Chief of Service, Political Affairs

Position description

Org. Setting and Reporting

This post is located in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs in the Division for Palestinian Rights (DPR). DPR, established by the General Assembly, plays a substantive supporting role to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, maintains relationships with civil society, and produces annually a number of publications, trainings and studies pertaining to the rights of the Palestinian people. The incumbent reports directly to the Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific (ASG MEAP), and through him, to the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (USG DPPA).

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Chief of Branch will be responsible for the following:

• Formulate and implement the substantive annual work plan of the Division under his/her supervision, in accordance with Subprogramme 5 (Question of Palestine) of the biennial Strategic Framework. Manage all programmatic activities undertaken by the Division, in keeping with the corresponding General Assembly mandate. Coordinate the work of the Division with other entities of the United Nations system, as appropriate.
• Guide, supervise and coordinate the work of various sections of the Division, and provide programmatic/substantive reviews of drafts prepared by subordinates.
• Coordinate and oversee the preparation of reports, letters, statements and other documentation for submission to intergovernmental bodies, in particular the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, Committee for Programme and Coordination, and other policy-making organs and internal and external review bodies of the United Nations, as appropriate.
• Report to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance and/or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly on those contained in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Ensure that the mandated programmatic outputs of the Division are of the highest quality and that reports are clear, objective, factual and based on verifiable data/sources. Ensure that all outputs produced by the Division’s sections meet the required standards and ensure that they comply with the relevant General Assembly resolutions.
• Assist the USG DPPA, ASG DPPA and other offices in preparing the work programme of the Department, determining priorities of the Subprogramme, and effectively allocating resources for the timely delivery of outputs.
• Undertake relevant managerial and other administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including the preparation of inputs for results-based biennial budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and recommendations to the USG DPPA or ASG MEAP, as appropriate, taking full account of geographical representation, regional diversity and gender balance.
• Manage, guide,mentor, develop and train staff under his/her supervision.
• Foster teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across organizational boundaries.
• Lead and supervise the organization of international meetings and conferences, seminars, and other gatherings on the question of Palestine as decided by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. Manage the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings.
• Participate in international, regional or national meetings and provide programmatic/substantive expertise on the question of Palestine. Hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other United Nations system entities or institutions.
• Represent the Division at international, regional or national meetings, as appropriate.
• Ensure close coordination with the Middle East Division and other divisions of DPPA and the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, as necessary.

Competencies

Professionalism:

• Expertise on the Middle East region, in particular the question of Palestine.
• Ability to produce reports and papers on substantive issues.
• Ability to review and edit the work of others.
• Ability to communicate to and coordinate with Member State or delegations on substantive and programmatic issues relevant to the mandate of the Committee and the Division.
• Expertise in procedural, conference-servicing and protocol-related issues.
• Ability to contribute to the realization of DPPA's commitments regarding Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) in the Division.
• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively.
• 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.

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.

Managerial Competencies: 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 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 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.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political sciences, business or public administration, international relations, international law, social sciences or related area, A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in international relations, political affairs, conflict resolution, preventive diplomacy or peacebuilding or related area is required. A minimum of five years of experience working on Middle East issues is required. At least five years of managerial experience at a senior level is required. Experience working with legislative bodies, Member States and delegations in the international organizations context is required. Experience in programme and project planning is required Experience in managing and delivering oninternational human rights and cross-cutting policy agendas is desirable. Experience in organizing inter-governmental or inter-agency consultations is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in both oral and written English is required; knowledge of Arabic is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations Language is an advantage.

Application instructions

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