Job Description
| Department/Office: | United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan |
| Posting Title: | SPECIAL ASSISTANT, POLITICAL AFFAIRS, P5 |
| Job Code Title: | SPECIAL ASSISTANT, POLITICAL AFFAIRS |
| Duty Station: | KHARTOUM |
| Posting Period: | 20 January 2021 – 02 February 2021 |
| Job Opening Number: | 21-Political Affairs-UNITAMS-148434-F-Khartoum (M) |
| Staffing Exercise | N/A |
Org. Setting and Reporting
The position is located in the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). The United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 2524 (2020) authorizing the mandate of UNITAMS which is to assist the political transition, progress towards democratic governance, in the protection and promotion of human rights, and sustainable peace; support peace processes and implementation of future peace agreements; assist peacebuilding, civilian protection and rule of law, in particular in Blue Nile and South Kordofan (the Two Areas) and Darfur; and support the mobilisation of economic and development assistance and coordination of humanitarian assistance.
The position is based in Khartoum, Sudan and is located in the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. The incumbent will report to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General.
Responsibilities
Within the limits of delegated authority, the Special Assistant, Political Affairs, will be responsible for performing the following duties:
Coordination and Facilitation:
•Provides specialized advice and technical support to the SRSG in implementing the Mission’s mandate;
•Keeps the SRSG informed and assists on all matters requiring their personal attention, assists in formulating options as to how those matters might be handled, and ensures appropriate follow-up, as directed;
•Plans, organizes and manages the SRSG’s meetings and Mission events, prepares written summaries and conducts follow-up activities, as appropriate;
•Coordinates/drafts correspondence for the SRSG’s signature;
•Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with Mission components, the authorities, the broader UN system, donors and other national and international partners on coordination and policy matters.
Political Analysis, Advice and Reporting:
•Identifies, analyzes and monitors political developments and emerging issues with respect to the implementation of the Mission’s mandate;
•Assesses implications and makes recommendations on possible policies, strategies and other measures to address issues of concern and to advance mandated objectives, and monitors, evaluates and reports on implementation;
•Coordinates/drafts summary and analytical reports, including inter alia situation reports, briefing notes, notes to file, code cables and input for the reports of the Secretary-General.
Management:
•Formulates and manages the implementation of the Mission’s programme of work, including through support to planning and budgetary processes;
•Supervises, mentors and evaluates staff, and assists in the selection of new staff;
•Attends workshops as directed by the SRSG;
•Performs other duties, as assigned.
Competencies
Professionalism: Knowledge of the work of the United Nations, in particular related to peace operations, peacebuilding, sustainable development and post-conflict stabilization. Ability to evaluate political situations and challenges and to build effective relations with local stakeholders in order to identify appropriate solutions; Ability to draft quickly and well, edit and produce cogent analysis of political, social, and economic events and to maintain a dynamic reporting effort. Shows pride in work and 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. 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 the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments and 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.
Empowering Others: Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations, and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work; Encourages others to set challenging goals; Holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility; Genuinely values all staff members’ input and expertise; Shows appreciation and rewards achievement and effort; Involves others when making decisions that affect them.
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 political science, international relations, social science, economics, law, public administration, or a related field. 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 ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in political affairs, diplomacy, conflict resolution, or related area is required.
A minimum of five (5) years of experience in political outreach, facilitation, analysis, advice and reporting is required.
Experience working in or in support of a field operation of the United Nations Common System or a comparable international organization or non-governmental organization is required.
Previous experience working in the office of a senior public official and/or as a Special Assistant (or similar) to a senior public official is required.
Experience in a conflict or post-conflict setting is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.
Assessment
Previously rostered candidates are not subject to any further assessment and as such, will not be invited for such an assessment.
Special Notice
The selected candidate is expected to start as soon as possible.
Please note that due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19 and the travel restrictions imposed by national authorities, selected candidates may be required to start the assignment/appointment remotely, in agreement with the hiring manager, and until further notice.
This “Recruit from Roster” job opening is only open to roster applicants who are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply. Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and available to take up the position at the duty station specified in the Job Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected. 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. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential.
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.
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.
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