Senior Programme Management Officer

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Office of the Under-Secretary-General (OUSG) of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). The Office of the Under-Secretary-General supports the senior leadership of the Department in the overall coordination and management of its programmes and resources, as well as the implementation of Department-wide initiatives. The incumbent reports to the Principal Programme Management Officer / Chief of Office, OUSG, UN DESA. Further information on DESA is available on the following website : https : / / www.un.org / en / desa.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Programme Management Officer will be responsible for the following duties :

• Provides substantive, advisory and technical support in the Office of the Under-Secretary-General (OUSG); provides insights to identify trends or patterns for effective work-planning and decision-making.
• Takes the lead to develop, implement and evaluate programmatic and administrative tasks directs teams 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.
• Coordinates and / or advises on strategic issues, including policy development, inter-divisional cooperation, management matters; reviews assessments of issues and trends; assists the Principal Programme Management Officer / Chief of Office in ensuring that strategic decision-making and advice by the Under-Secretary-General and Assistant Secretaries-General is coherently integrated into the work of the department.
• Manages preparation of various written outputs, e.g., background papers, analysis, substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.
• Directs substantive support to consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc.
• Manages preparation of diverse materials to support the external and internal engagements of the Under-Secretary-General and Assistant Secretaries-General, including development, review and / or editing of briefing notes, speeches, talking points, questions and answers, remarks and statements, press releases, etc., on issues that cover the full spectrum of UN DESA.
• Supports senior leadership to lead field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties, and drafting mission summaries, etc.
• Serves as an effective spokesperson and establishes collaboration and partnerships with key officials at all levels inside and outside the organization; develops and maintains relationships with a wide range of external and internal stakeholders; conducts sensitive liaison work on behalf of the Principal Programme Management Officer / Chief of Office.
• Ensures effective utilization, supervision and development of staff; guides, evaluates and mentors staff.
• May perform other duties as required.

Competencies

Education

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in business administration, management, economics, international relations, public administration, sustainable development or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with additional two years of qualifying work 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 project or programme management, administration, international relations, public administration or related area is required. Experience with knowledge management in an intergovernmental organization is required. Experience in writing for an intergovernmental audience on social, economic or sustainable development issues is required. Experience with sustainable development in an intergovernmental organization is required. Experience supporting senior officials in an intergovernmental or diplomatic setting is desirable. Experience supervising and / or coordinating a multi-cultural team is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

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.