Director, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

Contract

This is a D-2 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 16 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 143,813 USD and 173,332 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 at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna, Austria. UNOOSA manages and implements the Programme on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which focusses on strengthening international cooperation in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space and advancing the use of space science and technology for achieving sustainable development. The Director reports to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and will work under the overall supervision of the Under-Secretary-General for Policy, Executive Office of the Secretary-General.

For more information on UNOOSA, please visit: www.unoosa.org

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Director will be responsible for directing all activities of the Office for Outer Space Affairs, ensuring that such activities are carried out in accordance with the mandates of the General Assembly, the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), and the established policies of the United Nations. The Director will be responsible for the following duties: - Advise and provide substantive assistance to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on matters relating to the peaceful uses of outer space, including representing him/her at conferences and meetings dealing with space activities. - Formulate the Office’s overall strategies and policies, determine priorities and allocate resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery. - Co-ordinate and oversee reports on budgetary and programme performance matters, and their review and approval by the Programme’s intergovernmental bodies, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate. - Manage the Office for Outer Space Affairs and direct the planning, coordination and implementation of its work , including that required for the intergovernmental bodies for which the Office serves as the Secretariat or Executive Secretariat and for the discharge of the Secretary-General’s responsibilities under the United Nations treaties and principles on outer space and related resolutions. - Supervise the implementation of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications, the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) and other responsibilities, including the UN-affiliated Regional Centres for Space Science and Technology Education. - Direct the provision of substantive expertise, research, advice and contributions on technical, policy and legal issues on matters relating to the conduct of space activities and use of space science and technology and its applications for sustainable development to Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental entities, UN entities and the private sector involved in space-related activities.. - Oversee the preparations for COPUOS, Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and Legal Subcommittee and provide strategic guidance to the Secretaries of those bodies as well as their Working Groups on space policy, scientific, technical and legal questions; participate to and represent the Office at the meetings of those bodies. - Supervise the planning, coordination and preparation of the reports to, and draft resolutions of, the Special Political and Decolonization Committee during the General Assembly’s consideration of space matters; - Provide guidance for the arrangements and coordination of space activities within the United Nations system undertaken by the Inter-Agency Meeting on Outer Space Activities (UN-Space). - Oversee the recruitment of staff for the Office taking due account of geographical and gender balance and other institutional values. - Manage, guide, develop and train staff under his/her supervision, foster teamwork and communication among staff in the Office and across organizational boundaries. - Manage the resources of the Office and the Trust Fund in support of the United Nations Programme on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space; lead fund-raising initiatives and providing strategic guidance for the development and implementation of projects and activities to be funded through voluntary and in-kind contributions. - Direct the provision strategic guidance for the Office’s external relations and public information activities, including coordination of its communications, public affairs, partnerships and advocacy matters. Undertake any other duties as assigned by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Under-Secretary-General for Policy if and when requested.

Competencies - Professionalism: Has extensive knowledge of the technical field of space science technology; space law and policy, capacity development in space activities and the provision of legal and technical assistance. Has very good knowledge of the United Nations system, particularly of its intergovernmental processes. Shows ability to prepare reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Shows ability to apply United Nations rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. 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.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

• Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

• 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 improvement; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands.

• Judgment/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.

  Education An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in one or more of the following disciplines, is required: space sciences; space technology, including aerospace engineering; space policy and space law or related area. A first level university degree in international relations, political science or international law supplemented by advanced courses in one or more of the above-mentioned disciplines in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

  Work Experience At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience at the senior supervisory level in managing the implementation of activities and projects is required.

  Several years of experience in international relations and/or advocacy on space-related matters is required.

  Several years of experience on the promotion of safe and sustainable outer space activities is required.

  Work experience in conducting space programmes with the participation of international stakeholders is desirable.

  Work experience in mobilizing resources for space-related activities is desirable.

  Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

  Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview.

  Special Notice Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 January 2022, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Viet Nam.

Staff members appointed to the current position are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon assignment or appointment and annually thereafter.

Vienna is classified in the H category (family duty station).

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.

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.