Political Affairs Officer

New York, NY, USA
Posted on  

Job Description

Political Affairs Officer

United Nations


New York, NY

This position is in the regional political-operational structure of the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO), Northern Africa Division.

The Northern Africa Division is tasked with monitoring and reporting on major developments in the countries under its purview, and recommending actions for addressing the related challenges, risks and threats. The Political Affairs Officer, funded by the UN Support Mission in Libya, will report to the Senior Political Affairs Officer of the team working on Libya, Egypt and Tunisia.

Responsibilities

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

Reviews and monitors activities in North Africa and specifically in Libya ; assesses trends which might affect the political situation and the political impact of intra-regional issues such as refugees, drug control and natural resources; recommends solutions/possible action by United Nations.

Analyses political and related events within North Africa with a view to provide early warning advice to ASG/USG or Head of Mission.

Prepares analytical reports and papers on sensitive and high profile matters of concern to the General Assembly, Security Council, or other bodies; drafts notes, background papers, talking points, speeches and other correspondence for senior UN officials.

Participates in the organization and supervision of Secretariat services required by the Security Council and to other committees and bodies related to its work.

Acts as focal point for collection and analysis of information on political issues of assignment.

Arranges and participates in negotiations, peacekeeping operations and fact-finding missions.

Meets regularly with operational teams including UN staff, national officials as well as Military and Civilian Police officers to plan projects and review project activities.

Provides up-to-date information to senior officials regarding substantive political matters and country or regional issues and makes recommendations on actions to take.

Maintains contacts with other sectors of the UN, other international organizations and governments on coordination and policy matters; briefs representatives and provides, as appropriate suggestions and recommendations.

Participates in conferences, seminars and academic fora related to his/her assigned area of expertise.

Provides input for assessment of staff to be deployed to important posts in the field (e.g. Resident Coordinators).

Carries out, in consultation with the Senior Political Affairs Officer, administrative functions relating to the staff planning and budget.

Drafts plans for start-up of operations and participates in the activities of implementation.

Support the efforts of the team to provide backstopping and assistance to the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), as well as the overall coordination of relevant United Nations system bodies active in Libya and in neighbouring countries.

Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Shows ability to complete in-depth studies and reach conclusions on possible causes and solutions to political problems in specific areas and/or countries. Shows ability to relate to various issues and perspectives to political, social, economic and humanitarian programmes in affected countries and areas. 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.

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.

Education

Advanced university degree in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration or other related. 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 seven years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, security, development management, conflict resolution or related area. Experience working in or on a UN Peacekeeping Mission, Special Political Mission or other relevant field mission in a non-uniformed capacity is desirable. Experience in political analysis, outreach reporting and conflict resolution is desirable. Experience working on political issues related to Africa, in particular North Africa and Libya, is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position fluency in English 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 are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate.

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

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 November 2018, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belarus, Belize, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, China, Comoros, Cyprus, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

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 or sexual abuse, or crimes other than minor traffic offences, 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.

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.

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.