Senior Political Officer (Duration 6 Months) at United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON)

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

• Formulates political strategies;  
• Develops a vision or direction for work;  
• Proposes policies and options to address immediate and long-range political challenges, including with regard to threats to peace and security;   A
• dvises the Director-General on the implementation of the DG’s political mandate, including in support of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA)'s conflict prevention and preventive diplomacy mandate, and coordinates related projects and activities;  
• Supports the Director-General in the review of the working of the DPPA’s Liaison Team based in the DG’s office;  
• Prepares and/or oversees the preparations of briefing materials and talking points for the Director-General;   
• Works closely with counterparts across UNON entities, the UN country team and DPPA, among others; 
• Develops and maintains relations with government officials;   
• Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Expert knowledge of United Nations’ work in the area of peace and security, particularly with regard to political and conflict analysis, preventive diplomacy, mediation and peacemaking; comprehensive knowledge of the work of the UN’s Secretariat and that of intergovernmental bodies; ability to evaluate international political situations in area of assignment; 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.   
• 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.   
• 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.   
• 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.   
• 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 recommendations 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.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) degree in political science, international relations, law, or related field is required. A relevant first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.  Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.

Work Experience

• A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in political affairs at the international level, including advising Senior United Nations Officials, is required.    
• At least five years’ experience in the United Nations’ work or equivalent entities in the area of international peace and security, including supporting good offices and mediation efforts is required.    
• Experience in planning and coordinating the implementation of politically sensitive assignments is required.    
• Knowledge of the regional socio-political and security contexts is required.    
• Experience in the areas of collaboration between UNON and DPPA liaison Offices is required.    
• Experience managing diverse teams is required.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this post, fluency in both written and oral English and French is required.

Deadline : Feb 29, 2024