CHIEF OF SERVICE, CIVIL AFFAIRS

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), based in Naqoura, South Lebanon. The Chief Civil Affairs reports to the Deputy Head of Mission/Director of Political and Civil Affairs. ResponsibilitiesWithin delegated authority, the Chief of Service, Civil Affairs, will be responsible for the following duties: • Leads on Civil Affairs policy and programme formulation and strategic vision. • Ensures that Civil Affairs work is clearly conceptualized in support of the Mission’s mandate implementation priorities, in line with the evolving situation on the ground and in accordance with the DPO Civil Affairs Policy Directive as well as the WPS and YPS agendas. • Manages the staff and oversees the budget of the Civil Affairs section. • Develops, formulates and leads on the implementation of the substantive work programme of the Civil Affairs section, in consultation with key partners inside and outside the Mission, taking into account of gender considerations and ensuring that the component functions as one part of a coherent overall UN effort to support the peacebuilding/recovery and reconstruction process. • Designs and institutes effective partnership and information-sharing arrangements with both relevant Mission and non-Mission actors, including the UN Country Team (UNCT). Oversees and ensures effective cooperation and coordination on the ground with all partners by Civil Affairs component staff. Ensures that all Mission and non-Mission partners are clear about the role and contributions of the Civil Affairs component. • Ensures that the Mission and its mandate is effectively and consistently represented to relevant interlocutors at the sub-national level by the Civil Affairs component (and other Mission actors where appropriate), and that the perceptions and concerns of all segments of the population are accurately fed into Mission-wide situation analysis and planning processes with full understanding of the complex operations and multiple stakeholders. • Provides the Mission's leadership with high-quality information and consistent analysis concerning conflict dynamics at the sub-national level and progress with or obstacles to the countrywide political process, including via mechanisms for information-sharing, consistent conflict mapping, crisis response and protection of civilians, as well as identification of critical peacebuilding gaps, as needed. • Oversees the programme management system for Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) in line with the DPO’s Policy Directive on QIPs; including through setting up project management and approval mechanisms, proposing mission-specific priorities and ensuring impact evaluation. • Oversees and manages the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of Civil Affairs, including; preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance, evaluation of candidates, and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting. Ensures an appropriate balance of skills and specializations are recruited to the Civil Affairs section, in accordance with (and where possible anticipating) evolving requirements over time. • Fosters team spirit among Civil Affairs staff, ensures they are provided with the requisite guidance and training to fulfil their tasks (including mission-specific induction and skills training), oversees the systematic identification of lessons learned and good practice and the sharing of these with Civil Affairs section in other Missions, and encourages free and active participation by all component staff in the online Civil Affairs Community of Practice. • Supports the Mission’s Protection of Civilians (PoC) efforts by facilitating community engagement, gathering early warning information, and coordinating with relevant stakeholders to address local protection concerns and enhance civilian access to essential services in line with the mission’s mandate. • Adapt civil-military coordination and outreach strategies to the evolving security environment, ensuring the safety of personnel while maintaining meaningful engagement with local communities and authorities, and supporting conflict-sensitive programming that contributes to stability and community resilience. • Perform other duties as required. Conflict Management: . Provides leadership and vision for the development of a Civil Affairs or (where appropriate) Mission-wide conflict management strategy, including mechanisms for information-sharing, consistent conflict mapping, crisis response and protection of civilians as needed. . Promotes a culture of peace and reconciliation by identifying appropriate domestic actors and/or processes and designing strategies for the Civil Affairs Section to support them at both national and sub-national levels. . Convenes or oversees support to national level dialogue and negotiation between groups in conflict at the local level. Facilitates, enables, or mediates dialogue where appropriate. . Forges partnerships with relevant actors to advocate the protection and empowerment of excluded and/or threatened groups in full respect of humanitarian and international law. . Identifies and coordinates a response to specific conflict drivers’ country wide, including by mobilizing a response from other actors where appropriate. Support the restoration and extension of state authority: • Provides leadership and vision for the development of a Civil Affairs or (where appropriate) Mission-wide strategy to support the restoration and extension of state authority at the sub-national level with a view to; strengthening local ownership of the peace process, building capacity, promoting cooperation between authorities and relevant community and social actors, as well as supporting operations, policy and decision- making processes as appropriate. CompetenciesProfessionalism: Knowledge of Civil Affairs, ability to translate theoretical concepts into concrete actions for the extension of state authority. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Planning and organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently. 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 improvement; does not accept the status quo. Shows the courage to take unpopular stands. 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 that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary. EducationAdvanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in social science, political science, international relations, public administration, anthropology, law, economics or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of 15 years’ experience in Civil Affairs, Political Affairs, Public Administration, or related field, with a minimum of five (5) years in or in support of a field operations of the United Nations Common System or a comparable international organization, or National or International NGOs, international bilateral organizations is required. A minimum of five (5) years of experience in a position requiring conflict management, facilitation, mediation or negotiation skills, with an emphasizes on analytical and strategic planning functions; experience in facilitating structured dialogue events between different parties, and reconciliation activities and processes is desirable. A minimum of five (5) years in working on governance, support to core government functions, or related areas; experience in policy advice in the area of institution strengthening and governance support in post-conflict setting is desirable. Relevant experience in the Middle East, peacekeeping field operations, and serving in a military environment is desirable. A minimum of five (5) years should be in a management position with responsibility for developing and implementing a strategic programme with both personnel and resource management responsibilities is required LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable. AssessmentPreviously rostered candidates are not subject to any further assessment and as such, will not be invited for such an assessment. Special NoticeThis \"Recruit from Roster\" job opening is only open to roster applicants who are already placed on pre-approved rosters, following a review by a United Nations Central Review Body. Only roster applicants who were placed on rosters with similar functions at the same level are considered to be eligible candidates. Eligible applicants receive an email inviting them to apply. Rostered applicants are encouraged to apply only if they are interested and available to take up the position at the duty station/s specified in the Job Opening. Applying to this job opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected. United Nations ConsiderationsAccording to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places 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. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.