Regional Ombudsman

The Regional Ombudsman leads the Regional Ombudsman Office in Santiago, providing impartial and confidential conflict resolution services to UN personnel in the region. The role involves managing the office, advising staff on dispute resolution options, facilitating mediations, and promoting awareness of informal conflict resolution services.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Regional Ombudsman Office in Santiago, ensuring effective delivery of services within the assigned area of coverage.
• Provide independent, impartial, confidential and informal conflict resolution services to staff members and affiliated personnel on employment-related concerns.
• Advise staff members and affiliated personnel on available options and avenues for resolution, considering rights, obligations and interests of the Organization and personnel.
• Facilitate dialogue, conduct mediations, undertake shuttle diplomacy and information-gathering, and provide conflict coaching to support constructive resolution of disputes.
• Engage with leadership and stakeholders in the region to address work-related concerns raised by staff and affiliated personnel.
• Design and deliver outreach initiatives to promote awareness of informal conflict resolution services and conduct skill-building activities.
• Identify, analyze and raise awareness of systemic issues affecting workplace tension or conflict and provide feedback to senior management.
• Maintain close coordination with the Office of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services at Headquarters.
• Prepare periodic activity reports including qualitative and quantitative data on case trends, outreach activities and systemic observations.
• Supervise regional staff including performance management, professional development and team leadership.
• Undertake regular travel, including virtual visits to offices within the region to provide in-person services, outreach and training.
• Contribute to office-wide initiatives, projects and policy development efforts.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Requirements

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or Doctorate degree, or equivalent) in public administration, dispute resolution, human resources management, human relations, law, management, organizational development, counseling or related fields is required.
• A first-level degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the specified fields of studies with two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A combination of mediation training, conflict coaching training and ombudsman training is required.
• A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience, including at least five years at the international level in dispute resolution, human resources management, law, or related field is required.
• Experience providing informal conflict resolution services in the workplace is desirable.
• Experience working with conflict resolution in the region is desirable.
• Experience working in the United Nations or other similar international organization is desirable.
• English and Spanish are required at UN Level III proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Skills

• Dispute Settlement
• Mediation Training
• Conflict Coaching
• Ombudsman Training
• Human Resources Management
• Informal Conflict Resolution
• Workplace Conflict Resolution
• International Experience
• Organisational Development
• Counseling
• Public Administration
• Law
• Conflict Resolution Services
• Office Management
• Advising on Dispute Resolution

Languages

English, Spanish