DIRECTOR, POLITICAL AFFAIRS, D2

The Director leads the Asia and the Pacific Division within the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, managing political missions, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding activities across Asia and the Pacific. The role involves strategic leadership, coordination with UN entities and partners, and ensuring high-quality outputs aligned with UN mandates.

Responsibilities

• Directs and manages the work of the Division; formulates and implements the substantive work programme of the Division under his/her supervision, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Division, ensuring that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion, and co-ordinates work in the different areas both within the Division and Departments, and with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies, as appropriate.
• Contributes to the formulation of the Departments' overall strategies and policies by participating in various committees, preparing documents on policy issues, and acting, as required, in an advisory capacity to the USGs/ASG; contributes to the overall management of the Departments' activities and operations.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Division maintain high-quality standards and that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Division meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates.
• Oversees the recruitment of staff for the Division, taking due account of geographical and gender balance and other institutional values.
• Ensures that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision; fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across organizational boundaries.
• Chairs meetings, seminars, etc., on substantive-related issues; represents the Organization at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conference; provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Perform other related duties as requested by the senior management of the Organization.

Requirements

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or Doctorate degree, or equivalent) in [specify fields] 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 minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in diplomacy, international affairs, political affairs, peacebuilding or a related area is required.
• Experience in peace and security matters in the Asia and the Pacific region is required.
• Experience in preventive diplomacy and peacemaking, or peacekeeping is required.
• Experience managing diverse teams at the senior level is required.
• English is required at UN Level II proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.
• Either French or Spanish or Arabic or Russian or Chinese (Mandarin) is desirable at UN Level I proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Skills

• Diplomacy
• International Affairs
• Political Affairs
• Peacebuilding Processes
• Peace and Security
• Preventive Diplomacy
• Peacemaking
• Peacekeeping Operations
• Team Management
• Strategic Leadership
• Conflict Prevention
• Political Mission Management
• Coordination with UN Agencies
• Mandate Implementation
• English Language Proficiency

Languages

English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin)