Background
United Nations Peace Operations are comprised of Special Political Missions and peacekeeping operations. The Senior Women Talent Pipeline welcomes applications and nominations from candidates eligible for positions at the Director (D2), Chief (D1), and Senior Officer (P5) levels in UN Peace Operations.
Directors manage large, diverse, and multifunctional teams. Most Directors in Peace Operations serve in non-family duty stations and may not bring dependent family members (e.g. spouse or children) with them to the duty station. Staff serving in non-family duty stations are compensated financially and enjoy a rest and recuperation allowance in addition to annual leave. The majority of current Peace Operations are located in Africa and the Middle East.
General requirements
Candidates should have an advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in a relevant area and at least 15 years of professional experience. A first-level university degree (e.g., bachelor’s degree) in combination with 17 years of work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. Candidates should be fluent in English or French. In addition, fluency in any of the other official languages of the United Nations is highly desirable.
Only candidates currently external to the United Nations Secretariat will be eligible to apply.
Specifics per job area
When applying, candidates will be asked to apply to one or more of the below job areas:
Political, Peace and Security
Directors and senior staff of political affairs are responsible for managing the mission’s activities in regard to political outreach, facilitation, analysis, advice and reporting. They lead efforts to identify, analyse and monitor political developments, trends and emerging issues. They assess implementations and make recommendations on policies, strategies and other measures to address issues of concern. They consult and collaborate with partners to develop plans of actions in accordance with mandates.
Senior staff may be assigned to perform good offices functions on behalf of the Head of Mission. They are responsible for formulating and implementing their team’s program of work, contributing to planning and budgetary processes and recruiting supervising and evaluating staff.
Candidates should have at least fifteen tears of progressively responsible experience in international relations, political affairs, diplomacy, conflict resolution, mediation, security or a related field. Senior management experience is required. Experience working in a conflict or post-conflict setting is highly desirable.
Logistics and Supply chain
Senior staff in the area of logistics and supply chain are responsible for overseeing and managing the
logistics and supply chain of a mission or office.
Directors/Principals/Senior Officers participate in the mission planning process throughout the mission
lifecycle, with particular attention to support areas, and contribute to an integrated approach and
consistency in the implementation of the mission mandate. They ensure coordination and monitoring of
overall strategies and programmes for the logistical or supply chain of the mission and take the lead in
consolidating the required human and financial resources for their service.
Candidates should have at least fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in logistics, supply
chain, procurement or a related field. Candidates with experience in supply chain are especially
encouraged to apply. Senior management experience is required. Experience working in a conflict or
post-conflict setting is highly desirable.
Public Information
Senior staff in the area of public information serve as the principle strategic communications advisers of a mission and its leadership.
They formulate, implement, and manage the mission’s integrated public information and communication strategy, covering a mission’s internal and external strategic communications activities. In addition, they may oversee public perception tools to promote analysis of local and regional trends and direct and ensure effective public outreach to key audiences. They also develop external communications partnerships and ensure a proactive and integrated approach to mission communications.
Senior staff may lead a mission’s digital media strategy; oversee all digital channels; promote a multidisciplinary, story-telling approach to communications work. They mitigate reputational risk by identifying strategic issues, opportunities and risks and promote an engagement-driven and proactive general approach to communications.
Candidates should have at least fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, communications, public relations, international relations, broadcasting, new media or other relevant area. Senior management experience is required. Experience working in a conflict or post-conflict setting is highly desirable.
This article is published as part of the Senior Women Talent Pipeline Call for Nominations, learn more here.
Photo credit: Catherine Shin. In the middle, you have the SWTP member Hiroko Hirahara (Japan) who currently serves as Head of Field Office in Bentiu for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Read her blog post on the UN peacekeeping's medium account.
There is no cost associated with submitting nominations and neither the United Nations nor Impactpool charges a fee at any stage of the process.
