View Vacancy - Senior Policy Advisor, UN Funds and Programmes

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
UKMIS (UK Mission to the United Nations)

Main purpose of job:

An exciting and challenging opportunity to work at the UK Mission to the United Nations (UKMIS) and help implement UK policy on international development at the United Nations, specifically leading the UK’s New York engagement with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women. The post-holder will represent the UK in international fora, and lead our work to improve UN delivery at the country level, enhancing system-wide effectiveness and coherence, driving progress on a specific portfolio of policy issues including preventing sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEA/SH) and payment by results (PBR). UKMIS is part of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

The successful candidate will join a busy team that manages the UK’s humanitarian, peacebuilding and development work through the UN. You will also have the opportunity to work closely with other teams and policy leads in the UK Mission and in FCDO Headquarters. This role involves working closely with senior government officials and UK ministers’ offices. You will represent the UK at UN meetings and speak on its behalf.

Main roles and responsibilities:

  • Drive UK policy priorities with UNFPA and UN Women; build and maintain up-to-date understanding of UK priorities and Member States’ positions on gender, sexual and reproductive health and rights, influencing a wide network of key contacts on these issues amongst Member States, the UN system and NGOs.
  • Manage effective relationships between the UK and UNFPA and UN Women, including strategic engagement with UKMIS and HQ seniors, to achieve UK policy objectives.
  • Contribute to the delivery of strong governance, transparency and oversight at UNFPA and UN Women and across the UN system, and improved strategic and performance management (results reporting and human resource management), cost and value consciousness and contribution to results for UNICEF.
  • Work with colleagues in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to develop policy positions in relation to the agencies, helping to shape the agencies’ contribution to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Represent the UK and negotiate on its behalf at the triannual UNFPA and UN Women Executive Boards to deliver UK priorities on oversight, accountability, transparency and programme effectiveness.
  • Represent the UK on relevant development policy issues in General Assembly and ECOSOC negotiations, ad hoc events and conferences.
  • Lead UKMIS’s work on advancing the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment within the UN Funds and Programmes, working closely with relevant teams in FCDO.
  • Serve as UKMIS point person on Payment by Results (PBR) by maintaining up-to-date knowledge and contacts on the UK’s PBR arrangements with UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and UNW.
  • Prepare statements, briefs and reporting on UNFPA, UN Women and other matters within the job holder’s purview.
  • Support the FCDO HQ Institutional Lead for UNFPA and UNW to provide effective and efficient programme management of the UK’s annual core contribution to UNFPA and UN Women, including contributing to annual reviews and project completion reports, results monitoring, and contributing to business cases for future funding.
  • Assist and advise government ministers and officials visiting New York, including support to UKMIS activities and planning for High-Level Week at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September each year.
  • Perform other duties as required and work flexibly, adjusting to changing priorities as needed, including corporate tasks that contribute to the wider UKMIS team.
  • Lead the UK’s New York engagement with other agencies (namely UNDP and/or UNICEF) as required on either a temporary or permanent basis depending on resourcing changes and constraints. 
  • A degree in one of the following disciplines, or any other related field: Economics, Political Science, Social Science, Law, International Development, or Gender Studies
  • 5 years of related experience
  • Excellent negotiation, influencing and communication skills, including written communications and public speaking, in English
  • An understanding of international development, the Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations and the Secretary-General’s UN Reform agenda
  • Ability to deliver high quality results on multiple areas of work to tight deadlines, while maintaining strength of judgement, calm and a team-player attitude
  • Some familiarity with governance functions such as audit and oversight, results-based management, evaluation, or budgets
  • Previous experience of development work in a developing country
  • Passion for alleviating poverty, preventing conflict and advancing the UK’s interest within a strong and vibrant international system
  • Understanding of Member State Permanent Missions and how they interact with the UN
  • Familiarity of working in public service, particularly the UK civil service, and knowledge of the UK political environment
  • Some programme management experience
28 July 2021
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Full-time, Permanent
40
Americas, Caribbean & Overseas Territories
United States
UK Mission to the United Nations, New York
UK Delegation
1
USD
$78,090
20 September 2021

Under US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Permanent Residents or A visa holders with EAD cards*. If you hold a visa other than an A visa you are not currently eligible to work at our office.  Please refer to our website for information on exceptions to this policy at www.gov.uk/government/world/usa.  All selected candidates are subject to background checks and will require a security clearance prior to starting work.  
*A visas are acceptable at the Embassy and Consulates. The UK Mission to the UN (UKMIS) accepts G visas, and British Defense Staff (BDS) outposts accept A or NATO visas.  

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

There is considerable scope for personal development in the range of responsibilities outlined. Training on the job will be offered through mentoring and coaching, plus there are formal courses (both live and through e-learning) that the postholder will be asked to complete or offered. Training will include peer-to-peer training ahead of the postholder’s first UNW/UNFPA Executive Board session. The postholder should also expect to visit FCDO HQ in either London or East Kilbride annually (travel restrictions and travel budget permitting) in order to meet policy leads and stakeholders there.

Working patterns:

The nature of the work will require UKMIS staff to be frequently present in the UN or at the mission.

UKMIS is keen to offer opportunities to work flexibly as far as the demands of the UN calendar allow. The usual UKMIS working hours are Monday to Friday eight hours/day – exact times to be agreed with your LM. Core hours that all employees must work are 09:30-15:00.

The UK Government operating in the US offers a substantial benefits package including generous leave, a choice of medical insurance, 401(k) matching up to 7%, extensive learning opportunities and a great work/life balance.  

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, eg some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.

Internal candidates must inform their supervisor before they apply to a different position.

Only successful candidates will be contacted.  Please no phone calls.  Due to the high volume of resumes we receive, we cannot guarantee consideration of your application if the submission instructions are not properly followed.

The British Embassy is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and to creating a diverse working environment, free from discrimination, where everyone is included and treated fairly, based on merit alone.  We are an equal opportunity employer, making all employment decisions without regard to race, gender, religion, national origin, citizenship, disability, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation or any other criterion protected by law.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.