Org. Setting and Reporting

The Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) is responsible for providing leadership, operational support and oversight of the United Nations security management system (UNSMS) globally. As a global leader in security risk management principles, UNDSS enables the safe and effective delivery of United Nations programmes and activities in the most complex and challenging environments, while maximizing precious resources. To this end, the work of the Department is aligned under a clear mission, to enable United Nations system programme activities through trusted security leadership and solutions.

This is a unique opportunity to join a diverse, dynamic and exciting organization gaining unique and valuable experience where security provides great value.

For more information on the Department, and how we make an impact on the world in enabling the achievement of SDGs, visit: https://www.un.org/undss/

The Principal Security Adviser (PSA) reports to the Division of Regional Operations, at UN Headquarters in New York. In collaboration with the Middle East and North Africa Desk, the PSA is responsible for the planning and management of the security programme enabling humanitarian response at scale. The post is located in East Jerusalem, I/WB/G and this duty station has been designated by the International Civil Service Commission as a “B” hardship and a family duty station.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the incumbent of the post will serve as the principal security adviser to the Designated Official (DO) and to the Security Management Team (SMT). They will advise the DO and the Security Management Team on all aspects of the safety and security of personnel of UNSMS organizations, their eligible dependents as well as premises, assets and operations of United Nations Security Management System (UNSMS) organizations. In particular, the PSA leads and directs security operations with the following duties in the area under their responsibility.

Security Risk Management:
Leads the application of UNSMS approach to risk management and ensures timely development and review of the Security Risk Management (SRM) process, the management of resultant inclusive security risk management measures and other relevant aspects of UNSMS security policies and guidelines, using situational awareness, critical thinking, and logic to detect and interpret early signals, emerging trends and analysis of multi-dimensional threats that may impact security, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of different solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems, to enable the continued delivery of UN programmes particularly in crisis situations while ensuring the safety, security and well-being of personnel, and security of UN premises and assets.

Management of Personnel and Assets:
Manages all security personnel under their supervision. Ensures implementation of departmental approaches to mainstreaming gender, diversity and inclusion into all aspects of the work as well as ensuring the implementation of people-centred security risk management approaches considering specific threats or vulnerabilities of personnel and adapting practices and measures in support of diversity and inclusion.

Security Coordination:
Establishes, chairs and leads the Security Cell comprising of Security personnel of UNSMS organizations; coordinates safety and security arrangements with representatives of UNSMS organizations, and collaborates with OCHA, and humanitarian agencies to support the preparation, implementation of security operations to enable UN humanitarian response; enables the delivery of mandates and programmes through direct operational assistance; establishes and maintains a liaison mechanism with NGOs under the “Saving Lives Together” framework; develops and maintains contacts with appropriate host country authorities on issues related to the safety and security of UNSMS personnel, assets and operations to assist the surge of humanitarian support into and across area of responsibility.

Security Planning:
Ensures timely development and review of Security Plans and their integral components through innovation and creativity, including, but not limited to, contingency and crisis response plans, standard operating procedures, emergency communications, warden systems and staff lists, as per requirements of UNSMS security policies and procedures.

Compliance Monitoring:
Oversees adherence of all UNSMS personnel and organizations to security policies and procedures, including Security Plan, SRM Process, promoting understanding and support for security requirements, driving results, that help support operational efficiency and effectiveness, and reporting cases of non-compliance to the DO and the SMT; monitors and analyzes trends of security incidents affecting UNSMS personnel and organizations, identifying problems and solutions in a timely fashion.

Security Awareness:
Ensures that the DO, SMT and UNDSS are kept regularly updated in a timely manner on security developments, providing required briefings and reports; ensures that all UNSMS personnel receive timely security updates, alerts and warnings when the security situation warrants it; shares security information with NGOs under the “Saving Lives Together” framework, as appropriate. Ensures forecasting of the evolving security environment and the UN’s security and operational responses. Uses analytical techniques and collaborative team research, supports planning to ensure awareness of the current trends to enhance or adjust security humanitarian response programmes.

Security Training:
Directs in-country security training programmes, ensuring that all UNSMS personnel and their eligible family members receive the required security trainings and briefings.

Resources for Security:
Manages human and financial resources, including extra-budgetary (XB) funding and resources relating to security.

Competencies

Professionalism:
– Ability to plan, organize, coordinate and implement security operations in the field. Ability to implement a wide range of United Nations Security Management System measures, or that of a similar international organization.
– Serves as a role model, lead, manage and coordinate activities/operations relating to security, including disaster crisis management.
– Ability to make difficult decisions under pressure and to implement proposals
– Ability to build and manage large and diverse teams;
– 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.

Planning and 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.

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 improvement; 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.

Judgment/ 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 risk, disaster or emergency management, social/political science, military science, public administration, law enforcement, law or related area. A first-level university degree in any of these fields, 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 (15) years progressively responsible experience in international relations, disarmament affairs, conflict resolution, crime or terrorism prevention, security, risk or disaster or emergency management and preparedness in public or private sector areas responsible for responding to emergency situations that directly impact security is required. Of the aforementioned years:

1) At least ten (10) years of leadership experience is required.

2) Of the most recent ten (10) years, at least five (5) years of field experience working within the UN Common System or comparable international organization or nongovernmental organization in leadership positions, including contingency planning and crisis/emergency management, in a conflict or post-conflict setting is required.

3) At least two (2) years of specialized experience in areas such as security programmes, risk assessments, or analysis in the field in the United Nations or similar organization is desirable.

4) At least three (3) years of international experience in managing security support for a complex humanitarian response is desirable.

5) Experience in the Middle East region with the United Nations or similar organization is desirable.

6) Experience in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory 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 UN official language is desirable.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• The duration of this Temporary Job Opening is for a period of 6 months. This position is funded from general temporary assistance resources. The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof is subject to the availability of funds, budgetary approval and/or extension of the mandate. Accordingly, the appointment will be temporary for the duration indicated in the temporary job opening. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. The United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) is taking efforts to improve gender parity, including full implementation of the UN-wide, and Departmental Gender Strategies. We are committed to providing an inclusive culture and exciting opportunities for women in the security and operations field. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential.

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

• A current staff member who holds a fixed-term, permanent or continuing appointment may apply for temporary positions no more than one level above his or her current grade. A staff member holding a temporary appointment shall be regarded as an external candidate when applying for other positions, and may apply for other temporary positions at any level, subject to section 5.7 below and staff rule 4.16 (b) (ii).

• Upon separation from service, including, but not limited to, expiration or termination of, or resignation from, a fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointment, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment on the basis of a temporary appointment for a period of 31 days following the separation. In the case of separation from service on retirement, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment for a period of three months following the separation. This equally applies, mutatis mutandis, with respect to a former or current staff member who has held or holds an appointment in another entity applying the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules and who applies for a temporary position with the Secretariat.

• While this temporary job opening 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. An external candidate selected for this position is bound by the prevailing condition of the staff selection system under ST/AI/2010/3, as amended, and ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1. A staff member holding a temporary appointment who is recruited in the Professional and above categories on a temporary appointment, and placed on a position authorized for one year or longer may not apply for or be reappointed to his/her current position within six months of the end of his/her current service. This provision does not apply to staff members holding temporary appointments and placed on positions authorized for one year or more in duty stations authorized for peacekeeping operations or special political missions.

• 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 Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and administrative issuances governing staff appointments can be viewed at: http://www.un.org/hr_handbook/English

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.