Political Affairs Officer

The Political Affairs Officer will manage and coordinate monitoring, research and analysis related to peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean to inform policy and strategy. The role involves leading the development and implementation of conflict prevention and peacebuilding strategies, coordinating communications, supervising budgeting and project implementation, and maintaining relationships with UN partners and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage and coordinate monitoring, research and analysis of developments and processes related to peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean to inform policy formulation, strategy development and decision-making, and identify trends and emerging issues, including through digital technologies and data analytics.
• Coordinate a wide range of documents and communications, including analytical reports, briefing notes, talking points, meeting checklists and notes, concept notes, and correspondence.
• Lead the development and implementation of strategies, plans and activities related to early warning, conflict prevention, disarmament, mediation, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding.
• Coordinate support for strategic communications by drafting speeches, press releases, publications, or other means of public communication, including for social media.
• Supervise the integration of relevant rights-based, gender/’women, peace and security’ (WPS), ‘youth, peace and security’ (YPS), environmental, and/or climate security perspectives into policy and operational recommendations.
• Lead the planning, coordination and organization of programmatic activities in the assigned area of work (e.g., internal and inter-agency coordination mechanisms; support for mediation, dialogue and other peace initiatives; fellowships, trainings and other capacity building activities for Member States; workshops, conferences and seminars; field missions, fact-finding missions, and diplomatic engagements at UN Headquarters).
• Supervise budgeting, project implementation, reporting, administrative and recruitment processes.
• Lead the establishment and maintenance of working relationships with UN partners, international and regional organizations, host governments, other national stakeholders, including women and youth and other civil society organizations, communities, academia, and other stakeholders on issues related to peace and security in the assigned geographic and/or thematic area.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, social sciences, anthropology, law, public administration or related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Extensive experience in political analysis and conflict prevention in Latin America and the Caribbean is required.
• Experience working with legislative bodies, Member States, and delegations in the context of an international organisation is required.
• Experience integrating gender perspectives and the inclusion of vulnerable and underrepresented groups into political analysis, policy development, programme implementation, or mediation and conflict prevention efforts is required.
• Field experience with the United Nations or other international organizations in the area of peace and security is required.
• English and Spanish at UN Level III proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Skills

• Political Analysis
• Conflict Prevention
• Peacebuilding Processes
• Gender Integration
• Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups
• Policy Development
• Programme Implementation
• Mediation
• Field Experience in Peace and Security
• Legislative Liaison
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Research and Analysis
• Project Budgeting
• Project Implementation
• Bilingual Communication
• English Language Proficiency
• Spanish Proficiency

Languages

English, Spanish