View Vacancy - Senior Policy Adviser

An exciting opportunity to work in the UN Management Reform & Finance (MRF) team in the UK Mission to the UN. The successful candidate will represent and negotiate for the UK at the UN in the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budget). Fifth Committee negotiations lead to General Assembly Resolutions that set UN budget levels and reform the UN’s operations, to which the UK is the sixth largest contributor at around $120m a year for the Regular Budget and $400m a year for the Peacekeeping Budget. The seven-person MRF team lead in the UK Mission on UK policy on the UN Regular and Peacekeeping Budgets, UN management reform, governance and oversight, elections, and senior appointments.

This is a challenging role with the opportunity to lead on elements of UN reform, an issue that is one of the UN Secretary General’s top priorities. 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.

Duties and responsibilities:

To negotiate for the UK in the Fifth Committee, among EU Member States and at the UN, on issues including:

• UN Governance & Oversight (Office of Internal Oversight Services, Accountability, Internal Control, Board of Auditors, Joint Inspection Unit, Independent Audit Advisory Committee, etc.);
• UN accommodation, including future projects in Geneva and elsewhere;
• UN Information & Communications Technology reform;
• The UN Enterprise Resource Planning reform (UMOJA);
• Regular budget issues;
• Other issues as required.

To lead on managing the UK’s co-chairmanship of the Geneva Group of top contributors to UN budgets.

To support delivery of the UK Government’s UN Reform Strategy, working with colleagues in the UK Mission, across Whitehall and the UK network of overseas posts. Providing policy advice and written/oral updates on topics in their portfolio as required.

To manage MRF’s digital diplomacy in support of UKMis objectives.

Provide policy advice and written and oral reports/updates to UK and EU stakeholders on the topics in their portfolio as required.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate their abilities in working with others, customer focus, delivering results, communicating and influencing, strategic awareness and problem solving and judgement. Specifically:

• An undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a relevant field, and with at least 4 years of work experience;
• Excellent multilateral negotiation, communication, and team-working skills;
• Strong organisational, analytical, and time management skills, with very good attention to detail;
• Excellent networking skills with the ability to develop and maintain long-lasting relationships with UN and other Member State officials at all levels;
• Flexible, resilient under pressure, and decisive, with a proven track record of delivering results to a high standard within tight deadlines;
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office;
• Fluent in spoken and written English.   Knowledge of another UN official language would also be useful.

Willingness to work additional hours as necessary, especially during Fifth Committee peak periods in March, May and December and to work flexibly across the team to provide cover for other colleagues as necessary.

Under US State Department requirements, the Embassy Network may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Green Card holders or G or NATO visa holders with EAD cards*. If you hold a visa other than an G or NATO visa you are not currently eligible to work at the Embassy. Please refer to our website for information on exceptions to this policy at www.gov.uk/government/world/usa. All candidates will be subject to background checks and security clearance.

*The UK Mission to the UN (UKMIS) accepts G visas.