Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located at the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Programme Office Baghdad, Iraq. The incumbent will report to the Chief of UNOCTs United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) Strategic Coordination Section, who also serves as Head of Office for UNOCT Programme Office in Baghdad. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) was established by the General Assembly in June 2017. The Office has five main functions: (a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates across the United Nations System; (b) enhance coordination and coherence across the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the Strategy; (c) strengthen the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States; (d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts; and (e) ensure that due priority is given to counter-terrorism across the United Nations System and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the Strategy. The UNOCT Programme Office in Baghdad was established in September 2023 to serve the following three objectives: (i) identify and channel priority capacity-building assistance on counter-terrorism and prevention of violent extremism (PVE) to Iraqi Government agencies; (ii) promote coordination and coherence between UN agencies operating in Iraq on topics related to counter-terrorism and PVE; and (iii) build partnerships with non-UN actors to assist Iraq in its efforts against terrorism and violent extremism. The Programme Management Officer (PMO) will provide support to the UNOCT Baghdad Programme Office to liaise directly with the Iraqi National Security Advisory, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other security agencies to build collaboration, develop and deliver programmes, and monitor progress. In addition, the PMO will also provide support to the Programme Office to engage with UN country team agencies and enhance coordination, as well as conduct outreach to non-UN partners within Iraq and in the region to build opportunities for collaboration to support Iraq.

Responsibilities

• Participates in the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects, etc.; monitors and analyzes programme/project development and implementation; reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; identifies and tracks follow-up actions.
• Provide contextualized political and security updates with relevance to the establishment of the UNOCT Office and the interaction with Iraqi government entities, particularly the National Security Advisory (NSA).
• Researches, analyzes and presents information gathered from diverse sources to help management to take informed decisions.
• Assists in policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, preparation of evaluations or other research activities and studies.
• Undertakes survey initiatives; designs data collection tools; reviews, analyzes and interprets responses, identifies problems/issues and prepares conclusions.
• Prepares various written outputs, e.g. draft background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc. Provide written and verbal translation and other necessary assistance to the head of office when needed.
• Act as a primary point of contact for liaising with different government departments, other UN entities, donors, and stakeholders.
• Provides substantive support to consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, recording meeting minutes in including action points for the UNOCT Baghdad Office, …etc.
• Undertakes outreach activities; conducts and prepare training workshops, seminars, etc.; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• Participates in or lead field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties and drafting mission summaries, etc.
• Performs other duties as required. Competencies
• Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to particular sector, functional area or other specialized field. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to conduct data collection using various methods. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet and other databases. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. 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; Proven experience working as a liaison officer within the UN Capacity; 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& 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. Education Advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent) in business administration, management, economics or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job – Specific Qualification Not available. Work Experience A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in project or programme management, administration or related area is required. Experience working on coordination and programme implementation in an international setting is required. Experience supporting Member States to strengthen counter-terrorism-related efforts is required. Experience of working in Iraq for at least one year is required Experience in monitoring project datasets through software applications is desirable Experience monitoring and evaluation is desirable. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. Arabic is desirable. 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). Required Languages Language Reading Writing Listening Speaking English UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II UN Level II Desirable Languages Language Reading Writing Listening Speaking Arabic UN Level I UN Level I UN Level I UN Level I Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special Notice
• This position is temporarily available initially for 6 months, with the possibility of extension. If the selected candidate is…