Principal Political Affairs Officer

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 237,851 USD and 300,143 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 On 15 September 2020, the Security Council renewed the mandate of United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) for one year, through resolution 2542 (2020). The Council decided that UNSMIL should be led by a Special Envoy of the Secretary-General who should exercise overall leadership of UNSMIL with a particular focus on good offices and mediation with Libyan and international actors to end the conflict.

This position is located in the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of UNSMIL, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Libya.

The Security Council has tasked UNSMIL, as an integrated special political mission, in full accordance with the principles of national ownership, to exercise mediation and through its good offices to: (i) further an inclusive political process and security and economic dialogue; (ii) further the continued implementation of the Libya Political Agreement; (iii) help consolidate the governance, security and economic arrangements of the Government of National Accord, including support for economic reform in collaboration with international financial institutions; (iv) help to achieve a ceasefire and, once it is agreed by the Libyan parties, provide appropriate support to its implementation; (v) support subsequent phases of the Libyan transition process, including the constitutional process and the organisation of elections; (vi) coordinate and engage closely with international actors including neighboring countries and regional organisations; (vii) provide support to key Libyan institutions; (viii) support, on request, the provision of essential services and delivery of humanitarian assistance, including in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in accordance with humanitarian principles; (ix) monitor and report abuses and violations of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence in conflict, notably through the effective deployment of women and child protection advisers; (x) provide support in securing uncontrolled arms and related materiel and countering their proliferation; and (xi) co-ordinate international assistance, and provision of advice and assistance to GNA-led efforts to stabilise post-conflict zones, including those liberated from Da’esh.

Responsibilities Under the direct supervision of the Special Envoy for Libya, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

Political Analysis and Advice - Identify, analyze and monitor political developments and emerging issues with respect to the implementation of UNSMIL mandate, with a particular focus on an inclusive political process, to keep Mission leadership apprised of developments in the political environment, and provide political perspectives on governance, constitutional reforms, electoral and legislative processes, rule of law and security; Assess implications and make recommendations to Mission leadership on possible strategies, policies and other measures to address issues of concern and to advance mandated objectives.

Good Offices – Engage or support the Special Envoy (SE) and broader Mission Leadership Team in their engagement with national and international partners to facilitate mandate implementation.

Drafting and reporting – Prepare and /or guide the preparation of speeches and talking points for the SE. Review and clear for signature SE correspondence, code cables and reports. Review and finalize key messages for media engagements with Head PICU/Spokesperson.

Reporting - Ensure regular, timely and high quality political reporting and analysis to the Mission Leadership Team and the Headquarters, particularly on issues pertaining to the good offices and mediation role of the Special Envoy with Libyan and international actors; Direct and manage the preparation of summary and analytical reports, including situation reports, briefing notes, code cables and notes to file; Oversee the preparation of contextual information materials, such as background notes and political profiles.

Planning, Coordination and Facilitation – Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with national authorities, political and community leaders, civil society actors, the UN family and other national and international partners on coordination and policy matters; Consult and cooperate with partners to develop strategies and plans to address political challenges, in pursuit of mandated objectives; Monitor, evaluate and report on related implementation;

Management - Supervise, mentor, and evaluate staff in the Office of the Special Envoy. Participate in the formulation of the mission's programme of work, including though the Annual Budget and SG Compact processes, determining priorities and activities that are in accordance with the mandate; Facilitate the translation of policies given by the Special Envoy into tasks and work with components to ensure their effective implementation; Participate in the selection of new staff.

Perform other relevant duties requested by the SE.

Competencies Professionalism: Analytical skills and ability to comprehend the complex inter-relations among Libyan stakeholders; Has the ability to identify and analyze the underlying causes of conflict and instability (e.g. political, ethnic, sectarian, social, economic), and to provide advice to senior officials in developing and implementing political strategies to address them; Demonstrates sound knowledge of the UN system; 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; Thinks "outside the box"; Takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things.

Managerial Competencies

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 degree) in political science, international relations, social science, economics, law, public administration, or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in political, legal affairs, diplomacy, conflict resolution, or a related field is required. Relevant experience in political outreach, facilitation, analysis and reporting, including the development and implementation of political strategies, is required. Relevant experience managing a team or office in a United Nations common system field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds, and programmes) is required. Experience working in a conflict or post-conflict setting is required. Experience in policy development and implementation is desirable. Experience working on/in the Middle East and/or North Africa 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 French and/or Arabic is highly desirable.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include a written assessment and/or an interview.

Special Notice - This position is temporarily available for an initial period of 364 days. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for 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.

• 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.

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.