Employer: United Nations (Dept Of Safety & Security)
Location: New York
Closing: 06 January 2016
Job Opening Number: 48300
Special Notice
- An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential.
- All staff at the D2 level and above are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon appointment and annually thereafter.
- Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
- 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.Org. Setting and Reporting
The Department of Safety and Security (DSS) was established to unify and strengthen the United Nations security management system in order to ensure the safety and security of United Nations staff, operations and premises at United Nations Headquarters, the main duty stations and in the field. The Division of Regional Operations (DRO) serves as the safety and security focal point for the field duty stations, providing primary operational and technical support. The Division is responsible for daily security coordination with the field. The Director reports directly to the Under-Secretary-General.
Responsibilities
Under the general direction of the Under-Secretary-General (USG), the Director is responsible for the strategic management of regional operations for safety and security both at Headquarters and in the field, leading DRO, overseeing threat and risk analysis, and providing advice on related matters to the USG. He/she:
- Contributes to the overall management of the Department's activities and operations and the formulation of the Department's overall strategies and policies, as part of the Under-Secretary-General’s senior management team.
- Formulates and implements the substantive work programme of the Division, determining priorities and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
- Directs/manages the five regional operational desks which are responsible for safety and security arrangements in over 150 countries as well as the Threat and Risk Assessment Service; directs and supervises staff; coordinates daily with field locations; directs and manages the cadre of chief security advisors and field security coordination officers; deploys staff members to the field as required to support Designated Officials.
- Manages the 24-hour communications centre; coordinates and oversees responses to all cases of hostage-taking; monitors and maintains an overview of security and crisis management on a world-wide basis; directs the response to highly critical issues and incidents that arise, including evacuation of UN personnel; takes appropriate action in cases of arrest and detention.
- Oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, 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, recruitment of staff for the Division (taking due account of geographical and gender balance and other institutional values), including interviews and evaluation of candidates.
- Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Division, ensures that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and coordinates work both within the Division and Department, and with other organisations of the UN System and Member States, as appropriate; coordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for the presentation to intergovernmental bodies, including on budget/programme performance and on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate; participates in various committees, and prepares documents on policy issues; ensures that the outputs produced by the Division maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data; that all outputs produced by the Division meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with relevant mandates.
- Provides leadership on the development of innovative or change management programmes.
- Performs other assignments as required by the Under-Secretary-General.Competencies
Professionalism: Comprehensive knowledge of the field of safety and security, including financial, human resource and business performance; demonstrated ability to manage and coordinate numerous activities/operations at the same time; excellent negotiation skills; ability to make difficult decisions under pressure and establish effective working relationships; shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter and possesses strong communication skills; 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.
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 improvements; 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.
Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours 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.
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.
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.Education
Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in security administration, criminal justice, law, public administration, political or social science, international relations or related area. A first level university degree in combination with with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.Work Experience
At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in security management, humanitarian, political or peacekeeping operations is required. At least 5 years of senior management experience is required. Ten years of experience in safety and security programmes is required. A minimum of 5 years of experience at the international level is required. Experience of field operations is desirable. Experience in crisis management and/or emergency management is desirable.Languages
English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.Assessment Method
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.United Nations Considerations
Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of inspira account-holder homepage.
Applications are pre-screened by the system according to the published requirements of the job opening on the basis of the information provided in the application. In relation to the requirements of the job opening, applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their qualifications, including their education, work experience, and language skills. Each applicant must bear in mind that submission of incomplete or inaccurate applications may render that applicant ineligible for consideration for the job opening. Initial screening and evaluation of applications will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted. Applications cannot be amended following submission. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.
Apply Now
Under the general direction of the Under-Secretary-General (USG), the Director is responsible for the strategic management of regional operations for safety and security both at Headquarters and in the field, leading DRO, overseeing threat and risk analysis, and providing advice on related matters to the USG. He/she:
- Contributes to the overall management of the Department's activities and operations and the formulation of the Department's overall strategies and policies, as part of the Under-Secretary-General’s senior management team.
- Formulates and implements the substantive work programme of the Division, determining priorities and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
- Directs/manages the five regional operational desks which are responsible for safety and security arrangements in over 150 countries as well as the Threat and Risk Assessment Service; directs and supervises staff; coordinates daily with field locations; directs and manages the cadre of chief security advisors and field security coordination officers; deploys staff members to the field as required to support Designated Officials.
- Manages the 24-hour communications centre; coordinates and oversees responses to all cases of hostage-taking; monitors and maintains an overview of security and crisis management on a world-wide basis; directs the response to highly critical issues and incidents that arise, including evacuation of UN personnel; takes appropriate action in cases of arrest and detention.
- Oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, 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, recruitment of staff for the Division (taking due account of geographical and gender balance and other institutional values), including interviews and evaluation of candidates.
- Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Division, ensures that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and coordinates work both within the Division and Department, and with other organisations of the UN System and Member States, as appropriate; coordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for the presentation to intergovernmental bodies, including on budget/programme performance and on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate; participates in various committees, and prepares documents on policy issues; ensures that the outputs produced by the Division maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data; that all outputs produced by the Division meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with relevant mandates.
- Provides leadership on the development of innovative or change management programmes.
- Performs other assignments as required by the Under-Secretary-General.Competencies
Professionalism: Comprehensive knowledge of the field of safety and security, including financial, human resource and business performance; demonstrated ability to manage and coordinate numerous activities/operations at the same time; excellent negotiation skills; ability to make difficult decisions under pressure and establish effective working relationships; shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter and possesses strong communication skills; 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.
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 improvements; 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.
Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours 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.
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.
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.Education
Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in security administration, criminal justice, law, public administration, political or social science, international relations or related area. A first level university degree in combination with with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.Work Experience
At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in security management, humanitarian, political or peacekeeping operations is required. At least 5 years of senior management experience is required. Ten years of experience in safety and security programmes is required. A minimum of 5 years of experience at the international level is required. Experience of field operations is desirable. Experience in crisis management and/or emergency management is desirable.Languages
English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.Assessment Method
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.United Nations Considerations
Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of inspira account-holder homepage.
Applications are pre-screened by the system according to the published requirements of the job opening on the basis of the information provided in the application. In relation to the requirements of the job opening, applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their qualifications, including their education, work experience, and language skills. Each applicant must bear in mind that submission of incomplete or inaccurate applications may render that applicant ineligible for consideration for the job opening. Initial screening and evaluation of applications will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted. Applications cannot be amended following submission. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.
Apply Now