Political Affairs Officer Full-Time

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Team of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Mozambique. Under the overall supervision of the Personal Envoy the Political Affairs Officer will report to the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, including through a Senior Political Affairs Officer. This position is based in Maputo, Mozambique.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Political Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

• Analyses political and related events within assigned area with a view to provide early warning advice to the Head of Mission;
• Prepares analytical reports and papers on sensitive and high-profile matters; drafts notes, background papers, talking points, speeches and other correspondence for Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General and other senior UN officials, as requested;
• Liaises with the Mozambique Peace Secretariat and acts as focal point for collection and analysis of information on political and security matters. Arranges and participates in negotiations, and fact-finding missions;
• Meets regularly with operational teams and contributes to plan projects and review project activities;
• Provides up-to-date information to senior officials regarding substantive political and country matters and makes recommendations on actions to take;
• Briefs representatives on behalf of the Personal Envoy and Senior members of his team and provides, as appropriate suggestions and recommendations;
• Participates in conferences, seminars and academic fora related to his/her assigned area of expertise;
• Carries out consultation with the Special Political Affairs Officer, administrative functions relating to the staff planning and budget;Z
• Drafts plans for start-up of operations and participates in the activities of implementation;
• Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism – Shows ability to complete in-depth studies and reach conclusions on possible causes and solutions to political problems in specific areas and/or countries. Shows ability to relate to various issues and perspectives to political, social, economic and humanitarian programmes in affected countries and areas. 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;
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings;
• 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.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration or other related. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, security, development management, conflict resolution or related area is required;
• Experience in conflict resolution, negotiations, mediation and good offices is required.
  Experience providing political advice to senior officials at regional or international level is required;
• Knowledge of peace efforts in Mozambique, including the implementation of the Peace and National Reconciliation Accord, is desirable;
• Experience in disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programmes is desirable.
  Experience working in a field operation of the United Nations Common System or similar international organization is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Portuguese language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise, which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available until 31 December 2020, with possibility of extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment;
• While this temporary job opening 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;
• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station;
• This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15;
• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation;
•  Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

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.

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.