CHIEF OF STAFF, D1 (Temporary Job Opening)

Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is based in the Office of the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza. On 22 December 2023, the Security Council adopted resolution 2720 (2023), requesting the Secretary-General, with the objective of expediting the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, to appoint expeditiously a Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator with responsibility for facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and verifying in Gaza, as appropriate, the humanitarian nature of all humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza provided through states which are not party to the conflict, and further requesting that the Coordinator expeditiously establish a UN mechanism for accelerating the provision of humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza through states which are not party to the conflict, consulting all relevant parties, with the goal of expediting, streamlining, and accelerating the process of providing assistance while continuing to help ensure that aid reaches its civilian destination, and demanding that the parties to the conflict cooperate with the Coordinator to fulfil their mandate without delay or obstruction. The Council also determined that the Coordinator will have the necessary personnel and equipment in Gaza, under the authority of the United Nations, to perform these, and other functions as determined by the Security Council, and requested that the Coordinator report to the Security Council on its work, with an initial report within 20 days and thereafter every 90 days through 30 September 2024.

This temporary job-opening is being published for the position of Chief of Staff in Amman, Jordan. The incumbent reports to the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator, providing strategic advice to, as well as strategic oversight and management across key pillars of the Security Council mandate on behalf of the UN Senior Coordinator, namely humanitarian, reconstruction and partnerships, operations, communications and information management and administration. Ensures coherence across these pillars. Maintains ongoing contact with relevant UN HQ entities and external counterparts.

Responsibilities

• Ensures the effective direction and integrated management of the UN’s support for the implementation of Security Council resolution 2720 (2023), in line with the strategic vision and guidance of the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator.
• Formulates and implements the substantive work programme of the Office.
• Oversees the management of UN activities undertaken in support of mandate implementation, on behalf of the Senior Coordinator, ensures that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and co-ordinates work in the different areas both internally, and with other organizations of the United Nations System and external partners, as appropriate.
• Leads, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Sections/Units under his/her responsibility, in particular: Humanitarian, Reconstruction and Partnerships; Operations; Communications, Reporting and Information Management; and Administration. Co-ordinates the work carried out by these sections/units and ensures internal communication, and knowledge and risk management; provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others.
• Provides strategic and political advice to the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator and supports him/her in leading and managing engagement with the parties and other key interlocutors, including in relation to broader engagement with Member States and other stakeholders. Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
• Reports to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Office maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the sections/units under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Assists the Senior Coordinator in preparing the work programme of the Office, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Office, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.
• Recruits staff, taking due account of gender and geographical balance.
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Office and across organizational boundaries.
• Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues relating to implementation of Security Council resolution 2720 (2023). Manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars.
• Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on issues relating to implementation of Security Council resolution 2720 (2023), or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Represents the Senior Coordinator at international, regional or national meetings.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Competencies

•PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

• TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

• ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

• LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

• JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law, social sciences or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in political affairs, crisis management, humanitarian assistance, human resources management, administration, logistics, financial management, budget or related field is required.

Minimum of five (5) years of experience of working in the front office of a senior official within the UN common system or other comparable international organization is required.

Minimum of five (5) years of experience in advising a senior official on and conducting political negotiations in complex settings is required.

Experience leading and managing diverse teams in complex, crisis-related and politically sensitive settings is desirable.

Languages

English and French are working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is funded until 30 September 2024 with the possibility of extension. Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment”.

A current staff member who holds a fixed-term, permanent, or continuing appointment may apply for temporary positions no more than one level above his or her current grade. However, a current staff member who holds an appointment at the G-6 or G-7 level may also apply to temporary positions in the Professional category up to and including the P-3 level, subject to meeting all eligibility and other requirements for the position.

A staff member holding a temporary appointment shall be regarded as an external candidate when applying for other positions and may apply for other temporary positions at any level, subject to section 5.7 below and staff rule 4.16 (b) (ii). Therefore, a staff member holding a temporary appointment in the General Service or related categories may only apply to positions within those categories. For full information on eligibility requirements, please refer to section 5 of ST/AI/2010/4Rev.1 on Temporary Appointments.

In its resolution 66/234, the General Assembly further “…stressed that the Secretary-General should not recur to the practice of temporarily filling posts in the Professional and higher categories with General Service staff members who have not passed the General Service to Professional category examination other than on an exceptional basis, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that temporary occupation of such posts by the General Service staff shall not exceed one year, effective 1 January 2013…”. Consequently, eligible candidates in the General Service or related categories for temporary job openings in the Professional category that have not passed the competitive examination may be selected only on an exceptional basis endorsed by the Office of Human Resources Management where no other suitable candidate could be identified.

Upon separation from service, including, but not limited to, expiration or termination of, or resignation from, a fixed term, continuing or permanent appointment, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment based on a temporary appointment for 31 days following the separation. In the case of separation from service on retirement, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment for three months following the separation. This equally applies, mutatis mutandis, concerning a former or current staff member who has held or holds an appointment in another entity applying the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules and who applies for a temporary position with the Secretariat.

Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

Subject to the funding source of the position, this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.

While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. An external candidate selected for this position is bound by the prevailing condition of the staff selection system under ST/AI/2010/3, as amended, and ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1.

A staff member holding a temporary appointment who is recruited in the Professional and above categories on a temporary appointment, and placed in a position authorized for one year or longer may not apply for or be reappointed to his/her current position within six months of the end of his/her current service. This provision does not apply to staff members holding temporary appointments and placed in positions authorized for one year or more in duty stations authorized for peacekeeping operations or special political missions.

Staff members of the United Nations Common System organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply.

Staff members are not eligible to apply for the current temporary job opening if they are unable to serve the specified duration of temporary need before reaching the mandatory age of separation. Applying or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

The United Nations is Secretariat and is committed to achieving a 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for these positions. An impeccable record of integrity and professional ethical standards is essential.

The expression “Internal candidates” shall mean staff members who have been recruited after a competitive examination under staff rule 4.16 or after the advice of a central review body under staff rule 4.15.

Please note that candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offenses and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

For information on special post allowance, please refer to ST/AI/1999/17. For more details on the administration of temporary appointments please refer to ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1.

The Staff Regulations, Staff Rules, and administrative issuances governing staff appointments can be viewed at: https://hr.un.org/handbook.

Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available on the online recruitment platform, Inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on “The Application Process” and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on the “Manuals” hyperlink on the upper right side of the Inspira account-holder homepage.

Applications are pre-screened by the system according to the published requirements of the job opening based on the information provided in the application. Concerning the requirements of the job opening, applicants must provide complete and accurate information on their qualifications, including their education, work experience, and language skills. Each applicant must bear in mind that submission of incomplete or inaccurate applications may render that applicant ineligible for consideration for the job opening. Initial screening and evaluation of applications will be conducted based on the information submitted. Applications cannot be amended following submission. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions.

Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.