Senior Political Affairs Officer

Contract

This is a P-5 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 10 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 208,877 USD and 261,770 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 This position will support the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General (OSESG) on Myanmar and will be located at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The incumbent will report to the Head of OSESG and on a day to day basis also to the Director of the Asia and the Pacific Division in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. The Office of the Special Envoy supports the implementation of the Secretary-General’s good offices, as mandated by the General Assembly.

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Senior Political Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

•Formulates political affairs strategies; develops a vision or direction for work; proposes policy directives and plan of action for immediate and long range solutions to Myanmar political issues; identifies emerging issues pertaining to the mandates of the office; analyses implications and provides authoritative advice/recommendations to senior UN officials on possible strategies and measures, while ensuring such advice is based on consultations/inputs from concerned colleagues and external parties, including women’s activists/representatives, as needed; •Ensures consistent backstopping of the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, including regular interaction between the Office and Permanent Missions in New York, counterparts in DPPA, other UN Departments, Offices, Agencies, Funds and Programmes based at New York Headquarters including but not limited to UNHCR, OHCHR, OCHA, UNDP and OLA, and the Office of the Resident Coordinator (RCO) in Myanmar; •Plans and implements the operational activities related to the work of the Office on conflict prevention and resolution, mediation, post-conflict rehabilitation, incorporating an integrated approach that includes a rights-based dimension, conflict prevention sensitivity, and a gender perspective into the policy, planning and operational activities of the office; •Plans, coordinates and manages programmes, projects and activities requiring interdepartmental and/or interagency involvement and participation; •Prepares briefing notes and talking points for the Secretary-General, Special Envoy and other UN Senior Officials; •Supports the day-to-day work of DPPA’s Asia-Pacific Division (APD) at Headquarters on Myanmar and relevant matters. •Supports DPPA chairing of the internal coordination mechanisms on Myanmar; maintains regular contact with relevant UN entities at the working level in support of a systemwide coherent approach to Myanmar; •Manages, coordinates, organizes and supervises research and brainstorming events on a variety of political issues in Myanmar and the region, including in cooperation with think tanks and research institutes and, to this end, maintains liaison with academia, research institutes/think tanks, foundations, human rights watchdogs and other civil society representatives, including representatives of religious communities; •Represents the office at round tables, seminars and conferences; •Responds to/prepares responses to comments, statements, queries of various stakeholders; •Contributes to the formulation of the programme of work, budget and medium-term plan of the office and participates in the overall approval of the programme of work, and administrative matters concerning the office; coordinates and oversees work of colleagues as assigned; •Develops and maintains relations with senior government officials and advises them on issues and policies of mutual concern; •Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies •Professionalism –Knowledge of the work of intergovernmental bodies, the work of the United Nations and its related bodies concerned with political, economic, social and related matters. Ability to evaluate the political situation in Myanmar and the regional and international implications. Ability to manage and coordinate many different levels and across 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.

•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.

•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.

Managerial Competencies

•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.

•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 creativity and initiative;

Education Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) degree in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration, or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in political affairs at the international level is required. Experience in preparing reports and making recommendations to high-level officials or senior management is required. Experience in coordinating inter-agency processes and good understanding of the UN system and mandates of peace and security, human rights, humanitarian, and development entities is required. Solid understanding of administrative rules and regulations of the UN Secretariat is required. Experience supporting good offices or mediation efforts as part of a political process is desirable. Experience working on peace and security issues in/on Myanmar and in the Southeast Asian region is desirable.

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

Assessment Qualified applicants may be evaluated through a competency-based interview and/or other assessment methods.

Special Notice This is a temporary position and will initially be available for six months.

If selected, an internal candidate will be on temporary assignment to the post; an external candidate will initially be offered a temporary appointment. Any extension of appointment is subject to satisfactory performance and continued availability 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.

The United Nations is committed to promoting diversity and gender equality within the Secretariat. Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

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.