Position description
Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. The Director reports to the Under-Secretary-General (USG), including in her/his capacity as the United Nations system-wide focal point for electoral assistance matters.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Director will be responsible for the following:
- Directs and manages the work of the Division. This includes but is not limited to:
- Pursuant to requests from Member States and/or mandates from UN legislative bodies, and in consultation with relevant United Nations system entities, conduct electoral needs assessments, recommend the parameters for United Nations electoral assistance and advise on the design of electoral mission components or assistance projects;
- Develop and manage the single roster of electoral experts;
- Maintain the institutional memory of the Organization with respect to electoral matters;
- Provide political and technical guidance to United Nations entities involved in electoral assistance, including on policies and good practice;
- When required, support the USG and other UN senior officials in the prevention and mediation of electoral crises;
- Maintain partnerships with other regional and intergovernmental organizations involved in elections.
- Contributes to the formulation of the department’s overall strategies and policies by participating in various committees, preparing documents on policy issues, and acting, as required, in an advisory capacity to the USG. Contributes to the overall management of the Department’s activities and operations.
- Provides leadership to the development of innovative and/or change management programmes.
- Formulates and implements the substantive work programme of the Division under his/her supervision, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
- Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Division, ensuring that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and co-ordinates work in the different areas both within the Division and Department, and with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies as appropriate.
- Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
- Reports to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
- Ensures that the outputs produced by the Division maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the division under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
- Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates.
- Oversees the recruitment of staff for the Division taking due account geographical and gender balance and other institutional values.
- Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision; foster teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across organizational boundaries.
- Chairs meetings, seminars, etc., on substantive-related issues; represents the Organization at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conference; provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
- Perform other related duties as requested by the senior management of the Organization.
- Follows political, security and other developments in various countries in order to give early warning of tensions and potential conflicts in support of the Secretary-General’s responsibilities in the maintenance of international peace and security.
Competencies
- Professionalism: Deep knowledge and expertise related to elections, electoral systems and electoral assistance. Shows ability to produce reports and papers on electoral assistance and related issues and to review and edit the work of others. Shows 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. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in electoral assistance matters and related areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
- 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.
- Empowering Others: Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations, and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work; encourages others to set challenging goals; holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility; genuinely values all staff members’ input and expertise; shows appreciation and rewards achievement and effort; involves others when making decisions that affect them.
- 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 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) in business or public administration, political science, international relations, law, social sciences or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience
- Over fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in electoral administration or assistance, international political issues, human resources management, administration, logistics, financial management, budget or related field is required. A minimum of ten years of relevant electoral experience in a multilateral setting is required. Managerial experience, including management of large diverse teams, is required. Experience in preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and/or peacekeeping is required. Experience working in or on conflict or post-conflict settings is required.
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 French is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.
Application instructions
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