SPECIAL ASSISTANT, POLITICAL AFFAIRS

Overview

Provide substantive advice and support to senior UN officials in Sudan

You have:

• 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.
• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in political affairs, international development, international affairs, humanitarian affairs diplomacy, conflict resolution or related field is required.
• Experience including in outreach, facilitation, coordination, advice, project management and reporting is required.
• At least one year experience working in a political transition, humanitarian and development nexus management, durable solutions, conflict resolution, UN integration or related areas is required.
• Experience working in or in support of a field operation of the United Nations Common System or a comparable international organization or non-governmental organization in a conflict or post-conflict setting is desirable.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Contract

This is a P-4 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 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 90,970 USD and 117,287 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 is located in the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS).

The United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 2524 (2020) authorizing the mandate of UNITAMS which is to assist the political transition, progress towards democratic governance, in the protection and promotion of human rights, and sustainable peace; support peace processes and implementation of future peace agreements; assist peacebuilding, civilian protection and rule of law, in particular in Blue Nile and South Kordofan (the Two Areas) and Darfur; and support the mobilization of economic and development assistance and coordination of humanitarian assistance.

The position is based in Port Sudan, Sudan and is in the Office of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator. The incumbent will report to the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary- General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator.

Responsibilities Within the limits of delegated authority, the Special Assistant will be responsible for the following duties:

Coordination and Facilitation:

Provide substantive advice and practical support to the DSRSG/RC/HC including in

identifying, analyzing and monitoring of political, humanitarian developments and emerging issues with respect to implementing the mission's mandate.

Bring to the attention of the DSRSG/RC/HC all matters requiring his/her personal attention; assists in formulating options as to how those matters might be handled; and ensure appropriate follow-up, as directed.

• Plans, organizes, and manages the DSRSG/RC/HC meetings and mission events, prepares, and coordinates briefings, talking points, internal notes, inputs to the Security Council, written summaries, correspondence for signature and conduct follow-up activities, as appropriate.

• Facilitates effective coordination of the DSRSG/RC/HC interaction with UNITAMS' Senior Management, office staff and the UN Country Team in fulfilment of his/her functions. This includes liaising with bilateral donors and other international organizations, with a view to realizing greater synergy and coordination, specifically regarding post-mission activities in the country.

• Liaises and maintains close working relationships with officials of state institutions, political parties, civil society organizations, religious actors.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

  Competencies Professionalism: Shows pride in work and achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meetings commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult 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.

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

Planning and 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.

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 seven years of progressively responsible experience in political affairs, international development, international affairs, humanitarian affairs diplomacy, conflict resolution or related field is required.

Experience including in outreach, facilitation, coordination, advice, project management and reporting is required.

At least one year experience working in a political transition, humanitarian and development nexus management, durable solutions, conflict resolution, UN integration or related areas is required

Experience working in or in support of a field operation of the United Nations Common System or a comparable international organization or non-governmental organization in a conflict or post-conflict setting is desirable.

Previous experience working in the office of UN senior official and/or as a Special Assistant (or similar) to a senior official is desirable.

Knowledge of UN integration related policies, frameworks and tools is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic 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 a period of six months. 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.

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 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.

• 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.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

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.

By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions.

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.

Potential interview questions