POLITICAL AFFAIRS OFFICER (Temporary Job Opening), P4
Duty Station: Addis Ababa
Department/Office: Office for Disarmament Affairs
Deadline: Nov 28, 2025
Job Description
Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Political Affairs Officer reports to the Senior Political Affairs Officer in charge of the Support Unit of the Committee established pursuant to UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1540 (2004) in the Office for Disarmament Affairs in New York.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Political Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
•Reviews and monitors activities in the country or region assigned; assesses trends which might affect the political situation and the political impact of intra-regional issues in the area of assignment; recommends solutions/possible action by United Nations.
•Analyses political and related events within assigned area with a view to advice to the Head of the Unit.
•Develops, implements and evaluates programmes, as well as organizes events, workshops and conferences in the area of assignment.
•Drafts analytic notes, background papers, talking points, speeches and other correspondence for senior UN officials.
•Participates in the organization of Secretariat services required by the Security Council and subsidiary organs related to its work.
•Acts as focal point for collection and analyses of information on political issues of assignment.
•Arranges and participates in missions related to the area of assignment.
•Meets regularly with operational teams including UN staff, and national officials to plan projects and review project activities.
•Provides up-to-date information to senior officials regarding substantive political matters and country or regional issues and makes recommendations on actions to take.
•Maintains work with relevant UN entities, other international organizations, and regional organisations and governments to enhance coordination and cooperation.
•Participates in conferences, seminars and academic fora related to his/her assigned area of responsibility and as designated.
•Carries out, in consultation with the Head of the Unit, administrative functions relating to programme planning and budget.
•Drafts plans for start-up of operations and participates in the activities of implementation.
•Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting.
•Performs other related duties as required.
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. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. 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.
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.
Education
- Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration or other related.
- A first-level university degree in combination with 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 seven years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, security, development management, conflict resolution or related area, is required.
- Programme and conference management experience in relevant geographic region(s), including demonstrated track record of organizing events and/or training workshops, is required.
- A minimum of two years of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.
- Experience in the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction under relevant international non-proliferation regimes is desirable.
Languages
- English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. Either Arabic or French and Chinese (Mandarin) or Russian or Spanish is desirable.
The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).
Required Languages
| Language | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | UN Level III | UN Level III | UN Level III | UN Level III |
Desirable Languages
| Language | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic | UN Level I | UN Level I | UN Level I | UN Level I |
| French | UN Level II | UN Level II | UN Level II | UN Level II |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | UN Level I | UN Level I | UN Level I | UN Level I |
| Russian | UN Level I | UN Level I | UN Level I | UN Level I |
| Spanish | UN Level I | UN Level I | UN Level I | UN Level I |
Assessment
- Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.
Special Notice
This job opening is advertised to fill an extra-budgetary funded position. This position is temporarily available until 31 August 2026. The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate. 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.
Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position. 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.
The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity.
All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities.
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.
All external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. 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.