View Vacancy - Senior Policy Officer

Main purpose of job:

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work in the UK Mission to the UN. The successful candidate will work as a Senior Policy Adviser in the Africa and Peacekeeping team. They will represent the UK at the UN on a range of issues related to Africa and peacekeeping. This will include conducting negotiations at the Security Council, and on occasion in the General Assembly. The successful candidate will also 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 post holder will join a team of five covering African issues on the Security Council agenda, including Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, the Great Lakes, the Central African Republic, Mali and the Sahel, as well as UN relations with the African Union (AU), and the UN’s regional conflict offices. The team also leads on thematic peacekeeping issues, 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 work closely with both the Military and the Development and Human Rights Teams.

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 planning visits and other ad hoc duties and responsibilities.

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 evolve as the job-holder gains experience in the role. They will work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment and must be willing to support other team members and priorities as needed.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

This is a policy development and delivery role, heavily focused 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 the UK on Security Council Sanctions Committees; advising London on tactics to best deliver UK policy objectives in 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 objectives on Africa and to provide strategic advice to London in developing wider UK policy on African dossiers.

-   Delivering UK policy objectives at the UN on thematic issues such as protection of civilians, 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. Working flexibly across Political Section to provide wider cover where needed.

Essential characteristics are:

-   An undergraduate or 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 a wide range of stakeholders, and strong briefing skills;

-   Excellent oral and written communication skills;

-   Ability to deliver at pace.