This position is located in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, Juba and reports directly to the Deputy SRSG (Political).

Responsibilities

Within the limits of delegated authority the Director of Civil Affairs is responsible for the following duties:

Core profile
•Contributes to the development of the strategic vision for the overall Mission and UN effort, and ensures that Civil Affairs work is clearly conceptualized in support of this, in line with the evolving situation on the ground and in accordance with the DPKO/DFS Civil Affairs Policy Directive.

•Formulates and implements the substantive work programme of Civil Affairs, in consultation with key partners inside and outside the Mission, taking account of gender considerations and ensuring that the component functions as one part of a coherent overall UN effort to support the peace process.

•Provides clear guidance on activities and performance expectations to component staff and oversees the management of programmed activities, including the delivery of high-quality outputs and results.

•Designs and institutes effective partnership and information-sharing arrangements with both relevant Mission and non-Mission actors, including the UN Country Team (UNCT). Oversees and ensures effective cooperation and coordination on the ground with all partners by Civil Affairs component staff. Ensures that all Mission and non-Mission partners are clear about the role and contributions of the Civil Affairs component.

•Ensures that the Mission and its mandate is effectively and consistently represented to relevant interlocutors at the sub-national level by the Civil Affairs component (and other Mission actors where appropriate), and that the perceptions and concerns of all sectors of the population are accurately fed into Mission-wide situation analysis and planning processes.

•Ensures that the Mission is provided with high-quality information and consistent analysis concerning conflict dynamics at the sub-national level and progress with or obstacles to the peace process countrywide, including via identification of critical peacebuilding gaps.

•Advocates for, and provides contextual advice to the Mission on, adherence to the principle of local ownership in the execution of its mandate.

•Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of Civil Affairs, including; preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance, evaluation of candidates, and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting. Ensures an appropriate balance of skills and specializations is recruited to the Civil Affairs component, in accordance with (and where possible anticipating) evolving requirements over time.

•Fosters team spirit among Civil Affairs staff, ensures they are provided with the requisite guidance and training to fulfill their tasks (including mission-specific induction and skills training), oversees the systematic identification of lessons and good practice and the sharing of these with Civil Affairs components in other Missions, and encourages free and active participation by all component staff in the online Civil Affairs Community of Practice.
•Performs other duties as required, in line with the DPKO/DFS Policy Directive on Civil Affairs.

Conflict Management
•Provides leadership and vision for the development of a Civil Affairs or (where appropriate) Mission-wide conflict management strategy, including mechanisms for information-sharing, crisis response and protection of civilians as needed.

•Promotes a culture of peace and reconciliation by identifying appropriate domestic actors and/or processes and designing strategies for the Civil Affairs component to support them at both national and sub-national levels.

•Supports implementation of the peace agreement and convenes or oversees support to national level dialogue and negotiation between groups in conflict. Facilitates, enables, or mediates dialogue where appropriate.

•Forges partnerships with relevant actors to advocate the protection and empowerment of excluded and/or threatened groups in full respect of humanitarian and international law

•Identifies and coordinates a response to specific conflict drivers countrywide, including by mobilising a response from other actors where appropriate.

Support to State Institutions
•Provides leadership and vision for effective cooperation between Civil Affairs and state institutions, as one part of the overall effort in this area, with a view to; strengthening local ownership of the peace process, building capacity, promoting cooperation between authorities and relevant interest groups, as well as supporting operations, policy and decision-making processes as appropriate.

•Forges partnerships with other actors in this area, including the UN Country Team (UNCT) and particularly UNDP.

•Oversees work with national / local authorities and other partners to identify critical support needs of local authorities and to design strategies for responding to them, either through Civil Affairs support or though mobilisation of other actors and resources.

Competencies

•Professionalism:
Candidates should demonstrate competency in the core profile as well as one or both of the two professional specializations below.

Core Profile: Seasoned and sophisticated understanding of the contexts within which peacekeeping operations function, and ability to contribute significantly to the overall strategic vision of the Mission. In-depth knowledge of DPKO/DFS policy on Civil Affairs and related areas, and a sophisticated understanding of the role of Civil Affairs in empowering and enabling other actors. Ability to conceptualise, communicate and implement a work programme for a large and geographically disbursed team, ensuring that it functions effectively and as one part of a wider collective effort. Ability to forge strategic networks and partnerships with a wide range of actors and design mechanisms for coordination. Ability to work persuasively with partners to ensure that the work of the component is integrated into overall Mission and UN efforts. Ability to conduct sophisticated analysis of political, economic and social factors affecting conflict dynamics and peace processes and to identify critical peacebuilding gaps. Sensitivity to complex dimensions of conflict, including related to issues of ethnic identity, gender and historical patterns of exclusion. Understanding of the functioning of political parties and the role of elected or transitional members of representative bodies. In-depth understanding of the principle of local ownership and of how to advise the Mission on applying this in various aspects of its work. Understanding of how to ensure that the concerns and perceptions of the local population are taken account of in the overall planning and operations of the Mission. Ability to design and manage complex information flows. Substantial knowledge of project design and project cycle management. Ability to mobilise and manage financial resources. Sophisticated understanding of how to integrate gender perspectives into the work of peace operations. Appreciation of the value of identifying and sharing best practices and lessons learned. Proven ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in highly stressful environments. Ability to work with tact and diplomacy, primarily as an enabler of constructive actors and processes. Respect for local cultures and values, awareness of the impact of personal conduct, ability to adapt behaviour to different environments with sensitivity. Commitment to long term objectives, tenacity and a positive attitude in pursuing them. 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.
Conflict Management: Ability to develop a vision and implement a plan for supporting domestic actors at the national level in conceptualising, designing and implementing conflict management or reconciliation processes. Seasoned and in-depth knowledge of practices aimed at fostering dialogue between parties in conflict. Understanding of the opportunities and risks involved in working with civil society groups in peacekeeping/building processes in different contexts, and knowledge of mechanisms and approaches to empower civil society actors where appropriate. Understanding of the role and nature of confidence-building work in peacekeeping environments. Proven competencies in convening, facilitation and negotiation. Ability to liaise with a variety of actors on sensitive issues, including excluded and threatened groups.
Support to State Institutions: Ability to develop a vision and implement a plan for supporting domestic actors at the national level in conceptualising, designing and implementing a process for strengthening state institutions. Understanding of the role of state institutions in the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Seasoned and in-depth knowledge and demonstrated capacity in dealing with policy and strategic issues related to institution building and governance. Awareness of political and technical considerations in supporting state institutions in post-conflict transition. Knowledge of national capacity assessments and the ability to adapt appropriate capacity development strategies. Knowledge of mandates and capacity of key partners in this area, including UNDP and the World Bank, and ability to work creatively with them in identifying a coherent and well coordinated approach drawing on comparative advantages. Understanding of mechanisms for accountability and transparency, and for dialogue between state institutions and relevant interest groups.

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.

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 improvements; 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.

•Building Trust: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; manages in a deliberate and predictable way; operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda; places confidences in colleagues, staff members and clients; gives proper credit to theirs; follows through on agreed upon actions; treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately.

•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 social sciences, political science, international relations, public administration, anthropology, law, economics 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

Over 15 years’ experience in Civil Affairs, Political Affairs, Governance, Conflict Management and Prevention, Peacebuilding or related field, with a minimum of five years spent in a UN peace operation setting.
A minimum of five years of experience should be in a senior management position with responsibility for developing and implementing strategic programmes in field operations, including the management of personnel and financial resources for such programmes.
Experience in dealing with complex political transitions in peace operations settings is required.
Experience and/or expertise in socio-political and cultural dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa is desirable.

Languages

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

Assessment

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

Special Notice

Extension of the appointment is subject to Extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds.

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.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.