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For every child, commitment
How well do you know Tajikistan?
A country off the beaten track, with a rich cultural heritage, a bustling capital with modern infrastructure and lifestyle.
UNICEF Country Office in Tajikistan embraces diversity…
We deliver more…
We innovate more…
We celebrate more…
We are resilient… we make sure that no child is left behind.
So, are you thinking about applying to Tajikistan? We promise you an experience of a lifetime.
Tajikistan, nestled in the heart of Central Asia, is a land where breathtaking landscapes meet a rich cultural heritage, creating a captivating tapestry that beckons with promise and charm. Imagine walking through the vibrant streets of Dushanbe, the capital city, where modern developments stand alongside bustling markets. Experience the warm and welcoming spirit of the Tajik people and immerse yourself in their deep-rooted traditions. The country's dedication to education and healthcare ensures a good quality of life, while its stunning natural beauty, from the towering Pamir Mountains to the serene lakes and valleys, offers endless opportunities for adventure and exploration.
Tajikistan's urban settlements like Khorog and Khujand transport you to the romance of the ancient Silk Road. Majestic fortresses and mosques, with intricate designs, reflect a deep sense of history and culture. Life in Tajikistan is enriched by a strong sense of community and a lifestyle that emphasizes family and tradition. The country's recent economic developments and improved infrastructure are making life increasingly convenient and prosperous, with a growing number of international businesses and tourists discovering its potential. Living in Tajikistan means being part of a dynamic, evolving society that cherishes its roots while ambitiously looking to the future, offering a unique blend of stability, culture, and growth. And those with an adventurous spirit will find ample opportunity to hike in breathtaking natural beauty and enjoy skiing and snow-boarding in the winter months.
Country Typology:
Country Income Level: Tajikistan is a Lower-Middle Income country. Duty Station: Dushanbe is a “B”, family, and non-emergency duty station. Office Size: 72 staff Annual Budget 2024: US$ 28,779,528 million $ approximately. Schooling: No IB schools, one QSI International School (Quality Schools International) in Dushanbe which is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and Commissions of Elementary Schools (MSA/CESS accredited). This school offers education in the English language for elementary and secondary students. A seasoned and experienced Operations Manager or Deputy Representative Operations is required for this role.Brief country context:
The Republic of Tajikistan is a landlocked, mountainous, lower-middle-income country in Central Asia. The country is vulnerable to internal and external shocks due to low economic development, frequent natural disasters and socio-economic disparities. Tajikistan hosts approximately 7,000 mainly Afghan refugees, which is the highest figure in Central Asia. Recurring border conflicts pose risks to sustainable development.
The GDP of Tajikistan is 8.756 billion USD (2021). The total fertility rate is 3.6 children per woman but reaches 4.1 in rural areas. Tajikistan has a youthful population, 70 per cent of its total population of 10.3 million (2024) is under the age of 30. The annual population growth rate is 2.1 per cent. Despite progress in poverty reduction, 26 per cent of the population still lives below the poverty line, mostly in rural areas, where almost 73 per cent of the population live. Seasonal labour migration is high.
The health sector is under-resourced; the limited resources are insufficient to achieve universal health coverage. The country has made steady progress toward reducing maternal mortality (down from 97 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 21.9 per 100,000 live births in 2019). However, the regional disparity is a concern, with the highest maternal mortality ratio (115 per 100,000 live births) in the Gorno-Badakhshon Autonomous Oblast. Overall, maternal mortality increased by 25 per cent during the COVID-
UNICEF Tajikistan is currently implementing its 2023-2026 Country Programme. This is a time of progress for Tajikistan and its children, supported through strategic plans including the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2030, the Midterm Development Programme (MTDP) 2021-2025, and the National Plan of Action 2018-2022 to implement the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. These strategic plans reflect a number of key child-related priorities in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and lay a solid groundwork to monitor national results for children.
How can you make a difference?
As a Strategic Business Partner and Deputy for the Head of Office, the incumbent will be responsible to lead for results, drive change, provide risk informed, solution-focused analysis, advice and services and contribute to programme and management decisions for delivering results for children in all operational contexts.
The Deputy Representative, Operations will be entrusted with the following five pillars, the core focus of all operations functions:
1. Valuing People: Lead, manage and develop people resources to promote technical competence and foster career progression and retention of a “fit for purpose”/ agile workforce.
2. Valuing Money: Champion strategic resources to achieve organizational goals and ensure Value for Money (VfM).
3. Valuing Risk Management: Enhance Risk Management to increase organizational performance and strengthen internal control.
4. Valuing Systems and Structures: Ensure further operational centralization and optimization for maximized efficiency gains.
5. Valuing Partners: Strengthening internal and external-facing partnerships and leveraging UNICEF’s oversight and understanding of financial management across all areas of the office.
Purpose of post
Strategic Operations will accomplish this by:
Leading by example and supporting the Head of Office on managing the office; Acting as Officer in Charge in the absence of the Head of Office; Managing services in the functional areas of operations support: budget, financial management and reporting, facilities management, administration, supply and logistics management, information and communications technology, human resources, and safety and security and convening the other functions to arrive at a unified vision; Ensuring processes are in place to identify, promote and empower the potential in staff through career development, opportunities for stretch assignments and succession planning; Acting as member of the Country and Senior Management Teams, representing the organizational risk, governance systems and policies perspective in management discussions, and promoting results-based management. Understanding business needs for the Country Programme, to anticipate challenges, propose viable solutions, provide creative and innovative ideas aimed at a solution- focused approach to include value for money strategies, all underpinned by quality assurance measures; Providing key contribution to CPD, CPMP, AMP and support to Results Based Management and implementation using Value for Money criteria; Leveraging technology for results and programme accountabilities, making effective adoption of tools and promoting the fundamentals of ICT management, information security and controls; Supporting the country office during external and internal audit reviews and responding to audit observations and monitoring implementation of recommendations.; Guiding Supply and Logistics strategies and interventions to meet programmatic needs while ensuring Value for Money (VfM), including procurement of fit for purpose products and services, and providing advisory support to governments, national systems and partners on supply chain management; Leveraging governance, systems, and tools to provide regular feedback on risks and achievements of operations functions in the country; Leading on facility management with a specific focus on inclusive accessibility, eco sustainability and common premises; Overseeing business transactions processed by GSSC from a perspective of Efficiency, Performance, Risk Management and Fraud prevention;To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum requirements:
Education:An Advanced University Degree (Master’s and above) in one of the following areas is required: Business management; Financial management; Accounting; Public Finance; and related operations function (Supply Chain, Human Resources, Information Technology, International Business, Project management, etc.) or a full professional accounting designation (CA, ACA, ACCA, CPA, CIMA, CPFA, Expert Comptable) from an internationally recognized institute/body of accountancy with valid membership in good standing is required.
Work Experience:A minimum of 8 years of professional experience, at the national and international level, is required, specifically in advocating and implementing strategic organizational initiatives in one or more operations management area including budget; financial management and reporting; facilities management; administration; supply and logistics management; information and communication technology; human resources.
Prior experience in the development sector, humanitarian/emergency context, or UN system/ international NGOs would be an asset.
Prior experience working with or in the private sector, and supporting private sector fundraising, is desirable.
Given the flow of funding, experience in one or more of the following areas required:
Audit and investigations Grant Management Enterprise Risk ManagementExperience in Results Based Management is a requirement.
Language Requirements:Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Russian is desirable. Knowledge of Tajik/Dari/Farsi or another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, or Spanish) is an asset.
Desirables:
Previous hands-on experience in strategic and managerial leadership is required.
Solid experience in managing complex operations that combine both humanitarian and development components in middle-income contexts.
Well-developed ability to think ‘outside the box’ and support innovation for the office.
Ability to manage a large team that is client-focused and able to deliver to diverse stakeholder groups.
Experience in working with corporate ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning) and IPSAS (International Public Sector Accounting Standards) is highly desirable.
Experience in supporting culture change, psychological safety, and a positive work environment.
Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.
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
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.
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. For this position, eligible and suitable female 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.
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.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.
This vacancy is archived.