Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Standing Capacity for Security Sector Reform and Governance (SSR&G) (the ‘SSuRGe Team’) provides impactful short-term support in response to requests from governments, regional organizations, United Nations peace operations and United Nations country teams. The SSuRGe Team is based at the United Nations Logistics Hub in Brindisi, Italy, but is formally part of United Nations Headquarters, as the United Nations SSR Unit’s operational arm. This ensures that United Nations SSR support is truly grounded in both policy and practice. The SSuRGe Team can be dispatched at short notice to provide expert support on SSR&G, delivering excellent value for money. The Senior SSR Officer (and Chief), SSuRGe Team, will manage the Team and related system, and deploy in response to requests for support. The Senior SSR Officer will spend approximately 75% of his/her time, or more, deployed to country assignments. When deployed to the field, the Senior SSR Officer will report within the client’s reporting structure and will work in close collaboration with other UN entities such as the United Nations Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Standing Capacity, the Justice and Corrections Standing Capacity (JCSC) and the Standing Police Capacity (SPC) to ensure a coherent approach to shared objectives in SSR processes. The Senior SSR Officer, SSuRGe Team, will report to the Chief, United Nations SSR Unit, in the Office of the Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI), DPO, or his delegate, on all substantive issues.

Responsibilities

The SSR Officer will be responsible for the following duties: 1. Implementation • Plans, coordinates, leads, manages and supervises all Team activities; responds to requests for support from all potential clients, internal and external; ensures an integrated and harmonized approach among other components of the UNGSC, to include communications and public information; and the OROLSI standing capacities for: disarmament, demobilization, reintegration; justice and corrections; and police. • Supports clients on all SSR matters, including on the assessment, design, implementation and review of SSR plans and programmes; contributes to priorities for policy development in SSR; provides policy and operational advice on an ongoing basis and assists in the programming of SSR activities at the national level; provides regular updates on various aspects of SSR initiatives and recommends appropriate actions to the Chief SSR Unit, and/or the Chief’s delegate. • Serves as lead expert in SSR; provides innovative technical advice and guidance on all aspects of SSR to UN entities, regional actors, national and local governments and other partners, including leading the development of and input to the development of Mission plans and directives covering diverse areas. • Provides advice on specific reform programmes and projects to include project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. • Provides advice and guidance on issues concerned with building political will and fostering national ownership; • Ensures implementation of gender mainstreaming guidelines, as well as the priorities of climate and human rights. • Oversees and conducts reviews and analytical process, identify problems/issues, and prepares conclusions. • Prepares and/or supervises preparation of various written outputs, e.g., background papers, analysis, substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc. 2. Advice and Liaison • Leads large, complex engagements, deployments, programmes/ projects, field missions, etc., including provision of policy guidance to government officials and other parties and drafting mission summaries; identifies problems and issues to be assessed and initiates corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; ensures follow-up actions. • Directs and/or provides substantive support to consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc ., to include proposing and presenting agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents, etc. • Initiates and coordinates outreach activities; conducts training workshops, seminars, etc.; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities. 3. Management and Administration • Provides day-to-day leadership and management of the SSuRGe Team and the SSuRGe system, e.g., directs subordinates in programme/ project development, implementation, monitoring and assessment; directs review of relevant documents and reports; identifies priorities, problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; identifies and initiates follow-up actions; • Leads implementation of the SSuRGe system, including development and maintenance of official partnerships, active fundraising, and deployment of technical expertise. • Coordinates activities related to budget (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, budget, etc.) • Leads all resource mobilization for the SSuRGe system, in close coordination with the Director of SSRU and/or his delegate, including for assessed budget positions, government provided personnel, secondments, and extrabudgetary funding. This includes preparation of resource mobilization strategy, plans and proposals, donor visits, etc.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities and risks related to security sector reform. Ability to generate and communicate broad and compelling organizational direction. Ability to communicate clearly links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals. Demonstrated ability to provide innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the planning, development, and management of operation. Demonstrated ability to negotiate and apply good judgment. 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. COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. 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 improvement, 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. MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision- making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in security sector management, political science, management/business studies, public administration, international relations or related fields. A first-level university degree in combination with additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in SSR or related area is required. Experience in SSR at the sector-wide level is required. Experience undertaking SSR assessments at the country level is required. Experience in advisory and coordination roles in the areas of national security and/or SSR is required. Five years of experience in organizational/team management is required. Experience working on SSR projects in West Africa and the Sahel is desirable Experience working in or in support of a field operation of the United Nations Common System or a comparable international organization is desirable. Experience developing SSR policy/guidance materials is desired. Experience planning and delivering a recognized SSR-related training course is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the advertised post, fluency in both English and French, both oral and written, is required. Knowledge of another UN language is an advantage.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• This position is temporarily available for a period of six (6) months. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. • 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. • Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. • This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. • 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. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. • 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.

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.