SENIOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS OFFICER

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UNOG - United Nations Office at Geneva

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Application deadline 2 years ago: Tuesday 2 Nov 2021 at 23:59 UTC

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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 212,092 USD and 265,800 USD.

Salary for a P-5 contract in Geneva

The international rate of 110,869 USD, with an additional 91.3% (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 temporary post is located in the Political Affairs and Partnerships Section of the Office of the Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva. The incumbent will report to the Chef de Cabinet.

Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Chef de Cabinet of the Director-General, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

I. Provides policy advice and coordinates provision of political support to the Director-General (DG): - Researches and analyzes political developments in international and regional affairs and their relationship with developments in the UN system. Identifies trends and potential challenges and contributes to the formulation of United Nations policy in this regard. - Keeps the DG informed on political issues of relevance to his/her mandate and provides policy advice in this regard, proposing options and providing recommendations. - Provides policy advice for the DG in connection with his/her meetings with political dignitaries and high-level officials and coordinates the drafting and provision of material for preparation and follow-up, including background notes, briefing papers, talking points, reports to the Secretary-General and notes. - Coordinates the DG's relations with regional organizations based in Europe and oversees the planning and organization of meetings involving UNOG in this area. - As UNOG representative, contributes to political coordination mechanisms, including the Executive Committee for Peace and Security, and acts as focal point for the organization of political meetings held at UNOG. - Drafts, or oversees the drafting of, statements related to the DG's political activities; assists the DG to articulate his/her position and the policies of the United Nations on public issues with a view to advancing the political goals and objectives of the Organization; - Coordinates the preparation of the DG's political missions and accompanies him/her. - Drafts, or supervises the drafting of, correspondence, reports and notes on political matters. - Establishes and maintains working relations with senior level counterparts in Permanent Missions and other Government entities, and in regional/other intergovernmental organizations. - Keeps the Director-General informed about the political landscape and developments in the Host Country (at federal, cantonal and municipal levels), in particular Host Country's policy on International Geneva and the UN in general. - Contributes to communications on political matters, including maintenance of relevant web pages and presence on social media platforms.

II. Provides policy advice and coordinates the DG's inter-agency cooperation and coordination activities: - Coordinates the provision of substantive support to the DG in the external relations and inter-agency affairs area in support of system-wide coherence. - Provides policy advice to the DG on inter-agency-related matters and system-wide coherence issues, including on the 2030 Agenda, maintaining relations with and facilitating the efforts of United Nations Funds, Programmes and Specialized Agencies and other International Organizations, in particular the Geneva-based entities. - Oversees UNOG's participation in and contribution to inter-agency-related activities, including conferences/meetings of United Nations Funds, Programmes and Specialized Agencies; briefs the DG on proceedings and deliberations and drafts, or supervises the drafting of, analytical reports for the attention of the Secretary-General and/or senior United Nations officials on developments. - Oversees the organization of Executive Briefings. - Establishes and maintains personal contacts/working relations with counterparts in United Nations Funds, Programmes and Specialized Agencies as well as other partner organizations; coordinates and facilitates joint efforts. - Establishes and maintains working relations with senior-level counterparts throughout the United Nations system and beyond.

III. Coordinates the Director-General's partnership building activities, including with research and academic institutions and with civil society generally: - Contributes to policy development in the DG's partnership-building activities, such as facilitating cooperation with research and academic institutions and the inclusion of nongovernmental organizations in the work of the Organization; identifies opportunities for strengthening relations with external partners to promote the political objectives and priorities of the Organization. - Represents UNOG in relations with research and academic institutions or networks and oversees the organization of joint events, including observance of commemorative days, with and without external partners in support of the work of the Organization. - Provides policy advice to the DG with respect to UNOG's relations with non-governmental organizations and on the services provided to them. - Coordinates UNOG's efforts to facilitate the participation of civil society representatives in the work of the Organization, including non-governmental organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC, and supervises the provision of services in this area. - Establishes and maintains working relations with senior-level counterparts in research and academic institutions and in other civil society organizations. - Establishes and maintains working relations with private sector counterparts to exchange experience and foster common projects. - Carries out other ad hoc tasks, as may be required by the DG or the Chef de Cabinet.

Competencies Professionalism: In-depth knowledge of political issues as they relate to the United Nations including with respect to the Organization's work with regional organizations and interagency affairs. Solid knowledge of the work of the United Nations and experience in the functioning of the United Nations system is essential. Demonstrated ability to provide policy advice and recommendations on political issues to high-level officials. Ability to produce analytical reports and papers on political trends and their implications for the United Nations, and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to develop and maintain contacts with a variety of stakeholders relevant to the political work of the Organization. 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. 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.

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 the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. 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.

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. 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 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 An advanced university degree (Master's or Doctorate degree or equivalent) in international relations, political science, social sciences, communications or related fields is required. A first-level or higher degree (Bachelor's, Master's or Doctorate degree) in any field of studies in combination with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible work experience in international relations, political affairs or related area is required.

Out of these, three years of experience at the international level in fields requiring political analysis, provision of policy advice, assisting senior officials to articulate policy is required.

Experience in partnership-building involving internal and external partners, including non-governmental organizations is desirable.

Experience in planning and executing large-scale events in collaboration with external partners is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English and French, with proven drafting skills in both languages, are required. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.

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 for an initial period of 3 months, with a possibility of extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

  • 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.

    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 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: careers.un.org