Political Affairs Officer, P3

The Political Affairs Officer will support the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs in knowledge management, guidance development, and mission planning related to Special Political Missions. The role involves political analysis, facilitating lessons learned exercises, and providing technical support to peace and security mandates.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates and prepares guidance material for the Department in priority gap areas and analyses information from various sources.
• Facilitates and conducts knowledge management and lessons learning exercises for the Department, including in field missions.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of political events affecting assigned countries and thematic mandates.
• Participates in assessment, planning and other missions to countries within assigned area of responsibility.
• Keeps abreast of latest trends and developments and provides inputs to senior officials and colleagues.
• Monitors national and regional political developments and advises field missions and UN agencies.
• Provides technical and substantive support in implementing mandates of the office, branch or unit.
• Maintains contacts with other UN sectors, international organizations and governments on coordination and policy matters.
• Monitors actions by intergovernmental groups, UN organizations, governments and NGOs.
• Selects, classifies and stores guidance, lessons learned and training material in computerized databases.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration or other related fields.
• A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, law, disarmament, security, development management, conflict resolution or related area is required.
• Experience in political analysis is required.
• Experience in the area of guidance development, knowledge management and lessons learning in the area of peace and security is required.
• Experience supporting Special Political Missions in issues related to mission planning is required.
• Experience working with United Nations special political missions and peacekeeping operations is required.
• Experience mainstreaming gender, peace and security into training, guidance development and knowledge management activities is desirable.
• English language proficiency at UN Level II for reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Skills

• Political Analysis
• Conflict Resolution
• Disarmament
• Security Policy
• Development Management
• Guidance Materials Development
• Knowledge Management
• Lessons Learned Facilitation
• Mission Planning
• Support to Special Political Missions
• Peace and Security Mandates
• Mainstreaming Gender in Peace and Security
• Experience with UN Special Political Missions
• Experience with peacekeeping operations
• International Relations
• Political Science
• Law
• Public Administration

Languages

English