Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and development (UNCTAD), working on the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance (GCRG). The incumbent will report to the Secretary-General of UNCTAD.

Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, the Partnerships and Coordination Director will manage the UN Task Team working on the MoU on trade facilitation with the Russian Federation and coordinate the GCRG Task Team Secretariat to ensure alignment across both areas of work. The Partnerships and Coordination Director will be responsible for the following duties:

• Leads, supervises and carries out the work programme of the UN Task Team working on the MoU on trade facilitation, especially Geneva-based staff. Co-ordinates the work carried out by the MoU workplan priorities are met and on-track and advises the Secretary-General of UNCTAD on developments and progress.
• Support the establishment of a dedicated UN Task Team located in UNCTAD, with the relevant skills and expertise, to follow-up on the implementation of the MoU between the UN and the Russian Federation.
• Provide senior level strategic, technical, and management support to the Secretary-General of UNCTAD to develop workplans and communications strategies to deliver on the MoU with the Russian Federation in liaison with the Black Sea Grain Initiative teams at the Joint Coordination center and OCHA.
• Lead on outreach with relevant the Russian Federation counterparts, the sanctions regimes of the U.S, EU, UK and other member states, and relevant private sector stakeholders in finance, insurance, shipping and trading, to ensure the unimpeded access to global markets for food and fertilizers originated from the Russian Federation.
• Leads, coordinates and executes special initiatives required for the implementation MoU as required.
• Represents the UN Task Team and GCRG Task Team secretariat on assigned issues, coordinating, developing and maintaining collaborative relationships and partnerships, including serving as point of contact for partner institutions/individuals.
• Coordinate and provide senior leadership in establishing a systematic process to manage partner relationships and outreach to facilitate the effective functioning and deliverables of the UN Task Team working on the MoU on trade facilitation and the GCRG Task Team Secretariat, and support the functioning of the GCRG Steering Committee and Champions Group. Stakeholders and partners include UN entities, IFIs and other multilateral organisations, Member States (Missions in Geneva, New York, and Capitals), intergovernmental platforms (G7, G20, AU, EU etc) private sector, civil society organisations, academia and think tanks, foundations, and senior leaders/influencers in relevant fields.
• Provide senior level political and strategic support to ensure the coherence of the GCRG and MoU efforts and their linkages with health and nutrition, climate change, peace and security and the sustaining peace agenda within the overall Decade of Action for SDGs and Our Common Agenda.
• Focal point for the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG) to ensure effective coordination, alignment and quality control for inputs to UN Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General and delivery of the MoU on trade facilitation and the GCRG workplan.
• Coordinate with the GCRG technical team in UNCTAD to ensure that partners and stakeholders are linked up and contributing to the goals and deliverables of the GCRG Task Team effectively, including development of GCRG Briefs, a mechanism for country-level support and political engagement strategy and roadmaps.
• Support resource mobilization efforts for the implementation of the MoU on trade facilitation and the GCRG task team at UNCTAD.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: 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. Extensive understanding of UN sustainable development system and reforms, frameworks, policies, and UN Secretary-General priorities. Proven expertise coordinating senior-level strategy or policies of a complex organization. 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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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 public administration, international relations, development 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 professional at the national and international levels dealing with international trade and development is required.

Significant experience in designing, leading institutional strategies and responses to crises, of major global impact in complex political environments is desirable.

Extensive experience in convening and managing multi-stakeholder special initiatives, programmes and projects, with the UN System, Member states, private sector and civil society etc., towards delivering on common sustainable development goals is desirable.

Experience in providing thought leadership and senior level advice and guidance to senior management is desirable.

Experience in the area of developing and establishing policies and strategies, on project management and in the managing of human and financial resources is desirable.

Experience working in a senior-level strategy/policy environment, preferably in an executive office, or working with senior executive leadership of a complex organization is desirable.

Experience working in a United Nations or multilateral agency is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required

Assessment

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

Special Notice

This position is available starting as soon as possible, until 31 December 2023. Extensions of contract or assignment are subject to satisfactory performance, availability of resources and continued need of the services.

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.

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse
and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.

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

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.