View Vacancy - Senior Policy Adviser, Political Section

Summary:

An exciting opportunity in the UK Mission to the UN to work as a member of the Africa Peacekeeping team. They will represent the UK and negotiate at both the UN Security Council and the General Assembly, on a range of issues related to Africa and peacekeeping, including UN peacekeeping and special political missions in Africa, key peacekeeping priorities such as peacekeeping policy, preventing and responding to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of civilians, and other thematic issues. The successful candidate will contribute to policy advice on the UN sanctions regimes for African countries, and will represent the UK on the relevant Security Council Sanctions Committees and Working Groups.

The Africa Peacekeeping team works flexibly across the range of Africa and peacekeeping dossiers, and the successful candidate will also support the wider work of the Political Section, including as Visits Planner and other ad hoc duties and responsibilities.

The post holder will join a team of six covering African issues on the Security Council agenda, including the Lake Chad Basin, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, the Great Lakes, Mali, Central African Republic, and Liberia, as well as UN relations with the African Union (AU), and the UN’s regional conflict offices. The team also leads on all UN peacekeeping, including peacekeeping reform, tackling Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, the Protection of Civilians and Atrocity Prevention, and Children and Armed Conflict. As a member of the UK Mission’s Security Council Team, s/he will also work closely with colleagues from both the Military and the Development and Human Rights Teams.

Responsibilities:

This is a policy development and delivery role, heavily focussed on influencing the UN Secretariat, other Member States and NGOs.   Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, those outlined below:

• Negotiating Security Council products; drafting UK-proposed texts and chairing negotiations; reporting views of other Council members and UN Secretariat; representing UK on Security Council Sanctions Committees; advising London on tactics to best deliver UK policy at the Security Council.
• Working with colleagues in the UK Mission, and colleagues across the UK network of posts from other UK Government departments, , to make full use of UK Government influence across the UN to deliver UK policy on Africa and to provide strategic advice to London in developing wider UK policy on African dossiers.
• Delivering UK policy at the UN on thematic issues such as sexual exploitation and abuse, protection of civilians, the responsibility to protect and children and armed conflict.
• Briefing UK Permanent Representative for, and reporting on, Security Council and other high-level meetings on issues on a variety of Africa and peacekeeping dossiers.
• Working flexibly across the team to provide cover for the Team Leader and other senior policy advisers where necessary and developing policy on cross-cutting Africa issues e.g. peacekeeping, conflict and sanctions work.

This is a challenging role with the opportunity to lead on some of the Security Council’s highest profile issues and to develop specific expertise on Africa and conflict issues. The portfolio will grow as the job holder gains experience in the role. You will work in a fast-paced and changing environment and must be willing to support other team members and priorities as needed.

• A postgraduate degree in a relevant field;
• At least four years of relevant work experience;
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently as well as part of a larger team;
• Ability to work flexibly and adapt to changing priorities across a range of tasks and responsibilities that require long-term planning as well as reaction to urgent day-to-day developments;
• Proven track record of influencing, and briefing senior members of staff and outside stakeholders;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• Ability to deliver at pace.