IRENA - Director, Administration and Management Services

About IRENA

The International Renewable Energy Agency is an intergovernmental organisation headquartered in Abu Dhabi, mandated to promote the widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity. IRENA’s mission is to play a leading role in the ongoing transformation of the global energy systems as a centre of excellence for knowledge and innovation, a global voice of renewable energy, a network hub for all stakeholders and a source of advice and support for countries. At present, IRENA has 168 Members (167 States and the European Union) that acceded to its Statute.

IRENA is mandated by Governments to promote the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. It facilitates and catalyses sharing of best practices and lessons learned regarding policy frameworks, capacity-building, finance mechanisms and other relevant measures for accelerating and expanding the demonstration and deployment of renewable energy technologies.

Role: Director - Administration and Management Services

Location: Abu Dhabi

Salary: Highly Competitive

The Role About Division of Administration and Management Services

The Division of Administration and Management Services is responsible for providing the Secretariat with an efficient support in managing its human and financial resource and ensures effective and timely delivery of information technology, procurement and logistical services.

Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the Director-General, the Director of Administration and Management Services:

1. Coordinates the delivery of support services by guiding, monitoring and overseeing performances in the areas of finance, budget, human resources, procurement, travel, facilities maintenance, general administrative services and ICT support services;

2. Acts as principal adviser to the Director-General on all matters pertaining to support services and on established policies and procedures covering all aspects of financial, budgetary and human resources thus ensuring transparent and consistent implementation throughout the secretariat;

3. Assists the Director-General in the coordination of the compilation of proposals and reports to the Assembly and Member States on financial, budgetary and administrative matters;

4. Represents the Director-General, within delegated authority, in negotiations and consultations on a full range of administrative and support matters with representatives of Member States and the Government of the host country;

5. Develops, reviews and recommends new policies, procedures and guidelines to ensure integration and efficient contribution of administrative efforts into the Agency’s core mandate;

6. Establishes guidelines, procedures, processes and tools that are consistent with IRENA’s policy and practice in order to ensure proper budget, accounting, financial and human resources management and controls;

7. Deals with internal and external audits, plans and manages the implementation of relevant recommendations and reports on the status of the implementation;

8. Directs the staff of the Administration and Management Services Division by developing work plans, appraising performances, training and empowering them;

9. Ensures development, preparation, coordination and monitoring of overall work plans, strategies and programs for the Division and takes the lead in securing the required human and financial resources;

10. Provides guidance, supervision and mentoring to all administrative support and other staff in the areas of his/her responsibility;

11. Liaises with other international organizations and agencies to maintain cooperation and incorporate best practices in the development of IRENA’s administrative policies;

12. Performs related duties as may be required by the Director-General.

Competencies

Professionalism

Knowledge of administrative, budgetary, financial, logistical and human resources policies and procedures; ability to provide specialized advice on a broad range of administrative issues; shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

Communication

Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Teamwork

Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Planning & Organising

Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies IRENA SECRETARIAT priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities where necessary; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Leadership

Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

Empowering Others

Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations, and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work; encourages others to set challenging goals; holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility; genuinely values all staff members’ input and expertise; shows appreciation and rewards achievement and effort; involves others when making decisions that affect them.

Managerial Competencies

Vision

Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities.

Judgement/Decision-making

Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making

a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Candidate Profile

Education

Advanced university degree in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in administration,

budget, logistics, information technology, communication or related field.

Language

Excellent command of written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of other languages is desirable.

How to Apply

All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter as two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process. The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

The document should be saved in PDF in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last Name-Document

Name-Date (mmyy) e.g., Pat-Jones-CV-092023-IRENA or Pat-Jones-CoverLetter-092023-IRENA.

Timeline

Closing Date: 26 October 2023

First stage interviews: TBC (Applications will be reviewed on an on-going basis)

Final interviews: TBC

Selection Process

All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.

Equality Statement

Equality and diversity are at the core of IRENA’s values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.

Queries

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email at irena-director-admin@oxfordhr.com in the first instance.

About Oxford HR

Exceptional leaders can inspire change and propel purposeled organisations towards reaching their world-changing goals. Finding such leaders can be a challenge; and yet their transition into leadership is vital to an organisations mission and success.

Oxford HR is a global leadership consultancy dedicated to searching for and supporting remarkable leaders and teams in purpose-led organisations.

We understand the nuances of purpose-led leadership because we’ve worked in organisations across the breadth of the sector ourselves. We’ve also worked with such organisations since 1995; so we appreciate just what benefits impactful people can bring.