Senior Operations Associate, G-7, Fixed Term Position, #00124455, Global Programme Division, Strategic Operations, COE, Kenya, Nairobi (Open to Kenyan Citizens or Valid Kenyan Work Permit Holders)
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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
For every child, the right to a Chance
The Global Programme Division (GPD) plays a central role in advancing programme excellence across UNICEF by providing global strategic leadership, policy direction, technical guidance and support to strengthen programme delivery. As part of this structure, UNICEF’s Centres of Excellence (CoEs), strategically located in Nairobi, Panama, Amman and Bangkok, provide high-quality, demand-driven technical assistance to Country and Regional Offices and their partners. The CoEs bring together cross-cutting expertise to support areas including policy reform, at-scale programme design, public finance, workforce development, institutional strengthening and humanitarian response.
This position is based in the Nairobi Centre of Excellence and reports to the Chief, Strategic Operations, Nairobi, while working closely with the CoE Coordinator/Manager in support of the CoE Director’s location leadership responsibilities. The Nairobi CoE supports an operational environment of more than 200 personnel across multiple programme teams and associated units. The Senior Operations Associate serves as a key operational focal point, coordinating with programme teams, Common Services Centres, Finance, Supply, Human Resources, GSSC and other service providers to help ensure efficient and effective delivery of operational services.
How can you make a difference?
As Senior Operations Associate, you will help strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of the Nairobi Centre of Excellence by providing specialized operational coordination, risk-informed analysis and business support. You will support effective operational planning and service delivery, monitor budgets and resource utilization, strengthen internal controls and risk management, and help identify and resolve operational bottlenecks.
Working across programme and operations teams, Common Services Centres, GSSC and other partners, you will help improve operational workflows, reporting and business processes while ensuring the consistent application of UNICEF policies and procedures. You will also contribute to Results-Based Management, operational capacity-building, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across the core operational areas of People, Money, Risk Management, Systems and Partners. Through this work, you will help ensure that teams are effectively coordinated on operational matters and that programme colleagues receive timely, responsive and efficient operational support.
Join our team as a Senior Operations Associate and play a key role in supporting the effective functioning of UNICEF’s Nairobi Centre of Excellence and associated units. You will provide specialized operational coordination, analysis and business support, helping teams deliver efficient, client-focused and cost-effective services. You will work closely with programme teams, Common Services Centres, GSSC and other partners to strengthen operational planning, monitor resources and workflows, address operational risks and bottlenecks, and promote continuous improvement. You will also contribute to Results-Based Management, capacity building and the consistent application of UNICEF policies, procedures and internal controls.
Key areas of responsibility:
- Operational Coordination and Service Delivery
- Budget, Financial Monitoring and Value for Money
- Risk Management, Compliance and Internal Controls
- Operations Systems, Reporting and Business Process Improvement
- People, Learning and Capacity Building
- Partnerships and Stakeholder Coordination
If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: 
Classified Job Descriptions - Senior Operations Associate JD_124455.pdf
To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…
- Minimum requirements
- Education: Completion of secondary education is required.
- Work Experience: Minimum seven years of operational support, budget support, finance and accounting work experience, operations coordination, administrative/logistics support, and stakeholder engagement is required.
- Skills: The successful candidate will demonstrate strong project management, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, along with confidence in using digital tools and adapting to new technologies. Familiarity with budget monitoring and MS Office, excellent data analysis and reporting skills as well as stakeholder engagement.
- Language Requirements: Proficiency in English is required.
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Desirables
- Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
- Professional and/or university courses related to the field of work are highly desirable. A recognized professional certification in finance or accounting, such as ACCA, CPA, CMA, or equivalent.
- Experience using enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, such as SAP or similar enterprise platforms.
- Experience with procurement and contract management processes. Experience in event planning, logistics coordination, and operational support.
- Experience providing operational or administrative support to senior management or executive offices.
- Experience in coordinating operations across multi-functional teams.
- Experience working in Centres of Excellence, global teams, or multi-location operational structures.
- Experience working with shared service centres or global service delivery models, including CSCs/GSSC or similar structures.
- Previous work experience within the United Nations system, international organizations, or comparable multicultural environments.
- Experience applying results-based management, business process improvement, or operational efficiency frameworks.
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
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
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 promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.
UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.
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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of serious misconduct.
UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable.
Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these checks.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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
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 are conditional on the selected candidates' willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.
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 is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.
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.
In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.
Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.
Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.
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.