United Nations – UN-Secretariat

Junior Professional Officer Program (JPO) Chiffre Nr. 2024-1-28

TERMS OF REFERENCE

I. General Information

Title: JPO in Leadership Development

Sector of Assignment: Development Coordination

Organization/Office: United Nations /Development Coordination Office (DCO)

Country and Duty Station: New York, USA

Duration of assignment: 2 years with possibility of extension for another year. The extension of appointment is subject to yearly review concerning priorities, availability of funds, and satisfactory performance

Please note that for participants of the JPO-Programme two years work experience are mandatory! Relevant work experience can be counted. In order to assess the eligibility of the candidates, we review the relevant experience acquired after obtaining the first university degree (usually bachelor’s degree).

II. Supervision

Title of Supervisor:

Senior Talent Management Coordinator, RC System Leadership Branch, Development Coordination Office

Content and methodology of supervision:

Establishment of a Work Plan: During the first month of the assignment, the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) will work jointly with his/her direct supervisor to finalize an agreed upon work plan. The final work plan will be discussed and mutually agreed to by the JPO and his/her supervisor.

Evaluation:

The United Nations Performance Evaluation System (e-performance) will serve as a primary platform to evaluate of the JPO’s performance.

Additional details on methodology of supervision: weekly meeting with the supervisor; continuous feedback and support by supervisor.

III. Duties, Responsibilities and Output Expectations

The UN Resident Coordinator (RC) is the highest-ranking representative of the UN development system at the country level. RCs lead UN Country Teams and coordinate UN support to countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda. They are the designated representatives of – and report to – the UN Secretary-General.

The RC System Leadership Branch is responsible for ensuring that the UN System has the right RC in the right place at the right time; that RCs are diverse in terms of gender, geographic origin, language, and professional background; and that RCs perform according to expectations.

In this context, the Associate Expert will undertake the following duties:

1. Contribute to and facilitate the implementation of an outreach and talent sourcing strategy to attract qualified candidates to the RC track. In particular:

• Support and follow up on the unit’s engagement with governments, civil society, the private sector, and other labour markets to identify and attract potential leadership talent and feeder pools and gauge their suitability for the RC track.
• Assist in designing and organizing outreach activities targeting potential candidates for RC positions currently working in UN System entities.
• Contribute to maintaining strategic partnerships with relevant stakeholders.
• Participate in campaigns to promote the RC career track using a variety of formal and informal channels.

1. Support the Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC) Talent Pipeline, the inter-agency talent management strategy for the identification, talent sourcing and development of future Resident Coordinators (RCs). This includes:

• Support the selection process and on-going maintenance of the RC/HC Talent Pipeline, a pool of high-potential candidates for RC positions.
• Coordinate the provision of development opportunities to RC/HC Talent Pipeline members in close coordination with their parent UN entity.
• Support the individualized support to talent pipeline members during the selection process and leadership development programme.

1. Support the management of the Resident Coordinator Assessment Centre: 

• Contribute to the candidate selection process including: managing the call for applications, preparing the short-list of candidates, managing the selection process, notifying the results to candidates, and liaising with UN agency counterparts as appropriate.
• Ensure that the RC Pool is up to date and conduct regular clean-up in consultation with pool members’ parent organizations. 
• Facilitate inter-agency discussions on career paths for UN field leaders and on how to include RC postings in their career paths.

1. Assist in collating, analyzing and presenting data and preparing policy papers and briefing notes on issues related to RC talent management including producing information materials on the RC leadership track for potential RC candidates, RCs, UN senior leadership and Member States.Perform other relevant duties, as required.

1. All these tasks entail frequent contacts with RCs, as well as with officials in the UN Secretariat, UN Agencies, Funds & Programs, Permanent Missions, civil society organizations and the private sector.

 IV. Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree preferably in international relations, international development, political sciences, administrative law, human resources management, public or business administration or related area such as education or social science.

Work experience:

A minimum of two years of relevant work experience in senior leadership support, programme management, political affairs, development, gender studies, and/or human resources management is required. Experience working in the field is desirable.

Languages:

Fluency in English required. Fluency in another official UN language is an advantage.

Other skills:

Knowledge of the UN System and Inter-agency experience is an asset. Excellent analytical, communication and drafting abilities are required. Experience in working on database management, data analysis and visualization is highly desirable.

Experience in data/information management systems including Salesforce and PowerBI is an asset.

UN competencies:

PROFESSIONALISM: 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 the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

PLANNING & 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.

Workforce Diversity

The United Nations believes that an inclusive culture attracts the best talent and encourages all qualified applicants, regardless of gender, disability, sexual orientation, cultural or religious backgrounds, to apply.

V. Learning Elements

On completion of the assignment, the JPO will be able to:

• Have an in-depth and first-hand understanding of the role and responsibilities of RCs and how different RCs discharge them in different contexts, as well as of the impact of the UN Development System reform at country level.
• Plan, organize and execute complex and politically sensitive projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• Liaise and interact with a variety of senior-level interlocutors from different parts of the UN System.
• Draft clear, concise, and reader-friendly briefing notes and information materials, including for senior audiences.
• Work under pressure on multiple assignments.

VI. Background Information

DCO was established on 1 January 2019 to manage and oversee the RC System. It is headed by an Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and reports directly to the Deputy Secretary-General in her capacity as Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group.

The RC System Leadership Branch is responsible for ensuring that the UN System has the right RC in the right place at the right time; that RCs are diverse in terms of gender, geographic origin, language, and professional background; and that RCs perform according to expectations. It is headed by a Chief at the D1 level, who reports directly to the ASG for Development Coordination. The Branch is composed of 8 staff members and is organized around four pillars:

• The RC Lifecycle pillar is responsible for managing the processes associated with the RC lifecycle (selection, onboarding, outboarding).
• The RC Leadership Development pillar is responsible for developing and coordination learning and leadership development programs for RCs, RC Pool and RC/HC Talent Pipeline members.
• The RC Talent Management pillar is responsible for broadening and deepening the pool of potential candidates for RC positions by managing the RC/HC Talent Pipeline.
• The RC Performance Management pillar is responsible for developing the policies and managing the processes for managing the performance of RCs.

The JPO will report to the Senior Talent Management Coordinator to work primarily on talent management issues but will also be invited to contribute to branch-wide tasks (e.g. briefing notes and information products). This will enable the incumbent to acquire an overview of the entirety of the Branch’s portfolio.

Bitte senden Sie Ihre JPO-Bewerbung direkt an das Büro Führungskräfte zu Internationalen Organisationen (BFIO) unter Angabe der Chiffre Nr. 2024-1-28 auf dem Bewerbungsbogen

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