POLITICAL AFFAIRS OFFICER

Contract

This is a P-3 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 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 140,639 USD and 184,155 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 Myanmar Team is linked to and provides backstopping to the Office of the Special Envoy on Myanmar and supports the Special Envoy in the delivery of the Secretary-General’s good offices mandates. The Myanmar Team prepares analysis, briefings and recommendations for UN senior officials on political issues pertaining to Myanmar, the Rohingya crisis and the larger region. As DPPA chairs two internal coordination mechanisms on Myanmar – the Permanent Monitoring Group on Myanmar and the Inter-Agency Working Group – the incumbent will support the Myanmar Team in liaising and coordinating with other sectors of the UN on policy matters, as well as with Member States, other international and regional organisations and non-governmental stakeholders.

This post is located in the Myanmar Team of the Asia and the Pacific Division (APD), under the Regional Structure of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and Department of Peace Operations (DPO) at Headquarters in New York. Under the overall supervision of APD’s Director, the incumbent reports to the Myanmar Team Leader/Senior Political Affairs Officer.

Responsibilities The Political Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

• Provides substantive and administrative/operational backstopping for the Office of the Special Envoy on Myanmar in furtherance of the Secretary-General’s good offices mandate, including support to the regular budget process, timely reporting to Trust Fund donors and recruitment;
• Gathers, selects and analyses political, security and human rights developments in Myanmar and the region; assesses trends and events that may affect UN engagement in Myanmar and presents findings and related policy recommendations in clear and accurate written and visual products;
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of events and assesses trends relating to political, security and human rights issues in Myanmar and the larger region, and flags key developments to senior officials through daily updates, notes and in-person briefings as requested;
• Keeps abreast of latest trends and developments in the area of assignment and provides inputs on issues to senior officials and colleagues in missions and elsewhere in the Secretariat.
• Monitors national and regional level political developments and provides advice to field mission/UN agencies active on the ground.
• Maintains contact with UN Departments, Agencies, Funds, Programmes and Special Mandate Holders to exchange information and coordinate coherence on policy matters, and supports the convening of internal coordination mechanisms on Myanmar;
• Supports meetings of the Special Envoy, SG, DSG, USG, ASG and other senior officials with Member States, NGOs and other stakeholders, including through the preparation of briefing notes, background materials, talking points, speeches, code cables and other correspondence for senior officials;
• Supports the preparation of the annual report of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, while also drafting inputs for other reports of the Secretary-General;
• Provides substantive support for meetings of the informal Women’s Advisory Group and individual consultations of the Special Envoy with women leaders;

• Performs other related duties as required.

  Competencies PROFESSIONALISM: Shows ability to autonomously prepare political analysis with actionable recommendations for UN senior officials, and to integrate various aspects of and perspectives on complex issues/phenomena in analysis and reporting. 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.

PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; 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.

TEAMWORK: Solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others. Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. 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.

Education Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration or other related. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, security, development management, conflict resolution or related fields is required. Experience in backstopping of Special Political Missions (SPM) or other UN field missions is required. Experience in preparation of political analysis and policy recommendations for UN senior officials is required. At least one year experience working on Myanmar or the region is required. Experience in preparation of budget documents is required. Experience covering issues related to gender/women, peace and security (WPS) is desirable. Experience in coordination with internal/UN entities and external stakeholders is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English (oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

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 until 31 December 2021. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. Possibility of extension against this position is subject to satisfactory performance, extension of the mandate and/or availability of the position/funds.

Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position.

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.

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.

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.

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.