Deputy Director, Political Affairs, D-1

UN DPPA-DPO - United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs-Department of Peace Operations

New York, United States

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the regional political-operational structure of the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DDPA-DPO), Central and Southern Africa Division (CSAD). Under the overall guidance of and reporting to the Director of the Division, the Principal Political Affairs Officer/Deputy-Director will provide guidance to teams covering Special Political Missions and non-mission settings, including nineteen countries in the Central Africa, Great Lakes and Southern Africa regions. The incumbent will also serve as Deputy Director of CSAD.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Principal Political Affairs Officer/Deputy Director will be responsible for the following duties:

Assists the Director in preparing the work programme of the Division, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery. Co-ordinates the work carried out by different work units under the Division and by other agencies and bodies of the United Nations system; provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others.
Assists the Director in the overall management of the Division, overseeing its activities undertaken in the areas of preventive diplomacy, good offices, conflict resolution and peacebuilding in the areas covered by the Division, ensuring that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and coordinated both within the Division and Departments, and with other organizations of the United Nations system, as appropriate.
Contributes to the formulation of comprehensive inter-departmental and inter-agency strategies and policy recommendations for preventing emerging disputes and conflicts in the vulnerable countries under the area of purview of the Division.
Assists the Director in planning and implementing good offices and other political missions related to the mandate of the Secretary-General, including fact-finding or assessment missions.
Supervises the Division's support to the activities of peacebuilding, special political missions and regional offices in the geographical area of its responsibility.
Supervises the research and analytical work of the Division on peace and security issues and ensures that the outputs produced by teams(s) under his/her purview maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Sections under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
Assists in undertaking or overseeing the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.
Participates in selection/recruitment of staff, taking due account of geographical and gender balance.
Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.
Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across organizational boundaries.
Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues. Manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars.
Develops and maintains relations with senior government officials and other relevant actors. Cooperates and coordinates, as necessary, with other departments of the Secretariat as well as the Agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system.
Represents the Division at international, regional or national meetings, as required.
Acts as Officer-in-Charge in the absence of the Director.
Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy, and the use of conflict prevention tools in crisis and non-crisis contexts; a proven record of contributing to strategic political action and decision-making; familiarity with the tools and strategies for peacebuilding and sustaining peace, including in tandem with partners. 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.
Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
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.
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 (Masters or equivalent degree) in international relations, political science, development, law, human rights, or 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 fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, security, development management, conflict resolution or related field is required. Experience working on political issues relating to Africa is required. Experience managing teams at a senior level is required. At least three years of field experience in a conflict or post-conflict setting in Africa is required. Experience devising political strategies for senior-level officials is desirable. Experience in conflict mediation is desirable. Experience in managing or supporting complex political operations in conflict or post-conflict setting is desirable. Experience in managing complex crisis, involving a wide array of national and international stakeholders is desirable. Experience working on Central and Southern Africa, is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this post advertised, fluency in English and French (both oral and written) are required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

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