Principal Political Affairs Officer

The Principal Political Affairs Officer leads the Political Affairs Unit in the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on the Great Lakes Region in Nairobi. The role involves political analysis, strategy development, outreach, reporting, and coordination of peace and security initiatives related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region.

Responsibilities

• Identify, analyse and monitor political developments and emerging issues related to the mandate of the Special Envoy and the Office.
• Coordinate and oversee the work of the Political Affairs Unit.
• Oversee preparation of strategic political and planning documents generated by the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General.
• Assess their implications and make recommendations to the Special Envoy on possible strategies, policies and other measures to advance mandated objectives, including plans of action for immediate and long-range solutions to political problems.
• Devise a workplan in support of the implementation of the Office's mandate.
• Support the Special Envoy's good offices, and confidence building initiatives in the region, including the support to ongoing peace and mediation/facilitation processes and to the implementation of agreements reached.
• Develop appropriate strategies and advise on addressing the root causes of conflicts in eastern DRC and their impacts on the region.
• Engage relevant actors in the Great Lakes region as well as other partners in support of the mandate of the Special Envoy.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with the national authorities of the region, political and community leaders, civil society actors, the UN Country teams and other national and international partners on political and policy matters.
• Monitor, evaluate and report on the implementation of the UN Strategy for the Great Lakes Region and its Action Plan.
• Liaise with the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the Southern African Development Community, and other relevant continental, subregional and regional organizations on the implementation of the PSC Framework.
• Ensure regular, timely and high-quality reporting on developments and issues pertaining to the mandates in particular on political issues.
• Oversee the preparation of timely reports, reviews and analyses as well as periodical reports such as the Secretary-General's reports to the Security Council, briefings to the Security Council and other such documents.
• Lead preparations of summary and analytical reports, including situation reports, briefing notes, notes on meetings and code cables, as well as statements and speeches.
• Provide guidance for the political work of all Office components and ensure that they are in accordance with the mandate of the Office.
• Liaise with MONUSCO, UNOAU, UNOCA and other relevant UN bodies to ensure complementarity with the activities of OSESG-GL.
• Formulate and manage the implementation of the Political Affairs Unit's programme of work, determining priorities and activities.
• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate staff performance; participate in the recruitment/selection of new staff taking due account of geographical and gender balance.
• Represent the Special Envoy and his Office at meetings as required.
• Perform other relevant duties requested by the Special Envoy.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent degree) in Political Science, International Relations, Social Science, Law or a 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.
• A minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, diplomacy, conflict resolution or related field is required.
• Extensive experience in political outreach, analysis, reporting and negotiation in an international setting is required.
• Experience in representing an Office or Organization at senior level is required.
• Experience of managing a large and multidisciplinary team or office is required.
• Experience working in a United Nations common system field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds, and programmes) - or similar international organization or non-governmental organization- in a conflict or post-conflict setting is required.
• Experience in leading complex political initiatives and processes, or effective contribution to mediation, facilitation, political negotiations or dialogue processes is required.
• Experience of working on or in the Great Lakes region of Africa in political issues, diplomacy or a related field is desirable.
• Field experience in Africa is desirable.
• English and French are required at UN Level III for reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Skills

• Political Analysis
• International Relations
• Conflict Resolution
• Diplomacy
• Political Outreach
• Political Reporting
• Negotiation
• Senior Representation
• Team Management
• Multi-disciplinary Team Leadership
• UN Field Operations
• Peacekeeping Operations
• Political Missions
• Mediation
• Facilitation
• Political Negotiation
• Dialogue Processes
• Strategy Development
• Peace and Security Coordination

Languages

English, French