Org. Setting and Reporting

This post is located in the Peacebuilding Strategy and Partnership Branch (PSPB) in the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). The incumbent will report and will be under the guidance and supervision of Chief of PSPB. Established in 2005, the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) helps to sustain peace by fostering international support for nationally owned and led peacebuilding efforts. The Office assists and supports the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), manages the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) on behalf of the Secretary-General, and works to enhance system-wide coherence and partnerships with UN and non-UN actors in support of building and sustaining peace in relevant countries. The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) focuses primarily on five action areas in international peace and security, ensuring sound analysis and early warning, preventing conflict and engaging in peacemaking, managing political crises and violent conflicts, sustaining peace, and enhancing partnerships. The Department’s mandate is to prevent and resolve conflict through inclusive political solutions.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Peacebuilding Political Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties: • Reviews and monitors activities in the country or region assigned, including those in which the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is engaged; assesses trends which might affect the political situation and the political impact of intra-regional issues with a view to identifying opportunities and emerging threats to the peacebuilding process; recommends solutions/possible action by Chair of PBC and/or the leadership of PBSO, including through PBF Programmes. • Analyses political and related events within assigned area with a view to provide background, policy papers and reports of the Secretary-General, as well as lessons learned and good practices on peacebuilding, advice to ASG, Peacebuilding Commission in collaboration with other branches of PBSO • Prepares analytical reports and papers on sensitive and high profile matters of concern to the General Assembly, Security Council, the Peacebuilding Commission or other bodies; drafts notes, background papers, talking points, speeches and other correspondence for senior UN officials. • Participates in the organization and supervision of Secretariat services required by the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission to other committees and bodies related to its work. • Acts as focal point for collection and analyses of information on political issues of assignment. • Arranges and participates in negotiations, fact-finding missions, provides support during the development of the Peacebuilding Fund programmes, works with the PBC and FPB branches on diversifying modes of the Commission’s country-specific engagements and identifying entry points and opportunities for such engagements. • Meets regularly with operational teams including UN staff, national officials as well as Military and Civilian Police officers to plan projects and review project activities. • Provides up-to-date information to senior officials regarding substantive political matters and country or regional issues and makes recommendations on actions to take. • Maintains contacts with other sectors of the UN, other international organizations and governments on coordination and peacebuilding policy matters; briefs representatives and provides, as appropriate suggestions and recommendations. • Develops and implements partnerships with other UN entities and external partners, Regional Organizations; Participates in conferences, seminars and academic fora related to his/her assigned area of expertise. • Provides input for assessment of staff to be deployed to important posts in the field (e.g. Resident Coordinators). • Carries out, in consultation with the Chief of the Branch, administrative functions relating to the staff planning and budget. • Drafts plans for start-up of operations and participates in the activities of implementation. • Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. • Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Proven analytical skills and ability to formulate policies, good practices and identify peacebuilding challenges and offer proposals for addressing such challenges; Ability to integrate knowledge of country contexts with broader policy and operational objectives; In-depth understanding of the inter-agency processes relating to peacebuilding; Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; Strong negotiations skills and ability to seek and reach agreement in inter-agency processes; Ability to innovate and improve processes and procedures relating to PBC engagement with countries on its agenda; and Ability to manage a team and team members. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • 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. • 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.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, peace/conflict studies; international law, political/development economics, public administration or related fields. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in international relations, intergovernmental, political, diplomatic, conflict resolution, humanitarian or development economics is required. Experience in the United Nations or, other regional, international peacebuilding organizations, or in multilateral peace operations is required. Experience in providing support to intergovernmental process is desirable.

Languages

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

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available until 31 Dec 2024. 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. • 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. • For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are un-represented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 Jan 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, 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. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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.