Principal Political Affairs Officer - United Nations - New York, NY

This post is located in the Middle East and West Asia Division (MEWAD) of the Department of Political Affairs (DPA). As the Afghanistan Team Leader the incumbent will report to the MEWAD Director.

Responsibilities

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

• Leads, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Afghanistan Team.


• Provides direction and day-to-day support from Headquarters to UNAMA by formulating strategic and policy recommendations, and providing daily guidance on mandate implementation.


• Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Security Council, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.


• Reports to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate.


• Formulates comprehensive inter-departmental and inter-agency strategies and policy recommendations for preventing emerging disputes and conflicts in the area of responsibility.


• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Afghanistan Team maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data.


• Develops and maintains relations with UN Common System colleagues, Security Council members and Permanent Missions, and other relevant partners, on information-sharing, policy and coordination matters.


• Coordinates work on cross-cutting issues both within the Division and Department, and with other organizations of the United Nations System, as appropriate.


• Plans and implements political missions related to the mandate of the Secretary-General, including technical assessments and fact-finding missions.


• Oversees the preparation of results-based-budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, and other planning documents.


• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.


• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff and across organizational boundaries.


• As required, attends and provides input to consultations and formal meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues.


• Represents the Division at international, regional or national meetings.


• Undertakes or oversees the administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Afghanistan Team, including recruitment and evaluation of staff.


• Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks. Clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals. Generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction. 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. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.


• 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& 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.


• 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

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law, social sciences or related area. 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 fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in human resources management, administration, logistics, financial management, budget or related field. Experience in dealing with international political issues within an international organization is required. At least two years of experience in management, including in supervising teams, projects and operations, are required. Experience working in a conflict- or post-conflict setting is highly desirable. Experience working in or on Afghanistan 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 Method

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

United Nations Considerations

Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of the United Nations – Chapter 3, article 8). 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 At-a-Glance on “The Application Process” and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of inspira account-holder homepage.

Applications are pre-screened by the system according to the published requirements of the job opening on the basis of the information provided in the application. In relation to the requirements of the job opening, applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their qualifications, including their education, work experience, and language skills. Each applicant must bear in mind that submission of incomplete or inaccurate applications may render that applicant ineligible for consideration for the job opening. Initial screening and evaluation of applications will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted. Applications cannot be amended following submission. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (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.