SENIOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS OFFICER

This post is located in the Europe and Central Asia Division (ECAD) of the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). The incumbent leads and manages the DPPA Liaison Office in Kyiv, in coordination with the ECAD Eastern Europe Team (Team 1) and under the general supervision of the Director of the Europe and Central Asia Division (ECAD), DPPA-DPO. The incumbent is part of the ECAD Eastern Europe Team (Team 1) and reports on a day-to-day basis, via its Team Leader to the Director of ECAD, DPPA-DPO.

Within delegated authority, the Senior Political Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties: •Provides regular analytical updates on political developments in Ukraine, with significance for peace and security, including with potential regional implications, as well as recommendations for early warning actions, and strategic advice and recommendations for UN actions and support. •Develops and maintains regular channels of communication and engagement with senior government officials, political party leaders and representatives, civil society actors, the diplomatic community, international partners, and other relevant actors. •Monitors political and security developments, both domestically and as relate to the conflict, on a daily basis and provides regular reporting and analysis to DPPA-ECAD. •Prepares briefing notes and inputs for analytical notes and background papers, in coordination with ECAD, for the Secretary-General, Senior Advisers, Under Secretary General/Assistant Secretary General. •Identifies, designs and supports the implementation of policies, initiatives and project activities consistent with DPPA mandate priorities, including in support of Women, Peace and Security, peace-building, and local peace initiatives, as appropriate and in consultation with ECAD. •Participates and provides political briefings in UN coordination mechanisms, including the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Ukraine and UNCT-coordination mechanisms, as appropriate. •Provides, as needed and upon request, political advice and support to the Office of the RC/HC and the UN Country Team, including sharing reports, as appropriate and in coordination with ECAD. •Coordinates, as needed and as appropriate, with the RC/HC and relevant UNCT agencies on substantive and operational matters pertaining to the political work of the liaison office, and with the Peace and Development Advisor Unit in support of the HC/RC and UN Country Team, including with regard to conflict-sensitive programming. •Undertakes travel across Ukraine for consultations with local interlocutors and partners, as needed and as security conditions permit. •Acts as coordinator and supports missions/visits to Ukraine by DPPA officials and provides support for other senior UN visiting officials, as required, in cooperation with the RCO. •Provides managerial oversight and coordinates overall programmatic and substantive work of the liaison office team, under the overall direction of DPPA-ECAD, including formulates the programme of work and medium-term plan, manages administrative matters, and participates in the recruitment and selection of staff. •Manages, coordinates, organizes and supervises research on a variety of political issues in Ukraine, in coordination with ECAD, as well as engagement with local interlocutors and partners, and implementation of project activities. •Coordinates closely with the DO and UNDSS on all security-related matters. •Ensures close consultation and information-sharing with DPPA-ECAD on all aspects of the Liaison Office’s work and organization. •Represents DPPA in relevant local and regional conferences, seminars, meetings and think-tank events, as needed and as appropriate, in consultation with DPPA-ECAD. •Performs other functions, as required.

Professionalism: Excellent political analysis skills and strong knowledge of conflict prevention and negotiations at the international level; Knowledge of the practices and procedures of the United Nations in peace and security; Proven political work experience with European countries and organizations; In-depth knowledge and understanding of a broad range of issues relevant to European countries and on European policy agendas, in particular in Eastern Europe, including of the conflict situation in Ukraine, and ability to analyze and evaluate international political situations and conflict dynamics in area of assignment. Knowledge of UN conflict prevention and mediation mechanisms, including UN peace operations at both HQ and field, and partnerships with regional peace and security arrangements in Europe. Possesses diplomatic, liaison and representational skills in an international context. Ability to operate autonomously with limited support and oversight. Ability to manage and coordinate many different levels and participants in operations in both the field and UN common system. 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. Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization's strategy and the work unit's goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities. 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.

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

Not available.

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, security, development management, conflict resolution or related area is required. Demonstrated experience in field and liaison work with senior government, diplomatic and international and regional partners in Eastern Europe is required. Experience working in the United Nations in support of preventive diplomacy, mediation, and peacebuilding, including proven track-record in conducting political analysis and producing high-quality analytical products, is required. Experience working in or on Ukraine and up-to-date knowledge of its current political situation is required. Experience working in cooperation with country-level humanitarian, development and civil society partners is desirable. Experience leading and managing a multicultural team and its work in a complex political context, conflict or post-conflict setting, is required.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. Either French

or

Russian

or

Chinese (Mandarin)

or

Spanish

or

Arabic is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult

https://languages.un.org

for details).

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Required Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

English

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

Desirable Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

French

UN Level I

UN Level I

UN Level I

UN Level I

Russian

UN Level I

UN Level I

UN Level I

UN Level I

Chinese (Mandarin)

UN Level I

UN Level I

UN Level I

UN Level I

Spanish

UN Level I

UN Level I

UN Level I

UN Level I

Arabic

UN Level I

UN Level I

UN Level I

UN Level I

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

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. 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. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. 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. 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.

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. 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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

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