Director, Enterprise Resources Planning

UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST UNRWA

UNRWA is the United Nations agency responsible for the protection, care and human development of a population of some 4.7 million Palestine refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. UNRWA is committed to assisting Palestine refugees in maintaining a decent standard of living, acquiring appropriate knowledge and skills, enjoying the fullest possible extent of human rights, and leading a long and healthy life. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 29,000 staff. Most of these staff are refugees themselves, working directly to benefit their communities - as teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers. UNRWA seeks the services of a seasoned, innovative manager, highly motivated to provide leadership in the position of:

Director, Enterprise Resources Planning

Vacancy Announcement Number 11-HQ-AM-47 Grade D-1 Deadline for Applications 30 October 2011 Duty Station Amman

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Commissioner-General the incumbent is responsible for the overall planning, scheduling, co-ordination and implementation of UNRWA’s Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) system to replace existing legacy management information systems in the areas of finance, human resources, payroll, supply-chain management, logistics, procurement and other administrative systems.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities • Assume overall responsibility for planning and management of the ERP implementation project: develop the strategic vision, strategies, implementation plans and performance metrics for the successful roll out of the new ERP system;
• Provide strategic advice to the Senior Management on ERP-related issues; formulate clear recommendations for the Agency’s decision-making after consultations with all relevant stakeholders and thorough weighting of costing, options and risk analysis, • In consultation with the ERP Steering Committee and relevant stakeholder departments, define the ERP project scope and establish plans for phased implementation and post-implementation stages, clear identification of roles and responsibilities of internal stakeholders and external contractors for each phase; • Ensure that ERP Resource Mobilization strategy aligns with the Agency’s overall resource mobilization strategy; provide ERP technical advice to promote funding activities of the project in key donor conferences as appropriate; • Lead the process of collaboration with other UN entities and conclude partnership agreements to leverage their ERP implementation experience; • Review and promote ERP communication strategy in consultation with senior leadership, and lead the execution of a project communication pan ensuring stakeholder awareness and engagement in all ERP key developments affecting their work; • Lead and oversee effective change management strategies, advise on risks and potential changes to the organizational workflows, processes and/or structure to maximize ERP outcomes; • Provide advice on planning for the discontinuation of relevant legacy systems, including related change management and end-user trainings; • Guide and lead effort to understand and document processes and requirements, ensuring that related technology solutions meet identified needs; • Manage vendor (software vendor and system integrator) relationships throughout implementation phases; oversee system implementation, user acceptance, data conversions from legacy systems to the new ERP, user security set-up, system cutover procedures and post-implementation user support, etc; • Establish a high-performance, results oriented team, foster teamwork, and provide leadership, coaching, and performance management to the team. Manage staff and the external consultants for the project.

Professional Knowledge and Experience • Advanced university degree in management, information systems, business administration, industrial engineering or other related field; • A minimum of 15 years of professional experience, including 10 years of progressive experience with a successful track record of leading large scale projects in implementation and management of complex information technology systems (in particularly ERP) in large international settings/organizations; • Excellent knowledge and demonstrated experience in large scale ERP project planning, development and successful roll-out. Broad managerial and administrative experience with in-depth understanding of the technologies underpinning ERP systems and their capabilities; • In-depth knowledge of business process re-engineering concepts, best practices and applications; • Verifiable success managing complex change management process transformation initiatives which have materially and structurally improved business processes using ERP/ IT systems; • Excellent command of written and spoken English.

Competencies • Excellent managerial and technical leadership skills and ability to delegate appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision making authority; • Mature judgment and initiative, imagination and resourcefulness. Proven ability to provide strategic direction, to plan and establish priorities, and to ensure an effective work structure to maximize productivity and achieve goals; • Proven record of building and managing teams and creating an enabling work environment including ability to effectively lead, supervise, mentor, develop and evaluate groups of staff and design training/skills enhancement initiatives to ensure effective transfer of knowledge/skills; • Excellent interpersonal skills, including ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries. Ability to establish and maintain effective teams, partnerships and working relationships in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; • Excellent communication skills, including ability to present and defend difficult positions to senior officials; • Ability to develop a clear strategic vision and operational plans for ERP implementation, develop work plans, direct others in the execution of the project, and ensure timely delivery of results;

Desirable Qualifications • Previous experience in successful ERP implementation in public sector and/or United Nations agencies or affiliated International organizations; • Knowledge of the administrative systems utilized by the United Nations; • Certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent;

Additional Information • Incumbent may be required to work beyond normal working hours; • The incumbent will be required to travel to the area of operations in the Middle East.

Conditions of Service
UNRWA offers an attractive compensation package including annual salary starting at $103,070 net tax free with dependants or $95,270 single, plus post adjustment of 42.2 % (subject to change without notice). Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include education grant, dependency allowance, home leave, pension fund, health insurance and 6 weeks annual leave. All UNRWA duty stations (with the exception of Gaza) are family duty stations. Initial contract is for one year, with the possibility of further extensions subject to the availability of funds and the continuing need for the post.

How to Apply To start the application process, applicants are required to register at http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile and completing UNRWA Personal History Form. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. Only applications received through http://jobs.unrwa.org will be considered. Due to the large number of applications received, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted.

UNRWA does not charge a fee at any stage in the recruitment process.

General Information UNRWA encourages applications from qualified and experienced women.

UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.

UNRWA is a United Nations organization whose staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality. This includes respect for human rights, for diversity, and for non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. UNRWA staff are expected to uphold these values at all times, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.