The Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) is responsible for providing leadership, operational support and oversight of the United Nations security management system (UNSMS) globally. As a global leader in security risk management principles, UNDSS enables the safe and effective delivery of United Nations programmes and activities in the most complex and challenging environments, while maximizing precious resources. To this end, the work of the Department is aligned under a clear mission, to enable United Nations system programme activities through trusted security leadership and solutions.

This is a unique opportunity to join a diverse, dynamic and exciting organization gaining unique and valuable experience where security provides great value. Besides the opportunity to gain new skills and further advance security expertise, this position offers a fulfilling environment that gives you satisfaction by contributing directly or indirectly to peace and security, human rights, and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Simply, all humanity will be benefiting from your work. Together, we can make the world a better place. For more information on the Department, and how we make an impact on the world in enabling the achievement of SDGs, visit: https://www.un.org/undss/

The advertised position is located in the Division of Regional Operations (DRO), New York. The Division of Regional Operations (DRO) serves as the safety and security focal point for the field duty stations, providing primary operational and technical support. The Division is responsible for daily security coordination with the field. The incumbent will report to the Chief of Europe and Americas (EuA) Section.

Under the supervision of the EuA Section Chief, in the Division of Regional Operation (DRO), Department of Safety and Security (DSS), the Security Coordination Officer (SCO) will perform the following duties:

1. Monitors, researches and assesses all factors on the state of UN security in assigned geographic area; monitors the state of security preparedness of Designated Officials (DOs), Security Management Teams (SMTs), and Chiefs/Security Advisers (C/SAs) on a continual basis and updates the real-time security information system; Establishes and conducts regular contacts and dialogs with each C/SAs, drafting reports and analyzing developments in UN security; Assists in developing options to cope with those situations; Analyzes accumulated information and maintains a continuous picture of evolving global, regional or local political events affecting the security of UN personnel and dependents in the assigned area; Monitors predictive indicators and early warning type information; Monitors and maintains UN Country Security Management Team meeting minutes and Chiefs/Security Advisers (C/SAs) security update reports for assigned countries.

2. Prepares and submits periodic and incidental reports for senior management; Submits a daily security report to the Chief Desk which covers significant events and trends in assigned countries; Prepares briefs, notes, reports, studies, after-action reports and recommendations on critical issues of interest to senior management decision-making; Conducts Desk review/audit of mandatory security reports submitted from the field, such as Security Risk Management (SRM), Security Plans (SP), Security Risk Mitigation Measures (RMM), Residential Security Measures (RSM), local cost shared security budget (LCSSB) and security incident reports (SIRSS); Collates data inputs for the periodic trends of mandatory reports. Prepares after action reports following all incidents.

3. Monitors security related preparedness of duty stations and in this regard monitors the security planning and preparedness of DOs, SMTs, C/SAs, and provides relevant guidance and advice; Promotes information exchange with and among various duty stations to avoid common problems; Undertakes security missions, as required, to field duty stations, including in high-risk locations, to perform security assessment and to assist DOs, SMTs and C/SAs.

4. Provides expert guidance and leadership to more junior staff; Acts on behalf of Section Chief in his/her absence and takes appropriate action as required; Makes recommendations to the Section Chief on courses of action and appropriate responses as required.

5. Performs other assignments as required.

Professionalism: In depth knowledge in the field of security risk management, especially of the UN security management system. Ability to make quick decisions in emergencies or when rapid response is required. Ability to communicate complex concepts orally. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. 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. Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; places confidence in and builds trust with colleagues, staff members and stakeholders.

Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments and 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.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. Listens to others and correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. Tailors language, tone, style, and format to match the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

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.

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in Security, Disaster or Emergency Management, Risk Management, Political Science, Military Science, Public Administration, Law Enforcement, Law or related field. A first-level university degree, in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in security, risk or disaster management in the public or private service areas, such as national security, military or police, or in a corporate environment is required.

Management experience in the public, private or corporate sector is required.

A minimum of 2 years of international experience in security management systems is required.

At least 2 years of field security experience within a UN Security Management System is desirable.

Working experience in Europe and Americas region is desirable.

Knowledge and post relevant work experience in Ukraine is desirable.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required. Knowledge in another official UN language is desirable.

Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview.

• The duration of this Temporary Job Opening is for a period of six months with the possibility of an extension. Funding for this position is from an extrabudgetary project grant, The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof is subject to the availability of funds, budgetary approval and/or extension of the mandate. Accordingly, the appointment will be temporary for the duration of the grant. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.

• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. The United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) is taking efforts to improve gender parity, including full implementation of the UN-wide, and Departmental Gender Strategies. We are committed to providing an inclusive culture and exciting opportunities for women in the security and operations field.

• Applying to this Temporary Job Opening carries an expectation to accept the offer, if selected. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff members are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with the established rules and procedures.

• An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential.

• Subject to the funding source of the position and the urgency to fill the role, this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based as the duty station.

• A current staff member who holds a fixed-term, permanent or continuing appointment may apply for temporary positions no more than one level above his or her current grade. However, a current staff member who holds an appointment at the G-6 or G-7 level may also apply to temporary positions in the Professional category up to and including the P-3 level, subject to meeting all eligibility and other requirements for the position. A staff member holding a temporary appointment shall be regarded as an external candidate when applying for other positions and may apply for other temporary positions at any level, subject to section 5.7 below and staff rule 4.16 (b) (ii). Therefore, a staff member holding a temporary appointment in the General Service or related categories may only apply to positions within those categories. For full information on eligibility requirements, please refer to section 5 of ST/AI/2010/4Rev.1 on Temporary Appointments. In its resolution 66/234, the General Assembly further "stressed that the Secretary-General should not recur to the practice of temporarily filling posts in the Professional and higher categories with General Service staff members who have not passed the General Service to Professional category examination other than on an exceptional basis, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that temporary occupation of such posts by the General Service staff shall not exceed a period of one year, effective 1 January 2013…" Consequently, eligible candidates in the General Service or related categories for temporary job openings in the Professional category that have not passed the competitive examination may be selected only on an exceptional basis endorsed by the Office of Human Resources Management where no other suitable candidate could be identified.

•Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the Young Professionals Programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position.

• Upon separation from service, including, but not limited to, expiration or termination of, or resignation from, a fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointment, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment on the basis of a temporary appointment for a period of 31 days following the separation. In the case of separation from service on retirement, a former staff member will be ineligible for re-employment for a period of three months following the separation. This equally applies, mutatis mutandis, with respect to a former or current staff member who has held or holds an appointment in another entity applying the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules and who applies for a temporary position.

• While this temporary job opening may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. An external candidate selected for this position is bound by the prevailing condition of the staff selection system under ST/AI/2010/3, as amended, and ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1. A staff member holding a temporary appointment who is recruited in the Professional and above categories on a temporary appointment, and placed on a position authorized for one year or longer may not apply for or be reappointed to his/her current position within six months of the end of his/her current service. This provision does not apply to staff members holding temporary appointments and placed on positions authorized for one year or more in duty stations authorized for peacekeeping operations or special political missions.

• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.

• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

• The Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and administrative issuances governing staff appointments can be viewed at: http://hr.un.org/handbook.

According 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.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side 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.

THE 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.