Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in the Indigenous Peoples and Development Branch/Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (IPDB-SPFII) of the Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD). The Chief will report to the Director of DISD.

The IPDB-SPFII has two main functions: i) to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda and indigenous matters related to social development; and ii) to support, as its Secretariat, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. It further promotes awareness of indigenous issues within the UN system, governments, and the broader public; and serves as a source of information and a coordination point for advocacy efforts that relate to the Permanent Forum’s mandate, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and ongoing issues that arise concerning indigenous peoples, with particular emphasis on the system wide action plan on indigenous peoples and the 2030 Development Agenda.

Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Director and with delegated authority, the Chief of the Branch will be responsible for the following duties:

• Oversees and implements the substantive work programme of the Branch, including in relation to the mandate of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and ongoing issues that arise concerning indigenous peoples, with particular emphasis on the system wide action plan on indigenous peoples, the Inter-Agency Support Group on indigenous issues and the 2030 Development Agenda as well as in the broader context of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
• Keeps abreast of developments in institutional mandates, policies and guidelines pertaining to social affairs, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and other UN mechanisms on indigenous peoples’ rights.
• Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Branch, ensures that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and co-ordinates work in the different areas both within the Division and Department, and with other organizations of the United Nations System, as appropriate.
• Leads, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Branch on indigenous issues. Co-ordinates the work carried out by the Branch and provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others.
• Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies, and provides substantive support to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Commission for Social Development, the 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, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Oversees and provides substantive inputs to intergovernmental processes.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Branch maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Assists the Director in preparing the work programme of the Branch, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Leads and supervises various substantive inputs of the Branch within the Division and the Department, as requested by the senior management, and their timely delivery.
• Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Branch, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance (ePAS), interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.
• Recruits staff, taking due account of geographical and gender balance.
• Incorporates gender perspectives and considerations of equal participation in all areas of work.
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Branch/Service/Division and across organizational boundaries.Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues. Manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars.
• Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Represents the Division at international, regional or national meetings.
• Assists the Director in fund raising, as appropriate.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of the substantive field of indigenous issues, sustainable development and related fields. Knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines pertaining to social affairs, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and other UN mechanisms on indigenous peoples’ rights. 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. Ability to apply principles and concepts of sustainable development in relation to government, indigenous peoples, the private sector, civil society and international organizations. 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.

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.

Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

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 social sciences, international relations, law or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience on indigenous issues at national, regional or international levels is required.

Experience in project or programme management, policy formulation, or implementation in the areas of sustainable development is required.

Supervisory experience, including in relation to organization, management and leadership of multi-disciplinary teams, is required.

Experience providing support to intergovernmental processes, including support to intergovernmental negotiations, is required.

Experience working in the UN system and/or at the inter-agency level is desirable.

Experience in publication record in the field of indigenous issues is desirable.

Experience in capacity-development and/or technical cooperation projects is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable, in particular, French or Spanish or Russian, considering that these are the languages spoken in regions of indigenous people.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

Candidates of indigenous background are encouraged to apply.

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 appointed to the current position are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon assignment or appointment and annually thereafter.

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 June 2023, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu.

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.

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.