Job Description

Position description

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located within the Syria Team in the Middle East Division (MED), Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Department of Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) and is based at Headquarters in New York. The Political Affairs Officer reports to the Team Leader/Senior Political Affairs Officer under the overall supervision of the Director and Deputy Director of the Division.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

• Review and monitor activities in Syria and the region; assess trends and events that may affect UN engagement in Syria; recommends solutions/possible action by the United Nations with a view to providing early warning advice and advancing mandated objectives.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of events relating to political issues, in general, and in particular as they affect the countries and thematic mandates for which the staff member is responsible.
• Keeps abreast of latest trends and developments in the area of assignment and provides inputs on issues to senior officials and colleagues in missions and elsewhere in the Secretariat.
• Monitors national and regional level political developments and provides advice to field mission/UN agencies active on the ground.
• Prepares analytical reports and papers on sensitive and high-profile matters of concern to the General Assembly, Security Council, or other bodies; drafts briefing notes, background and options papers, talking points, speeches, code cables, inputs for the reports of the Secretary-General and other correspondence for senior officials.
• Prepares contextual information materials such as daily updates, political profiles and databases of relevance to the assigned portfolio, manages information to ensure its accessibility and utility.
• Maintains contacts with other sectors of the UN, other international organisations and governments, civil society actors, academic and research institutions, and other partners on coordination and policy matters.
• Supports preparations for official meetings, events and visits; Prepares written summaries of meetings/visits and assist with follow-up activities, as appropriate.
• Carries out in consultation with the Team Leader administrative functions relating to the staff planning and budget.
• Contributes to other work of the desk as may be necessary.

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.

Education

• Advanced University Degree (master's degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration, or related fields. 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 five years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, research, security, development management, conflict resolution or related area is required. Prior work on issues related to the region, including developing policy recommendations and drafting politically-sensitive documents and reports is required. Research experience relating to the Middle East is required. Experience working on Syria is desirable. Experience with data analysis, such as analyzing multiple information data sources, including dashboards and databases, to inform UN leadership decision-making is desirable. Experience in database and website management is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position(s) advertised, fluency in both oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Application instructions

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