Country: United States of America
Closing date: 07 Jul 2015
United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity
Special Notice
This post is funded for a finite period of one year and may be subject to extension. Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or availability of the funds.
Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.
Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover note.
Org. Setting and Reporting
The position is located in the Inter-governmental Policy Section (IGPS) of the Policy and Development Studies Branch (PDSB) of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The Chief of IGPS/Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer reports directly to the Chief of PDSB.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Chief of IGPS will be responsible for the following;
• Provides policy guidance to the Chief of Branch, on conceptual strategy development and management of the implementation of overall strategies related to humanitarian normative frameworks and relevant inter-governmental policies and processes
• Serves as a senior policy adviser on building and strengthening relationships with governments on normative frameworks; reviews and provides advice on a diverse range of policy issues related to strengthening humanitarian action.
• Leads and oversees the development of policy position papers and strategies on topics related to inter-governmental relations and the strengthening of the normative framework on humanitarian action
• Assists Member States through facilitation of negotiations and provision of support for consensus building; recommends actions based on analysis of pertinent information.
• Plans and oversees the management of activities undertaken by the IGPS; ensures that substantive work programmes and programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion, coordinating diverse projects in the Section, and, in liaison with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies as appropriate.
• Manages, supervises and carries out the work programme of IGPS under his/her responsibility. Co-ordinates the work carried out by the IGPS; provides programmatic and substantive reviews of drafts prepared by others.
• Provides substantive input in the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
• Contributes to the reporting to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Unit/Section maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Unit/Section under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Prepares inputs for the work programme of the Branch, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Carries out programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Unit/Section, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates.
• Recruits staff for Unit/Section taking due account geographical and gender balance and other institutional values.
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Unit/Section and across organizational boundaries.
• Represents the Organization at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive-related issues.
• Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
Competencies
Professionalism: Knowledge of a wide range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related human rights issues, in particular as pertaining to cooperation with Member States, regional organizations and other partners. Conceptual and strategic analytical capacity to include the ability to analyze and articulate Member State dynamics and positions and the humanitarian dimension of complex issues. Demonstrated problem-solving skills and judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of complex issues/ problems. Ability to strategically plan and deliver desired outcomes in inter-governmental processes, including ability to negotiate and to influence others to reach agreement. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. 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.
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.
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.
Managerial Competencies
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.
Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in humanitarian affairs, political science, social science, public administration, international studies, economics 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 years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, crisis/ emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development or other related area. A minimum of three years of experience related to inter-governmental processes is required. Experience in the areas of international affairs and/or intergovernmental cooperation is required. Experience in negotiating documents is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required; Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
Assessment Method
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.
United Nations Considerations
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.
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.
How to apply:
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.
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