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Director of Administration – Directorate of Administration – WOAH HQ Paris, France
| Context | |
| The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH – founded as OIE) is a leading intergovernmental organisation representing 183 Members worldwide. Through its activities, WOAH makes a decisive contribution to improving animal health, protecting animal welfare and strengthening Veterinary Services. The Organisation provides transparent information on world’s animal health situation and promotes international standards, particularly in terms of the safety of trade in live animals and animal products. More information can be found on WOAH’s website. Joining WOAH means taking part in the development of one of the leading international organisations, recognised and associated with other multilateral institutions, in the field of worldwide health. It means helping to build a global approach to health, combining animal and human health in a “One Health” approach. It means joining teams motivated by the impact of their actions, the sense of their collective commitment and their recognised professionalism in their respective fields of expertise. WOAH’s headquarters are based in Paris. The Organisation is present on every continent through 13 Regional or Sub-Regional Representations. WOAH has 250 staff members, two-thirds of whom are based at headquarters. This position is located in Paris. | |
| Job Description | |
| Positioning and reporting Reporting to the Director General, and in close coordination with the Deputy Directors General, the Director of Administration is a member of the institution’s Executive Committee. He/she may be called upon to act for the Director General in her absence, as well as for the Deputy Directors General. | |
| Job purpose The Director of Administration leads the Organisation’s administrative policy, both in terms of resource management (human, physical and budgetary) and compliance with applicable international standards (tendering rules, labour law, etc.). As part of a new management team and with a view to the next strategic plan, the priorities for the Director of Administration are as follows: – Align the Organisation’s administrative management with comparable standards, by developing inter-institutional relations. – Ensure the modernisation of procedures falling within the remit of the Directorate of Administration, in order to enhance the organisational efficiency of the institution. – Harmonise management methods between Head Office and the Regional/Sub-Regional Representations. – Encourage the development of an ambitious Human Resources policy, bringing the Organisation into line with international best practices. – Develop a business continuity plan, based on an analysis of operational risks. – Develop security measures enabling the Organisation to cover its main risks (physical, logical and financial) and to propose measures to strengthen the legal security of administrative acts. – Carry out a critical analysis of the Organisation’s insurance portfolio. – Extend and conclude the discussions on pension insurance for the Organisation’s staff at headquarters and in the regional/sub-regional representations. – Contribute to define the Organisation’s property and assets policy and study possible alternatives in conjunction with the relevant departments in the host countries. – Develop the Organisation’s budget planning, by establishing a management dialogue with the entities at HQ and the Regional/Sub-Regional Representations and by developing appropriate decision-making and reporting tools. – Continue to provide legal and regulatory certainty for the Procurement function, while ensuring sufficient flexibility to enhance the organisational efficiency of the institution. – Ensure that all administrative actions are integrated into the accounts, including payroll management. | |
| Missions and Activities Strategic leadership – Develop and implement an overall administrative strategy that will support WOAH’s strategic objectives. – Steer the alignment of the Organisation’s administrative management with comparable standards. Vision and team development – Lead, coach and develop a high-performance team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement. – Promote a culture of inclusion within the Directorate of Administration and transversality within the organisation. – Foster a collective mindset based on commitment, motivation, involvement, responsibility and customer service. Management – Manage the teams attached to the Directorate of Administration (Human Resources Unit, General Services Unit, Procurement Unit, Budget Unit, Accounting Unit) by translating strategic guidelines into team objectives – Motivate members of the Directorate Management Team by ensuring performance through the development and monitoring of individual and collective action plans. Activities Develop WOAH’s position within international organisations with comparable administrative standards: – Develop inter-institutional relations to provide suitable benchmarks.Align the Organisation’s administrative management with comparable standards. – Overseeing an analysis of the legal issues associated with WOAH’s administrative activities (protocols and immunities, taxation, administrative disputes). Identify the developments required for the budget programming of the Organisation’s activities and financial management: – Define the Budget Unit’s action plan in response to the Organisation’s needs, whether cross-functional or specific to certain work units, and to produce the appropriate budget analyses for the Director General. Oversee the preparation of the Organisation’s annual and multi-annual budgets: general budget, special accounts (including regional and sub-regional representations, World Fund), pension funds and investment monitoring. – Monitor them through management dialogue and their budgetary performance within the Organisation. – Be a driving force behind the development of processes and tools that will enhance the performance of the Budget Unit’s activities. Ensure that accounting and payroll are properly maintained: – Maintain regular contact with the External Auditor and the Board Members responsible for auditing the accounts. – Ensure proper management of cash and investments, including the pension fund. Encourage the ongoing modernisation of Human Resources policy: – Effective implementation of an HRIS (which also integrates payroll issues). – Formalisation of an overall framework for human resources management, based on modernised procedures. – Review of rules governing work organisation and talent management (teleworking, onboarding, mobility, etc.). – Gradual harmonisation of working conditions at Head Office and in the Regional/Sub-Regional Representations. – Contribution to the clarification of the links between function and remuneration, through a study of job classification and the introduction of an indexed pay scale for positions. Develop a risk management and business continuity plan: – Propose measures to enhance the legal certainty of administrative acts. – Manage an analysis of operational risks. – Develop security measures to enable the Organisation to cover its main risks (physical, logical and financial) – Carry out a critical analysis of the Organisation’s insurance portfolio. Support and continue to develop the procurement function: – Ensure that procedures are adapted to the needs and capabilities of the Organisation by regularly assessing whether they are appropriate to the risks. – Implementing a simplification initiative to improve the efficiency of the procurement. – Ensuring that all Head Office and Representative teams implement the procedures. Define the Organisation’s policy on the management of physical spaces and their security: – Ensure the development of WOAH’s property assets, in particular its headquarters. – Initiate and monitor works projects. – Link work organisation and the allocation of dedicated space. – Implement a security policy for the Organisation’s staff and sites. | |
| Requirements | |
| Qualifications and Experience Required Qualifications – Top-level education, such as a business school or university degree in management – Master’s level 2 (minimum required). – Over 10 years’ experience in a similar role with strong managerial skills. – In-depth knowledge of the legal issues associated with the administrative activities of an international organisation (training in international law or relevant experience would be a plus). – Proven knowledge of both French administrative standards and international standards. Additional Qualifications and Experience (Assets) – Experience of working in multilateral frameworks and intergovernmental institutions; acquired in multicultural working environments, with international organisations or relevant bodies Expected skills: Technical Skills – Proven functional experience in the Directorate of Administration’s areas of expertise, both in terms of resource management (human, physical and budgetary) and adherence to applicable international standards (particularly in terms of calls for tender and regulations). – Ability to manage the multi-dimensional implications (financial, legal, technical) of administrative activities. – Solid understanding of systems security, risk management and compliance. – Ability to drive organisational change by aligning the technical vision with the organisation’s strategy. Personal and Interpersonal skills – Excellent command of written and spoken English. – Knowledge of one of WOAH’s official languages (French or Spanish) is an asset. – Highly motivated, available, hard-working. – Ability to establish and maintain excellent working relationships in a multinational and multicultural environment. – Ability to communicate complex ideas and techniques effectively to non-expert audiences. – Ability to solve problems proactively and lead partners to find creative and flexible solutions. – Organisational skills and proven ability to meet deadlines. – Ecellent coordination skills – Commitment to fostering a positive and supportive working environment between all team members and proven ability to liaise between matrix teams and organisations. – Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for working with diverse teams. – Ability to lead a multidisciplinary team in an international environment. – Strong sense of confidentiality. | |
| Additional Information | |
| Working conditions – Salary: commensurate with qualifications and experience; – Type of contract: WOAH staff – Fixed-term contract ; – Contract duration: Two (2) years renewable; The post is a full-time position based at the WOAH headquarters, 12 rue de Prony 75017 Paris, France; It involves extended computer work and potential overseas assignments. | |
| General information WOAH places high value on a multicultural and positive work environment. WOAH is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications of all qualified candidates, irrespective of their ethnic origin, gender, opinions, or beliefs. If you are interested in the position, please complete your application online at the latest by 31 January 2025. APPLY HERE | |