CHIEF OF SERVICE, POLITICAL AFFAIRS
: Job Details :

Org. Setting and ReportingThis post is located in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs in the Division for Palestinian Rights (DPR). DPR, established by the General Assembly, plays a substantive supporting role to theCommittee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, maintains relationships with civil society, and produces annually a number of publications, trainings and studies pertaining to the rights of the Palestinian people. The incumbent reports directly to the Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific (ASG MEAP), and through him, to the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (USG DPPA).ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the Chief of Branch will be responsible for the following:- Formulate and implement the substantive annual work plan of the Division under his/her supervision, in accordance with Subprogramme 5 (Question of Palestine) of the biennial Strategic Framework.Manage all programmatic activities undertaken by the Division, in keeping with the corresponding General Assembly mandate.Coordinate the work of the Division with other entities of the United Nations system, as appropriate.- Guide, supervise and coordinate the work of various sections of the Division, and provide programmatic/substantive reviews of drafts prepared by subordinates.- Coordinate and oversee the preparation of reports, letters, statements and other documentation for submission to intergovernmental bodies, in particular the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, Committee for Programme and Coordination, and other policy-making organs and internal and external review bodies of the United Nations, as appropriate.- Report to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance and/or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly on those contained in biannual and/or annual reports.- Ensure that the mandated programmatic outputs of the Division are of the highest quality and that reports are clear, objective, factual and based on verifiable data/sources. Ensure that all outputs produced by the Division's sections meet the required standards and ensure that they comply with the relevant General Assembly resolutions.- Assist the USG DPPA, ASG DPPA and other offices in preparing the work programme of the Department, determining priorities of the Subprogramme, and effectively allocating resources for the timely delivery of outputs.- Undertake relevant managerial and other administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including the preparation of inputs for results-based biennial budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and recommendations to the USG DPPA or ASG MEAP, as appropriate, taking full account of geographical representation, regional diversity and gender balance.- Manage, guide,mentor, develop and train staff under his/her supervision.- Foster teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across organizational boundaries.- Lead and supervise the organization of international meetings and conferences, seminars, and other gatherings on the question of Palestine as decided by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. Manage the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings.- Participate in international, regional or national meetings and provide programmatic/substantive expertise on the question of Palestine. Hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other United Nations system entities or institutions.- Represent the Division at international, regional or national meetings, as appropriate.- Ensure close coordination with the Middle East Division and other divisions of DPPA and the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, as necessary.CompetenciesProfessionalism:- Expertise on the Middle East region, in particular the question of Palestine. - Ability to produce reports and papers on substantive issues. - Ability to review and edit the work of others. - Ability to communicate to and coordinate with Member State or delegations on substantive and programmatic issues relevant to the mandate of the Committee and the Division. - Expertise in procedural, conference-servicing and protocol-related issues. - Ability to contribute to the realization of DPPA's commitments regarding Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) in the Division. - Speaks and writes clearly and effectively.- 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.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 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 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.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.EducationAdvanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in political sciences, business or public administration, international relations, international law, social sciences or related area, 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 QualificationNot available.Work ExperienceA minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in international relations, political affairs, conflict resolution, preventive diplomacy or peacebuilding or related area is required.A minimum of five years of experience working on Middle East issues is required.At least five years of managerial experience at a senior level is required.Experience working with legislative bodies, Member States and delegations in the international organizations context is required.Experiencein programme and project planning is requiredExperience in managing and delivering oninternational human rights and cross-cutting policy agendas is desirable.Experience in organizing inter-governmental or inter-agency consultations is desirable.LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in both oral and written English is required; knowledge of Arabic is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations Language is an advantage.AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.Special NoticeStaff 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.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.The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 31st July 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply: Angola,Belize,Democratic People's Republic of Korea,Dominica,Equatorial Guinea,Grenada,Guinea-Bissau,Kiribati,Lao People's Democratic Republic,Liechtenstein,Marshall Islands,Nauru,Palau,Papua New Guinea,Qatar,Sao Tome and Principe,Timor-Leste,Tuvalu,United Arab Emirates,Vanuatu,Andorra,Antigua and Barbuda,Bahrain,Brunei Darussalam,China,Cuba,Germany,Hungary,Indonesia,Israel,Japan,Kuwait,Libya,Malta,Micronesia (Federated States of),Monaco,Oman,Panama,Paraguay,Republic of Korea,Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,Saudi Arabia,Singapore,Solomon Islands,Somalia,Turkmenistan,United States of America.Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil 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 letter.United Nations ConsiderationsAccording 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 FeeTHE 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.