CHIEF OF SERVICE, POLITICAL AFFAIRS

Contract

This is a D-1 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 15 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 128,707 USD and 162,415 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

Org. Setting and Reporting The position is located in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and is based in Mogadishu. The Principal Political Affairs Officer, who will serve as Chief of UNSOM's Political Affairs and Mediation Group (PAMG), promotes key aspects of UNSOM's mandate through direct engagement with national and international partners in Somalia and the region. S/he also provides political analysis and advice to the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Political (DSRSG/P) and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), the mission leadership team and United Nations Headquarters. The Principal Political Affairs Officer reports through the DSRSG/P to the SRSG.

Responsibilities Within the delegated authority and under the direct supervision of the DSRSG/P, the Principal Political Affairs Officer will be responsible for performing the following duties: - Political Analysis and Advice - Identify, analyze and monitor political developments and emerging issues with respect to the implementation of UNSOM's mandate; assess implications and make recommendations to the Mission leadership on possible strategies, policies and other measures to address issues of concern and to advance mandated objectives; - Planning, Coordination and Facilitation - Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with the Somali authorities, political and community leaders, civil society actors, the United Nations family and other national and international partners on coordination and policy matters; lead/oversee PAMG’s engagement in the implementation of relevant joint programmes by the United Nations, in close collaboration with stakeholders; consult and cooperate with partners to develop strategies and plans of action to address political challenges in pursuit of mandated objectives; monitor, evaluate and report on implementation. - Reporting and Information Management - Ensure regular, timely and high quality reporting to mission leadership on developments and issues pertaining to the mandate; manage the preparation of summary and analytical reports, including situation reports, briefing notes, notes to file and code cables; lead the preparation of the reports of the Secretary-General to the Security Council, in close coordination with all relevant Mission components and UN partners; oversee the preparation of contextual information materials, such as background notes and political profiles; ensure an effective system of information management designed to guarantee accessibility and the utility of information. - Management – Oversee the work of PAMG; formulate and manage the implementation of the Group's programme of work, determining priorities and activities in support of mandate implementation; manage related administrative tasks, including PAMG’s input to the Mission’s budgets and performance reports, performance management, and staff selections. - Perform other relevant duties, as requested.

Competencies Competencies Professionalism – Has the ability to identify and analyze the underlying causes of instability (e.g. political, ethnic, sectarian, social, economic) in Somalia and to provide strategic advice and recommendations to senior officials; Demonstrates sound knowledge of the UN system and understands the roles of substantive components within the Mission and the UN country team; 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; takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

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.

Creativity - Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks "outside the box"; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

Managing Performance - Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability, and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports staff when they make mistakes; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.

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 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 that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, social science, economics, law, public administration, or a related field. A first level university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in political affairs, diplomacy, conflict resolution, constitutional affairs, state formation, governance, or related field is required.

Experience in political outreach, facilitation, analysis and reporting is required.

Experience working in a United Nations common system field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds, and programmes) - or similar international organization or non-governmental organization - in support of peacebuilding or state building in a conflict or post-conflict setting is required.

Proven track record of leadership and management in multicultural settings, including coordination of interdisciplinary teams is required.

Experience working on or in the horn of Africa is desirable.

Senior-level experience advising and assisting a host government with political processes in a peace consolidation setting is desirable.

Field experience in non-permissive security environments is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice - This position is temporarily available initially until 31 December 2023 with a possibility of extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. - While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. - Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. - This temporary job opening may be limited to "internal candidates," who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. - Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply.Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. - Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

United Nations Considerations According to 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. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.