Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan UNMISS, Duty Station Bentiu. Bentiu Field Office is classified in the “E” category and as a non-family duty station. The incumbent will report to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) through the Chief of Staff.

Responsibilities

Within delegation of authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:
• In consultation with substantive components at Mission HQ, lead, direct and coordinate the personnel, operations, and programs of all Mission components in the Field Office Area of Responsibility, in line with the mandate and strategic guidance and priorities provided by the Head of Mission.
• Lead extremely complex, challenging and highly sensitive and security operating environment involving multiple competing internal groupings, outliers, and regional actors through political advocacy.
• Assess, analyze, and make appropriate recommendations to Mission leadership on critical security and complex political issues affecting the area of operations from both the national and sub-national perspective, proposing interventions, and devising complex strategies for delivery of mandated objectives while faced with a constantly changing operating environment.
• Provides good office on behalf of the SRSG, as appropriate.
• Ensures the operational functioning of the field office by promoting collaboration among all components of the Mission (Substantive, Military, Police and Mission Support);
• Leads, supervises, and carries out the work programme of the office under his/her responsibility.
Co-ordinates the work carried out by different work units under the office and by other agencies and bodies of the United Nations system in order to ensure coherence; provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others.
• Through delegated authority, act as Area Security Coordinator, responsible for implementing the UN security management framework, designed to ensure the protection of all UN staff and assets.
• Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of summary and analytical reports including situation reports, briefing notes, notes to file and draft code cables.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the field office maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with the local and state authorities, political and community leaders, civil society actors to the UN family and other national and international partners on coordination and policy matters.
• Develop and lead outreach strategies targeting the local population, in order to cultivate ties, create/expand political space, foster inter-community dialogue, and conflict resolution and develop an understanding of local perceptions and views on relevant issues, challenges and possible solutions thereto;
Ensure that local perceptions are factored into the Mission’s own activities and contribution to policymaking and planning processes.
Develop and lead the implementation of the flood response plan in coordination with relevant partners including the local authorities and United Nations Agencies Funds and Programme, ensuring the continued mandate implementation.
Oversees the development of integrated field office work plan in line with the Mission plan and in alignment with Comprehensive Planning and Performance Assessment System (CPAS).
• Manage and oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the office, including preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, and reporting performance, and development of quick impact projects their implementation, monitoring, and evaluations,
• Recruits staff, as necessary taking due account of geographical and gender balance,
• Supervise, mentor, trains and evaluate staff within the Field Office
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the office 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.
• Performs other relevant duties, as requested by the Chief of Staff and the SRSG.

Competencies

Professionalism: Extensive knowledge of issues pertaining to South Sudan, especially in the area of peace and security, regional and global dynamics, as well as relevant local and international actors. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN, or other large international organization, 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.

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.

Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands.

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) in international, political affairs law, social sciences or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two qualifying years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of 15 years of work experience on political and peace and security matters at the international levels, including recent extensive operational and political advocacy experience in similar highly complex multi-dimensional environments is required.

Proven policy and management experience in conflict and post-conflict countries in the field, including diplomatic and management is required.

Experience of coordinating inter-agency processes within the UN system, or other large international organization, as well as experience working with the mandates of peace and security, human rights, protection of civilians, humanitarian and development entities is required.

Experience working with the administrative rules and regulations of the UN Secretariat, or other large international organization, is required.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required.

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 an initial period of six (6) 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.

• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.

• This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.

• 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.

• Qualified women that meet the requirements of this job opening are particularly encouraged to apply and will be given full consideration in accordance with the United Nations efforts to increase women participation in its workforce.

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.