Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Secretariat for the Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management, Statistics Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The Chief of Section, Geospatial Information Management reports to the Director, Statistics Division and manages this Secretariat. In the context of the Committee of Experts, the Chief of Section acts as the senior most geospatial representative of the Statistics Division and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The Secretariat undertakes substantial activities in order to support the Committee’s global architecture and normative and implementation work on global geospatial information management, including implementing recommendations of the Committee approved by the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Chief of Section, Geospatial Information Management as the Head of the Secretariat for the Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management is responsible for the following: – Plan and direct and provide strategic leadership in the substantive work programme of the Secretariat in support of the Committee of Experts and its functional groups. – Provide substantive input into the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to the Committee’s regional committees and thematic networks. – Lead the technical oversight and development of the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-IGIF) strategic plan as determined by the High-level Group of the IGIF (HLG-IGIF). – Lead the formulation, development and management of strategies, policies and actions for adoption by Member States/the international community related to geospatial information management. – Provide substantive support and technical advice on means of implementation to intergovernmental bodies. – Design, implement and monitor extra-budgetary technical cooperation and capacity development projects and activities funded under the purview of the Committee of Experts, including through the United Nations Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Centre (UN-GGKIC), the United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence (UN-GGCE), and any additional global geospatial Centre of excellence agreed (approved) by the United Nations. – Seek means to mobilize extra-budgetary resources as appropriate to support the activities of the Committee of Experts. – Provides policy guidance to the Director, on conceptual geospatial information management strategy development and management of the implementation of overall strategies and intra- and inter-divisional/departmental policies and procedures. – Plans and oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Secretariat; ensures that geospatial information management work programmes and programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion, coordinating diverse projects in the Secretariat, and, in liaison with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies as appropriate. – Provides substantive input in the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies, administrative budgetary programmes and other policy-making organs, as appropriate. – Advises and contributes to the development of strategies, workplans and activities including on latest geospatial frameworks, trends, policies, standards, innovation, technology and substantive priorities. – Contributes to the reporting 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 Secretariat maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Secretariat meet required standards before completion and comply with the relevant mandates. – Prepares inputs for the work programme of the Division, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs, their timely delivery and reports on programme and projects advancements. – Carries out programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Secretariat, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates. – Recruits staff for the Secretariat taking due account of geographical and gender balance and other institutional values. – Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Secretariat and across organizational boundaries; manages, guides, develops and trains staff under supervision. – Represents the Division at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive-related issues. – Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions as appropriate.
Competencies
Professionalism: Knowledge of the mandate and operational focus of the Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management, the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Integrated Geospatial Information Framework. Ability to provide technical advice in the development and implementation of policies, programmes and methodologies. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to senior management. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and proficiency in 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors 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. Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities. 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 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 degree) in geography, geospatial information, geospatial or Earth sciences, survey and mapping (or geomatics/geoinformatics) or other related fields is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional 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 geospatial information management and applied spatial analytics, earth observations, mapping, geospatial methodologies and technologies, data visualization, stakeholder management or related area is required. Experience in managing geospatial programmes at the national and regional or international level is required. Experience in using geospatial information for policy development and decisions, develop strategic direction and oversee execution is required. Experience with supervising diverse teams and managing complex programmes or projects are required. Experience in providing substantive support to inter-governmental bodies in international or regional settings is desirable. Experience in working in international organizations or settings is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 Nov 2023, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover letter. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.
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.