar positions in various duty stations. Recommended candidates will remain eligible to be appointed in a similar position for a period of 24 months.

Appointment will be subject to all clearances, including medical and security as well as accreditation, any residency or visa requirements. Vacancies close at 23:59 local time Geneva, Switzerland on the respective closing date. No late applications will be accepted.

IOM is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Candidates are expected to uphold these standards and principles at all times.

IOM does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process—whether for application, interview, processing, training, or otherwise—and does not request any information related to bank accounts.

IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM WAVE system (for internal candidates link here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies.

IOM has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and IOM, including sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and any forms of discrimination.

IOM conducts reference checks and background verification, including through system wide databases such as ClearCheck, to help ensure that candidates have no record of misconduct, including on sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, or fraud.