United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo

RECRUITMENT UNIT

Personnel Section

                                     Job Opening – Internal/External

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Within the limits of delegated authority the Associate Civil Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
• Establishes and maintains contact with relevant interlocutors at the local level as directed, including representatives of local authorities, as well as civil society actors, non-governmental organisations, community representatives and representatives of local interest groups. 
• Monitors all activities related to security, returns, repatriation, displacement, population movements, sustainable and non-discriminatory reintegration, community stabilization and development initiatives and programmes, access to social and citizen rights of communities, returnees and internally displaced persons. Collects first-hand information from all the above interlocutors and ensure its timely reporting to the Head of OCSF.  Coordinates mutual information gathering and exchange thereof with OSCE regional/municipal staff operating in the AoR to prevent overlapping.
• Coordinates activities and initiatives (across disciplines and components) with other team members to achieve consistency and synergy in mandate implementation.
• Collects information at the local level as required and undertakes assessment of specific sectors with a view to identifying needs and priorities.
• Monitors political activities in minority and mixed-populated areas; attends meetings with community representatives and local government leaders, get clarification and /or additional research/information from relevant parties. Relays relevant reports on municipal governance and other community-related activities to the Head of OCSF.
• Pays special attention to security related incidents especially when they are potentially ethnically motivated; closely coordinates activities with OSCE field offices in the spirit of unity of purpose and economy of efforts; assist and help members of minority communities protect their interests with Kosovo institutions to the extent required; provides an interface with relevant Kosovo institutions to minority communities, with a special view to facilitating dialogue and mediation between communities through their leaders and relevant authorities; assist in facilitating inter-ethnic dialogue, community integration and confidence building between communities through engagement of representatives of the communities and relevant institutions;
• Assists in identifying the concerns and perceptions of the local population.
• Assists in organising outreach activities to promote good relations and understanding between Mission’s actors and the population, and ensures accurate information dissemination on Mission’s role and mandate.
• Contributes to the identification, design, management and evaluation of Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) for confidence building purposes, in line with the DPKO/DFS Policy Directive on QIPs.
• Assist in protecting and promoting rights of excluded and/or threatened groups in full respect of Mission’s mandate and international law.
• Performs other duties as required, in line with the DPKO/DFS Policy Directive on Civil Affairs.

COMPETENCIES:

Professionalism – Appreciation of the contexts within which peacekeeping operations function and the importance of a strategic vision in guiding operations. Awareness of UN policy on Civil Affairs and related areas, and an appreciation of the role of Civil Affairs in empowering and enabling other actors. Ability to maintain effective working partnerships with a range of actors. Understanding of how to ensure effective coordination. Problem solving abilities. Ability to conduct conflict analysis and identify sensitive issues. Ability to identify and evaluate sources for data collection. Understanding of the functioning of political parties. Understanding of the principle of local ownership. Appreciation of the importance of understanding the concerns and perceptions of the local population in post-conflict environments. Understanding of project cycle management. Appreciation of the value of identifying and sharing best practises and lessons learned. Appreciation of the value of integrating gender perspectives into Civil Affairs work. Awareness of practises aimed at fostering dialogue between parties in conflict. Understanding of the opportunities and risks involved in working with civil society groups in peacekeeping/building processes in different contexts. Competencies in convening, facilitation and negotiation. Ability to work independently under pressure, on occasion in highly stressful or isolated environments. Ability to work with tact and diplomacy, primarily as an enabler of constructive actors and processes. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

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 organisational 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.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Political Science, Political Economy, International Relations, International Law, Public Administration, Sociology or related fields. A first-level university degree in social sciences, political science, international relations, public administration, anthropology, law, economics or related area and with two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience: A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in Civil Affairs related work with UN Peacekeeping Operations, UN funds or programmes, National or International NGOs, or community based organizations, research institutions, etc. Experience in conflict management, support to state institutions or programme management would be an asset.  Possession of a valid driver’s license is required.

LANGUAGES:

Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English. Good knowledge of the Albanian or Serbian languages is required.

As specified above, internal/external applicants are requested to submit a cover letter referring to Job Opening No. MIK (N) 16-014  along with completed PHP/P11 to the attention of Human Resources Section by mail, fax or email to the following addresses:

P P.O. Box 999,10000 Pristina, Kosovo,

Fax No: +381-38-504604 ext 5848

E-mail to unmik-recruitment@un.org

The UN is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications equally from men and women.  It is a UN Policy to give full consideration to disabled candidates whose disablement does not militate against the effective performance of the duties of the post.