PRINCIPAL POLITICAL AFFAIRS OFFICER, D1

This position is in the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region in Nairobi. Nairobi is classified as a family duty station. The incumbent reports to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General. The Principal Political Affairs Officer is responsible for the provision of general direction and coordination of the Office's activities related to political analysis, strategy, outreach and reporting. S/he leads the work of the Office's Political Affairs Unit in the coordination and assessment of the implementation of the Peace and Security Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region, particularly, supporting the Special Envoy's engagements on the national and international commitments of the Framework and other relevant Resolutions of the Security Council.

Under the overall guidance of the Special Envoy and within limits of delegated authority, the Principal Political Affairs Officer will perform the following duties: Political Analysis and Advice •Identify, analyse and monitor political developments and emerging issues related to the mandate of the Special Envoy and the Office. •Coordinate and oversee the work of the Political Affairs Unit. •Oversee preparation of strategic political and planning documents generated by the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General •Assess their implications and make recommendations to the Special Envoy on possible strategies, policies and other measures to advance mandated objectives, including plans of action for immediate and long-range solutions to political problems. •Devise a workplan in support of the implementation of the Office's mandate. Support the Special Envoy's good offices, and confidence building initiatives in the region, including the support to ongoing peace and mediation/facilitation processes and to the implementation of agreements reached. •Develop appropriate strategies and advise on addressing the root causes of conflicts in eastern DRC and their impacts on the region. Outreach and Partnership •Engage relevant actors in the Great Lakes region as well as other partners in support of the mandate of the Special Envoy, including on ways to address persisting political and security challenges in the region. •Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with the national authorities of the region, political and community leaders, civil society actors, the UN Country teams and other national and international partners on political and policy matters. •Monitor, evaluate and report on the implementation of the UN Strategy for the Great Lakes Region and its Action Plan. •Liaise with the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the Southern African Development Community, and other relevant continental, subregional and regional organizations, as appropriate, on the implementation of the PSC Framework. Reporting •Ensure regular, timely and high-quality reporting on developments and issues pertaining to the mandates in particular on political issues. Oversee the preparation of timely reports, reviews and analyses as well as periodical reports such as the Secretary-General's reports to the Security Council, briefings to the Security Council and other such documents on developments pertaining to the implementation of the PSC Framework and other mandate related issues in the region, including the conduct of peaceful, inclusive and transparent elections and dialogue processes. •Lead preparations of summary and analytical reports, including situation reports, briefing notes, notes on meetings and code cables, as well as statements and speeches. Oversee the preparation of contextual information materials, such as background notes, position papers and political profiles. Internal Guidance and Coordination •Provide guidance for the political work of all Office components and ensure that they are in accordance with the mandate of the Office. •Liaise with MONUSCO, UNOAU, UNOCA and other relevant UN bodies, on a regular basis to ensure complementarily with the activities of OSESG-GL including the good offices/mediation/facilitation of the Special Envoy, and support to MONUSCO on issues related to the DRC, including through participation in regional mechanisms, as appropriate. Management •Formulate and manage the implementation of the Political Affairs Unit's programme of work, determining priorities and activities that are in accordance with the mandate. •Supervise, mentor, and evaluate staff performance; participate in the recruitment/selection of new staff taking due account of geographical and gender balance. • Represent the Special Envoy and his Office at meetings as required. • Perform other relevant duties requested by the Special Envoy.

Professionalism: Knowledge of working on or in the Great Lakes region of Africa. 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. 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. 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. 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. Managerial Competencies 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 staff when they make mistakes; Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; Appraises performance fairly. 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.

Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent degree) in Political Science, International Relations, Social Science, Law or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Not available.

A minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in political science, international relations, diplomacy, conflict resolution or related field is required. Extensive experience in political outreach, analysis, reporting and negotiation in an international setting is required. Experience in representing an Office or Organization at senior level is required. Experience of managing a large and multidisciplinary team or office is required. Experience working in a United Nations common system field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds, and programmes) - or similar international organization or non-governmental organization- in a conflict or post-conflict setting is required. Experience in leading complex political initiatives and processes, or effective contribution to mediation, facilitation, political negotiations or dialogue processes is required. Experience of working on or in the Great Lakes region of Africa in political issues, diplomacy or a related field is desirable. Field experience in Africa is desirable.

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Core value(s) and competencies will be assessed throughout the evaluation process.

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. Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds. 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 under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 May 2026, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China (People's Republic of), Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities.

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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.