Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Political Affairs Division of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), in Kinshasa. Kinshasa is classified at “C” hardship level and is a family duty station. The Principal Political Affairs Officer promotes the implementation of key aspects of MONUSCO’s mandate through supporting the management of the political affairs division and direct use of good offices with national and international partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the region. H/she also advices the Director of Political Affairs Division (PAD), the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and United Nations Headquarters. The Political Affairs Division constitutes the substantive Political component of the Mission. The incumbent of this post will report to the Director of Political Affairs Division (DPAD).

Responsibilities

Within the delegated authority, the Deputy Director will be responsible for the following duties: • Acts as the principal adviser to the Director of the Division in formulating and implementing the substantive work programme of the Division. • 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 the mission other relevant components. • Assists the Director and the Division Section Chiefs in planning and implementing good offices initiatives, as well as programmatic and outreach activities in support of mandate implementation. • Contributes to the research and analytical work of the Division on political processes in the DRC and ensures that the outputs produced by the Division maintain high-quality standards, that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. • Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance (PAS) and of the Division’s contribution to the Mission’s CPAS, 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 gender parity and geographical 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. • Acts as Officer-in-Charge in the absence of the Director. • Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy, use of good offices, mediation and facilitation of political processes 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. Planning and 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. Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors 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. 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 improvement; 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 (Master’s degree or equivalent) 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.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, security, development management, conflict resolution or related area is required. Five (5) years of management experience, including experience managing diverse teams is required. Experience working with international and national partners both at headquarters and the field is required. Experience in Africa, providing political analysis and advice is required. Five (5) years of experience in a peace and security field mission or similar operation is required. Experience in managing or supporting complex political operations in conflict or post conflict setting is desirable. Experience in devising political strategies for senior-level counterparts or stakeholders is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency (both oral and written) in English and French is required.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available until 24 April 2025. 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 assignment 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. Please note that Political Affairs positions include conflict and post-conflict locations in non-family and/or hardship duty stations. Political Affairs staff may also be housed in camp environments. An updated list of missions and additional information on working in the field can be found at http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/about/dfs/.

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. 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. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.