Chief of the Integrated Policy Analysis Branch

Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG), in the Integrated Policy Analysis Branch. The Division for Sustainable Development Goals, in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, acts as the Secretariat for the SDGs, providing substantive support and capacity-building for the goals and their related thematic issues, including water; energy; climate; oceans; transport science, technology and innovation; and partnerships. The Division also plays a key role in the analysis of SDG progress, including through cross-sectoral approaches, substantive support to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and on advocacy and outreach activities related to the SDGs. For more information, please visit our website at http://sdgs.un.org. The Chief of Branch reports to the Director of the Division.

Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision and guidance of the Director of the Division for Sustainable Development Goals, the incumbent will be responsible for the following:

1. Provide policy advice, through the Director of the Division, to the Under-Secretary-General and senior officials in the Department on substantive, policy and analytical aspects of the work of the Division on sustainable development issues, and follow up to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Rio+20 and World Summit on Sustainable Development outcomes, and related UN activities. Coordinate and oversee the preparation of briefing material, presentations, draft speeches, and policy proposals on sustainable development issues for the Director and Senior Management.

2. Lead, oversee and coordinate the preparation of reports and expert group meetings and support to high-level advisory groups on sustainable development issues, including the implementation of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM); and the preparation of the Global Sustainable Development Report by the Independent Group of Scientists (IGS), while also supporting the work of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), advancing the science – policy interface and analyzing climate-SDG synergies.

3. Formulate, plan and manage the work programme of the Branch and its resources, including: (i) preparing programme plans and budgets and strategic framework and reports periodically on budget performance and implementation; (ii) preparing Branch work plans in line with Divisional and Departmental goals and priorities; (iii) implementing and monitoring the performance management and development system and working with staff to ensure their understanding and engagement in the Branch and Division’s work; (iv) cooperating and maintaining liaison with other branch chiefs in divisional level work and activities, as well as any inter-divisional work as requested by Senior Management.

4. Coordinate and cooperate with other partners in the United Nations system as well as with other national, regional and global organizations for policy analysis and networking and the implementation of the work programme of the Branch.

5. Act as Officer-in-Charge of the Division in the absence of the Director and represent the Director or Division in departmental, inter-departmental and inter-agency senior management meetings and at international, regional or national meetings.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of economic analyses and relevant sustainable development issues, interlinkages, and consensus-building in negotiations; Demonstrated knowledge of the United Nations system; Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations; Demonstrated analytical and policy development skills and ability to produce reports and to review and edit work of others. 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.

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.

Judgment/Decision-making: Identifies 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) in sustainable development, economics, public policy, natural resources management, engineering, public administration, social sciences or related area is required. 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 fifteen years of progressively responsible professional experience in policy-oriented work in a broad range of sustainable development issues, of which ten years must be at the international level, either in the public or private sector is required.

Experience in leading and managing a diverse team on sustainable development related programmes is required.

Experience in supervising preparation of reports, formulating and implementing projects and recommendations for use by intergovernmental bodies is required.

Experience in substantive servicing of intergovernmental and expert bodies, as well as broad exposure to various aspects of the Organization's work in the economic, social and environmental fields, is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of other official UN languages is desirable.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Staff members appointed to the current position are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon assignment or appointment and annually thereafter.

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 January 2022, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Viet Nam.

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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

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.