CHIEF OF SERVICE, RULE OF LAW, D1

These positions are located in United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions. The Chief of Service, Rule of Law, typically reports to the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General or to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, depending on the mission structure. Incumbents typically serve as the head of the rule of law component or the justice and corrections component of the mission.

Within delegated authority, the Chief of Service, Rule of Law will be responsible for the following duties: (these duties are generic and may vary depending on the mission’s mandate and priorities. Therefore, the incumbent may carry out most, but not all, of these functions).
1.Leads and manages the development and implementation of the mission’s strategies related to supporting national counterparts in the strengthening and developing of all aspects of the justice and corrections systems, including: implementation of applicable international standards, development and implementation of strategic planning processes, review and development of relevant legislation, rehabilitation of facilities, strengthening the capacity of the justice and corrections institutions, and supporting the development of effective linkages with the police. This will be undertaken by advising national counterparts and providing technical assistance, facilitating access to training and assisting to develop a strategic national reform plan.

2.Establishes and maintains contacts and effective relations with senior national government officials and civil society representatives, including counterparts in the Ministry of Justice and/or other relevant Ministries, the police, courts, prisons, non-governmental organizations, universities and law schools, media, diplomatic missions and donors.

3.Builds linkages with development partners and donors to ensure a seamless transition to long term development support and the mobilization of resources where necessary.

4.Advises on and prepares assessment reports, reports addressing complex strategic and operational justice and corrections issues, policy documents and guidelines.

5.Participates in coordination mechanism at mission level, maintaining close working relationships with relevant components (human rights, police, gender, etc) and other United Nations entities, and represent the mission as required.

6.Performs programmatic, managerial and administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the missions’ rule of law component or justice and corrections component, including the preparation of budgets, reporting on performance and results, recruiting staff and managing and evaluating staff performance.

7.Performs other related duties.

PROFESSIONALISM
Demonstrates in-depth knowledge and understanding of the political, social and economic environment and their impact on the implementation of a mission’s mandate; extensive knowledge of judicial, legal and prison system issues, including knowledge of criminal law and informal justice mechanisms; extensive knowledge of relevant international human rights standards and their relationship and linkages to the broader developmental/post-conflict recovery framework and initiatives; knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines related to judicial and prison affairs and of the UN system; capacity of incorporating gender considerations in rule of law reform initiatives. Ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g. civil strife, natural disasters and human suffering). 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.

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 AND 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.

VISION
Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals; Generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; Conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities.

EMPOWERING OTHERS
Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations, and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work; Encourages others to set challenging goals; Holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility; Genuinely values all staff members' input and expertise; Shows appreciation and rewards achievement and effort; Involves others when making decisions that affect them.

An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law is required. Alternatively, a first-level university degree in law in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience and bar qualification or equivalent may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

A minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in rule of law or a related area is required. This experience should include a minimum of ten years’ experience in one or more of the following areas: practicing lawyer, prosecutor, judge, legal academic, legal consultant, or advisor in the field of justice and/or rule of law assistance. Three years’ experience providing technical assistance supporting legal and judicial institutions in a transitional, developmental, conflict or post-conflict setting, including experience outside the applicant’s country of nationality, is required. Management experience is required. Experience with staffing, budgeting and planning is also required.

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of French or Arabic is desirable.

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

The United Nations Department of Field Support maintains rosters of qualified and available candidates to fill anticipated job openings in peacekeeping operations, special political missions, and other field operations.

The purpose of this job opening is to add additional female candidates to an existing mixed male/female roster of pre-cleared candidates for positions as Chief of Service, Rule of Law, D-1, in UN peace operations. This special roster opening is being launched due to the lack of gender parity in the current roster and in support of achievement of the United Nations System-Wide Gender Parity Strategy launched in September 2017 (https://iseek-newyork.un.org/system/files/17-00102b_gender_strategy_report_13_sept_2017.pdf). This Strategy sets annual targets toward parity for individual UN peace operations and has an eventual deadline of parity by level for internationally-recruited civilian staff in UN system entities by 2028.

Please note that this roster is for a specific profile of candidates required by UN peace operations. These positions are located in conflict and post-conflict locations which are typically classified as non-family and/or hardship duty stations. As such, candidates who are eventually selected for positions cannot bring family members with them. That said, the United Nations offers a competitive salary package and specific benefits and entitlements to help staff deployed to non-family duty stations balance work and life commitments. To learn more about the UN salary scale and benefits and entitlements in hardship locations, please visit http://unjumet.net/ohrm_main/index.php. An updated list of UN peace operations and additional information on working in the field can be found at http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/about/dfs/ and http://www.un.org/undpa/en/in-the-field/overview.

All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application (whether successful or unsuccessful) within 14 days of the conclusion of the process. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently will be invited to apply for field mission vacancies open only to roster members. Roster membership does not guarantee selection.

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 or sexual abuse, or crimes other than minor traffic offences, 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.

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.

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.