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Job Opening
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Posting Title: |
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SPECIAL ASSISTANT, POLITICAL AFFAIRS, P5 (Temporary Job Opening)
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Job Code Title: |
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SPECIAL ASSISTANT, POLITICAL AFFAIRS
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Department/ Office: |
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United Nations Mission in Liberia
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Duty Station: |
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MONROVIA
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Posting Period: |
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5 October 2015-11 October 2015
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Job Opening number: |
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15-POL-UNMIL-49215-J-MONROVIA (M)
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Staffing Exercise ID: |
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N/A
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United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity
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Org. Setting and Reporting
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This position is located in the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) at the headquarters of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in Monrovia. The Special Assistant will report to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General through the Chief of Staff (CoS).
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Responsibilities
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Within limits of delegated authority, the Special Assistant will be responsible for performing the following duties:
- Assist the SRSG's and Mission's relations, through liaison with Headquarters, the UN Country Team (UNCT), diplomatic corps and other key partners on strategic, political, policy and operational issues related to UNMIL, to ensure collaboration and effective partnerships; provide related briefings and advice, with the appropriate follow-up as required.
- Assist in formulating and managing the implementation of the Mission's mandate, including by leading or coordinating the development of strategic and operational plans and budget proposals.
- Lead/coordinate the development and implementation, as appropriate, of cross-cutting strategies, policy directives, position papers, statements and briefings to advance mandate implementation; Contribute to the development and implementation of the Mission's internal and external communications strategies; Develop/ manage special projects in support of Mission-wide strategies for mandate implementation.
- Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with mission components, national authorities, the UNCT, donors and other national and international partners on coordination and policy matters; Lead/facilitate Mission or UNMIL/UNCT coordination on specific initiatives, as required.
- Liaise with Headquarters on issues requiring the SRSG's and COS's attention.
- Identify, analyze and monitor political developments and emerging issues that have an impact on implementation of the Mission's mandate; Provide strategic, political, policy advice and recommendations to the SRSG and COS on issues of significant impact on UNMIL, and assist them with the creation of conditions necessary to implement key decisions concerning the strategic direction of the Mission.
- Prepare articles, speeches, remarks and other materials for the SRSG's key events, and provide guidance on/review and comment on statements or speeches for the SRSG; Prepare/oversee the preparation of analytical reports, papers and other documents on cross-cutting or sensitive/complex issues of concern to the SRSG, in coordination/ consultation with the relevant components of the Mission and UNCT; Monitor, evaluate and report on implementation.
- Review and comment on key documents prepared by different components of the Mission, UNCT, and external organizations on issues related to UNMIL mandate implementation and related issues.
- Attend high-level meetings and take action/follow-up, as required; Represent the Mission at international/regional/national conferences, seminars, meetings and related activities, and provide substantive expertise on Mission and broader peacekeeping-related issues.
- Perform other relevant duties as required.
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Competencies
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Professionalism: – 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; 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.
Client orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be
"clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
Building Trust: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act
without fear of repercussion; Manages in a deliberate and predictable way; Operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda; Places confidence in colleagues, staff members and clients; Gives proper credit to others; Follows through on agreed upon actions; Treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately.
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 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.
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Education
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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.
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Work Experience
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A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in political affairs, diplomacy, conflict resolution, or related field. Extensive experience in political outreach, facilitation, analysis, advice and reporting is required. Proven experience in leading/coordinating planning is required. Experience in change management processes is highly desirable. Experience working in a United Nations common system field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds, and programmes) - or similar international organization or nongovernmental organization - in a conflict or post-conflict setting is required. Previous experience working in the office of a senior public official is required.
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Languages
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English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required.
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Assessment
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Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
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Special Notice
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Notes:
• 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. However, a current staff member who holds an appointment at the G-6 or G-7 level may also apply to temporary positions in the Professional category up to and including the P-3 level, subject to meeting all eligibility and other requirements for the position. 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). Therefore, a staff member holding a temporary appointment in the General Service or related categories may only apply to positions within those categories. For full information on eligibility requirements, please refer to section 5 of ST/AI/2010/4Rev.1 on Temporary Appointments. In its resolution 66/234, the General Assembly further “stressed that the Secretary-General should not recur to the practice of temporarily filling posts in the Professional and higher categories with General Service staff members who have not passed the General Service to Professional category examination other than on an exceptional basis, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that temporary occupation of such posts by the General Service staff shall not exceed a period of one year, effective 1 January 2013…” Consequently, eligible candidates in the General Service or related categories for temporary job openings in the Professional category that have not passed the competitive examination may be selected only on an exceptional basis endorsed by the Office of Human Resources Management where no other suitable candidate could be identified.
• 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.
• Subject to the funding source of the position, this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.
• 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. 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.
• The expression “Internal candidates”, shall mean staff members who have been recruited after a competitive examination under staff rule 4.16 or after the advice of a central review body under staff rule 4.15.
• Please note that candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
• For information on special post allowance, please refer to ST/AI/1999/17. For more details on the administration of temporary appointments please refer to ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1.
• The Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and administrative issuances governing staff appointments can be viewed at: http://www.un.org/hr_handbook/English
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United Nations Considerations
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Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of inspira account-holder homepage.
Applications are pre-screened by the system according to the published requirements of the job opening on the basis of the information provided in the application. In relation to the requirements of the job opening, applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their qualifications, including their education, work experience, and language skills. Each applicant must bear in mind that submission of incomplete or inaccurate applications may render that applicant ineligible for consideration for the job opening. Initial screening and evaluation of applications will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted. Applications cannot be amended following submission. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.
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No Fee
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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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