PRINCIPAL POLITICAL AFFAIRS OFFICER

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UN DPO - Department of Peace Operations

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Wednesday 25 May 2022 at 23:59 UTC

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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 242,484 USD and 305,990 USD.

Salary for a D-1 contract in New York

The international rate of 128,707 USD, with an additional 88.4% (post adjustment) at this the location, applies. Please note that depending on the location, a higher post adjustment might still result in a lower purchasing power.

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Org. Setting and Reporting This position is located in the regional political-operational structure of the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DDPA-DPO), Eastern Africa Division (EAD). Under the overall guidance of and reporting to the Director of the Division, the Principal Political Affairs Officer/Deputy-Director will lead the Sudan Integrated Operational Team (Sudan IOT) and provide guidance to teams covering Special Political Missions and non-Mission settings. The incumbent will lead and manage this multidisciplinary IOT and its staff, assist senior management in the integrated planning and management of peacekeeping operations in Sudan, and serve as Deputy Director of EAD.

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Principal Political Affairs Officer/Deputy-Director will be responsible for the following duties:

  • Recommends priorities, ensuring the resolution of operational issues and monitoring the implementation of relevant plans for the peacekeeping operation(s) and special political missions under her/his purview.
  • Assumes responsibility for executive direction of peacekeeping operations and field missions, except UNMISS, monitoring the development and progress of active operations, involving a diversity of interests and parties in situations requiring innovative approaches. Identifies and responds to political and operational challenges, problems, and incidents.
  • Provides direction and advice to officials in Headquarters and the field on actions, policy, political and operational issues.
  • Formulates policies and courses of action for the Secretariat in the design and management of peacekeeping operations and special political missions under the responsibility of the Eastern Africa Division; implements systems and methods for the effective and timely coordination and delivery of operations.
  • Develops guidelines and terms of reference, operational plans and timeframes for new operations, ensuring the input of and coordination with all relevant parties; and resolving issues with the parties, contributors, members of the Security Council, etc.
  • Oversees preparation of strategic political and planning documents for the Security Council, identifying statements of principles, conditions of the parties and responses to such conditions, and ensuring the input of relevant parties.
  • Assists the Director in producing political analysis, planning and implementing good offices, and other political missions related to the mandate of the Secretary-General, including factfinding or assessment missions.
  • Assists the Director in the overall management of the Division, including overseeing the management of activities undertaken by the Division, ensuring that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and co-ordinates work in the different areas both within the Division and Department, and with other organizations of the United Nations System, as appropriate.
  • Assists the Director in leading, supervising and carrying out the work programme of the Eastern Africa regional division. Co-ordinates the work carried out by different work units under the Division and by other agencies and bodies of the United Nations system; provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others.
  • Ensures that the outputs produced by teams(s) under his/her purview maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Sections under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
  • Assists the Director in preparing the work programme of the Division, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
  • Assists in undertaking or overseeing the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.
  • Participates in selection/recruitment of staff, taking due account of geographical and gender balance.
  • Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.
  • Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across organizational boundaries.
  • Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues. Manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars.
  • Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions, as required.
  • Represents the Division at international, regional or national meetings, as required.
  • Performs other duties as required.

    Competencies - Professionalism: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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 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, international economics, public administration, law, social sciences or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two 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 science, international relations, international economics, law, disarmament, security development management, conflict resolution or related field is required.

    Experience managing teams at the senior level is required.

    At least three years of field experience in a conflict or post-conflict setting is required.

    Experience working on political issues relating to Africa, in particular Eastern Africa, is highly desirable.

    Experience in the integrated planning and support of multi-dimensional operations is desirable.

    Experience in mediation of conflicts is desirable.

    Languages English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this post advertised, fluency in English (both 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 Staff members appointed to the current position are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon assignment or appointment and annually thereafter.

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.

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.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: careers.un.org