SENIOR HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER, P5

This position is located in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) based in Kyiv. HRMMU monitors and reports on the human rights situation in Ukraine, including the impact of the armed conflict, and engages with relevant authorities and other stakeholders to strengthen protection, accountability and respect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The incumbent reports to the Head of Mission and serves as Deputy Head of Mission. Under the direction of the Head of Mission, the incumbent supports the overall strategic, substantive and managerial leadership of HRMMU; provides senior-level oversight of monitoring, verification, analysis, reporting and advocacy; promotes methodological quality, consistency and coherence across the Mission; and supports the effective delivery of its mandate, programme and resources. The incumbent advises and supports the Head of Mission on strategic positioning, sensitive human rights engagements, Mission priorities, staff and resource management, partnerships and resource mobilization. The incumbent represents OHCHR and HRMMU at senior level with national authorities, United Nations leadership and entities, Member States, donors, diplomatic missions, national human rights institutions, civil society and other international and regional partners. The incumbent acts as Officer-in-Charge during the absence of the Head of Mission when designated. The position supervises senior staff and other personnel as assigned and requires regular travel within Ukraine, including to areas affected by hostilities, subject to United Nations security requirements.

Within delegated authority, the Human Rights Advisor will be responsible for the following duties: - Provide strategic oversight for the monitoring of the implementation of human rights and international humanitarian law and ensure follow-up on recommendations from human rights mechanisms, including treaty bodies, the Universal Periodic Review and special procedures, as well as investigative findings, to ensure compliance with human rights and advance accountability. - Provide strategic direction and exercise institutional accountability for the collection, documentation and management of evidence-based information on civil, cultural, economic, social and/or political rights, including the right to development, enabling thorough analysis, early warning and response, and informed decision-making, ensuring data is discoverable, interoperable and shared appropriately from gender and leave-no-one-behind perspectives. - Set the strategic framework for and provide senior-level oversight of human rights monitoring and field verification missions, including assessments and early warning exercises, ensuring adherence to UN methodology, gender indicators and victim/witness protection standards, and the quality of comprehensive reports on findings and recommendations. - Provide strategic direction and oversight for the coordination and conduct of fact-finding or investigative missions to document violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, ensuring adherence to victim and witness protection standards and effective cross-component collaboration. - Provide strategic oversight and final clearance for the drafting and dissemination of human rights reports, briefings and other communications, with legal analysis as appropriate, and ensure the preparation of analytical papers to inform strategies, policies, programmes, crisis management, guidance and strategic decision-making processes, with attention to gender integration and leave-no-one-behind perspectives. - Provide strategic direction and exercise senior-level oversight of the collection, verification and analysis of multi-source information relevant to the human rights thematic and/or country-specific situation, ensuring data quality and methodological compliance, while integrating gender perspectives and leaving no one behind principles into all technical outputs. - Provide authoritative senior-level guidance to UN leadership and UN partners on the integration of human rights into protection, rule of law, human rights economy, transitional justice and accountability. - Represent the human rights function at the highest levels in senior-management and other UN coordination fora, integrated analysis and planning processes and/or joint funding opportunities, ensuring coherent information flow and timely integration of human rights analysis into UN decision-making and programmatic responses. - Provide strategic guidance to authorities, Humanitarian Country Teams and other humanitarian actors—including through inter-agency humanitarian fora, in particular the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and the Protection Cluster—to embed human rights norms and standards in emergency preparedness and response, with attention to gender integration and leave-no-one-behind perspectives. - Provide strategic direction and exercise institutional accountability for the development of strategies on protection of civilians, conflict-related sexual violence and child protection, ensuring early warning is translated into coordinated responses. - Oversee and steer the resource mobilization strategy and its implementation to advance the Office's goals, providing senior-level guidance, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and exercising accountability for performance and outcomes. - Set the strategic direction and provide senior-level oversight for advocacy and impactful outreach activities for the promotion of Human Rights, ensuring institutional coherence. - Manage and coordinate the activities of the team, including hiring, training, assigning tasks and responsibilities, and ensuring that deadlines are met. - Plan and manage required resources to implement the responsibilities, projects, and activities. - Provide guidance to team members to promote professional development and a positive team culture.

PROFESSIONALISM : Knowledge of human rights monitoring, documentation, analysis, research and reporting methodologies, including planning, coordinating and conducting field missions. Knowledge of the application of human rights in humanitarian contexts. Knowledge of international humanitarian law and its application. Knowledge of international human rights law, norms, and standards. Ability to manage programmes. Planning, organising, and coordination skills in a large multi-stakeholder environment. Ability to build and maintain partnerships. Strategic thinking skills. 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 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. 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. BUILDING TRUST: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion ; Manages in a deliberate and predictable way ; Operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda ; Places confidence in colleagues, staff members and clients ; Gives proper credit to others ; Follows through on agreed upon actions ; Treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately.

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in human rights, law, political science, international relations, social sciences, economics, public policy, sustainable development, humanitarian affairs or 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 ten (10) years of experience in human rights or related areas is required. Relevant experience may include, but is not limited to political affairs, public affairs, international relations, law, social sciences, economics, development, humanitarian affairs, or other related areas. Strategic thinking skills are required. Ability to build and maintain partnerships is required. Planning, organising, and coordination skills in a large multi-stakeholder environment are required. Knowledge of human rights monitoring, documentation, analysis, research and reporting methodologies, including planning, coordinating and conducting field missions is required. Knowledge of international human rights law, norms, and standards is desirable. Knowledge of international humanitarian law and its application is desirable. Knowledge of the application of human rights in humanitarian contexts is desirable. Programme management skills are desirable.

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

Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must meet the applicable geographical or lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy, taking into account that selection to the post may itself constitute a qualifying move, in accordance with the relevant administrative issuances. Staff members are encouraged to ensure that all qualifying geographical or lateral moves are accurately reflected in their applicant profile. Please refer to ST/AI/2025/2 on the Staff selection system for more details. 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. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Please note that pursuant to the Staff selection system policy (ST/AI/2025/2): (1) Applicants for positions in the Field Service category cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located, and (2) Applicants for positions in the Professional and higher categories in a mission, field operation, or resident coordinator’s office cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. For currently serving staff of a United Nations Common System organization, only the UN-recognized nationality will be considered for the purposes of these restrictions.

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.