SPECIAL ASSISTANT, POLITICAL AFFAIRS

The Office of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan (OPESG-SUDAN) will lead good offices and political engagement with Sudanese, regional and international stakeholders to enhance efforts to end the Sudan conflict and relaunch a credible political process, aiming for greater coherence, coordination and integration of the various mediation initiatives. The position is in the Front Office of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General (PESG) for Sudan based in Addis Ababa. The incumbent will report to the PESG for Sudan.

Within the limits of delegated authority, the Special Assistant, Political Affairs will be responsible for performing the following duties:

• Identify, analyze and monitor key political developments, trends and emerging issues in Sudan and the region as well as emerging issues with respect to the implementation of the Envoy’s mandate;

• Assess implications and make recommendations on possible policies, strategies and other measures to address issues of concern and to advance objectives, and monitor, evaluate and report on implementation;

• Keep the PESG informed and assist on all matters requiring their personal attention, assist in formulating options as to how those matters might be handled, and ensure appropriate follow-up, as directed;

• Plan, organize and manage the PESG’s official meetings, events and visits, including through the provision of Secretariat services and by coordinating inputs for talking points and speeches;

• Prepare written summaries of meetings/visits and assist with follow-up activities, as appropriate;

• Coordinate/draft summary and analytical reports, including inter alia situation reports, briefing notes, notes to file, code cables and inputs for the reports of the Secretary-General;

• Prepare and review contextual information materials, such as background notes, political profiles and databases of relevance to the assigned portfolio;

• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships across the PESG’s office, UN Common System colleagues, as well as with national stakeholders and international partners on information-sharing, policy and coordination matters, and regularly liaise with Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) at Headquarters;

• Consult and cooperate with partners to develop strategies and plans of action to address political challenges, in pursuit of shared objectives;

• Participate in fact-finding and other missions;

• Contribute to the formulation and implementation of the unit’s programme of work;

• Support planning and budgetary processes for the unit;

• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate staff; assist with the selection of new staff;

• Perform other relevant duties as required.

Professionalism: Thorough knowledge and understanding of the UN’s role in preventive diplomacy, good offices, mediation and conflict resolution; Strong understanding of political and security dynamics in Sudan and the region; Ability to evaluate political situations and challenges and to build effective relations with key stakeholders to identify appropriate solutions; Ability to draft quickly and well, edit and produce cogent analysis of political, social, and economic events and to maintain a dynamic reporting effort; Shows pride in work and 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.

Communications: 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 the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

• This position is temporarily available for 364 days. 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.

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.

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.