SENIOR ELECTORAL OFFICER

Org. Setting and ReportingThese positions are located in the United Nations Secretariat including, Peacekeeping Operations, Special Political Missions, or electoral projects of the United Nations Agencies, Funds, and Programs (AFP). The Senior Electoral Officer reports to the Head of Entity or the deputy or the Principal Electoral Officer as applicable. In certain circumstances, the Senior Electoral Officer role is closely integrated to the work and team of the Resident Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative/ Country Director or UNOPS Country Director. The Senior Electoral Officer may head a unit/section, field office or project and may be the senior-most electoral officer of the entity but may also serve as a member of an electoral assistance team, usually in an advisory role to a national counterpart in her/his area of expertise. ResponsibilitiesThe Senior Electoral Officer will be responsible for the following duties: 1. Design, lead, supervise, coordinate and contribute to the implementation of electoral assistance programs and processes in the following areas, as required: legal drafting and reform, complaints and dispute resolution, overall process management, planning and budgeting, electoral infrastructure development, electoral operations including field operations, procurement, logistics, security, information and communications technology, data processing and analysis, procedures, training, external relations, public information, outreach and media relations, civic and voter education, graphic design, administrative support, support to media, political parties and civil society, gender mainstreaming, capacity-building, and institutional reform and development. 2. Lead, coordinate and supervise the provision of support, technical assistance and advice to national counterparts and their institutions in the above areas and provide high-level assistance and advice as required. 3. Provide project and programme management and support, including budget management and monitoring, and reporting of results to national counterparts, donors and UN bodies; overall donor liaison and management. 4. Design, lead, coordinate, supervise and contribute to the implementation of strategies and programmes to build the capacity of national counterparts and strengthen national institutions. 5. Monitor the impact of domestic and international obligations and processes on female participation and provide advice to the Electoral Management Bodies on appropriate corrective measures. 6. Offer electoral advice to UN senior management on the ground as required. 7. Supervise and manage the performance of UN national and international staff under the project. 8. Establish and maintain professional and productive partnerships with national counterpart institutions and other key stakeholders in the electoral process. 9. Establish effective communication mechanisms, regularly brief senior UN officials, partners, donors, counterparts as well as other key stakeholders on the electoral process and provide regular reports, including to the head of the UN/mission, agency or programme, as well as senior officials in UN headquarters. 10. Lead team members efforts to collect and analyse data and provide insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation, and reporting. Ensure that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need. 11. Perform other related duties as required. CompetenciesProfessionalism: Demonstrates in-depth understanding of and ability to evaluate electoral processes; knowledge of all aspects of electoral processes and their technical and political implications. Strong analytical and evaluative skills combined with good judgement. Knowledge of electoral operations in a UN or similar multilateral environment. Ability to develop the unit/division’s strategic direction and ability to transform it into a results-oriented workplan. Ability to place the significance of electoral processes in a political context. Ability to manage and coordinate multileveled projects, including through effective engagement with institutional partners and donors to secure resources and ensure delivery of complex electoral initiatives. Ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. 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. 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. 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. 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. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. EducationAdvanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) degree in Political Science, International Relations, Law, Public Administration, or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in elections and related areas is required. Experience in supervising, implementing, supporting or advising on electoral processes is required. Experience in managing and coordinating a diverse team is required. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, either English or French is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).