Senior Intergovernmental Affairs Officer

Position description

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located at the ECOSOC Branch (EAB), General Assembly and ECOSOC Affairs Division (GAEAD), Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM), New York. GAEAD facilitates the deliberation and decision-making process of intergovernmental and relevant expert bodies and United Nations conferences by providing substantive and conference management support. The incumbent reports to the Chief of EAB.

Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Branch and within delegated authority, the incumbent:

• Coordinates and directs the provision of secretariat services to the sessions of the General Assembly and its subsidiary organs as well as subsidiary bodies of the Economic and Social Council and United Nations conferences, including continuous guidance and authoritative advice to the presiding officers as well as other elected officers on the organization of work, status of negotiations, conduct of business, rules of procedure and the established practices, programme budget and conference servicing implications and administrative issues, while leveraging information and communication technologies for these purposes;
• Supervises preparations of the procedural notes for the presiding officer for each meeting and on each agenda item;
• Supervises the timely and accurate submission and issuance of all pre-session, in-session, and post-session documentation (including draft resolutions, decisions and reports);
• Oversees the research and preparation of studies on the procedure and practice of the intergovernmental bodies covered by the Branch;
• Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that team members can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need;
• Assists the Chief of the Branch with the management of the Branch and the supervision of the staff, the recruitment of temporary assistance, the preparation of the Branch’s contribution to the budget and the review of the work of the Branch and its various outputs.

Acts as officer-in-charge of the Branch in the absence of the Chief of the Branch, as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism – Possesses sharp political awareness as well as negotiation and diplomatic skills; knowledge of intergovernmental processes, including relevant rules of procedure, mandates and other provisions, as well as past practice and precedent; a thorough knowledge of documentation of United Nations or similar international organization. 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 all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing;
• 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;
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings;
• Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly;
• 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 degree) in international relations, law, diplomacy or related field. 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 ten years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, diplomacy or related area is required;
• Experience in dealing with international political issues in a multicultural context is required;
• Experience in the provision of substantive support to intergovernmental processes and legislative machinery in an international organizational such as the United Nations is required;
• Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.

Application instructions

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