Job Description

Org. Setting and ReportingThe position is located in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG), in the Political, Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Human Rights Unit (PU), which plays a critical role in providing the Secretary-General and EOSG senior leadership with situational awareness, trend analysis and advice on emerging and ongoing issues of interest and concern across the political, peacekeeping, humanitarian and human rights portfolios, and in supporting senior management decision-making on country situations and relevant thematic files. The Senior Political Affairs Officer reports to the Officer-in-Charge/Acting Director of the Political Unit. The EOSG, under the guidance of the Secretary-General (SG), works as a team pursuing in a cohesive and coherent manner, the SG's vision, priorities and policies . It seeks alignment of the United Nations family with the SG's vision, priorities and policies. It is guided by the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity and of achieving gender and regional balance among staff. All EOSG units will support the EOSG senior officials, as appropriate, depending on the tasks at hand, regardless of which senior official they formally report to, and will work together through a matrix team approach, as necessary, to ensure EOSG leads by example on integration and cross-pillar work. Responsibilities• Provide the Secretary-General and other EOSG senior officials with situational awareness, trend analysis and forward-looking advice on emerging and ongoing issues of interest and concern across the political, peacekeeping, humanitarian and human rights portfolios. • Prepare and/or conduct final review of Secretary-General's correspondence, speeches and statements as well as briefing notes and talking points and key messages for the Secretary General and other EOSG senior officials for meetings with Heads of State, ministers and other high-level officials. • Represent the EOSG Political Unit in meetings with delegations of Member States, regional organizations and inter-agency partners, conveying EOSG priorities and ensuring appropriate follow-up and coordination. • Coordinate and oversee the EOSG review of reports related to assigned geographic and thematic areas for approval by the Secretary-General prior to presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Security Council, the General Assembly and other intergovernmental bodies, as appropriate. • Conduct and direct research, initiate and carry out in-depth analysis on political, peacekeeping, humanitarian and human rights issues related to the assigned geographic or thematic areas. Follow up on current trends and political, humanitarian and security developments related to assigned geographic or thematic areas, with a view to providing early warning advice to EOSG senior officials. • Support senior EOSG leadership decision-making processes, including the Executive and Deputies Committees, on country situations and relevant thematic files, through the provision of incisive analysis and highlighting potential areas for system-wide action. • Design and contribute to the development and implementation of EOSG-wide strategies and plans to support the implementation of the Secretary-General’s priorities, including follow-up to key policy initiatives. • Advise on participation and prepare for official meetings, events, talks and visits of a political nature involving the leadership of the EOSG. • Coordinate across departments, agencies and entities to draft, finalize and present strategic policy advice to the Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General and other senior EOSG officials. • Perform other related duties as requested by the EOSG. CompetenciesProfessionalism: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Strong analytical skills and ability to produce reports and papers on substantive 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; 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 audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed as appropriate. 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. 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 the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary. EducationAdvanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) degree in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration, or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience at national and international levels in advisory and managerial positions in political science, international relations, humanitarian assistance and coordination, human rights, diplomacy, law, development management, conflict resolution or related area is required. Experience in providing advice and the preparation of analytical reports, background papers, notes and key messages for senior management at Headquarters and/or the field is required. Analytical, drafting and verbal communication skills are required. A minimum of three years of experience in a transitional, developmental, humanitarian, conflict or post conflict setting is desirable. Experience working with Member States and delegations in the context of international organizations is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult for details).

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