UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

Position description

Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of the Director of the Division, the Chief of Branch will formulate and implement the substantive work programme of the Branch under his/her supervision. Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Branch, ensures that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and coordinates work in the different areas both within the Division and Department, and with other organizations of the United Nations System, as appropriate.

• Leads, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Branch under his/her responsibility. Co-ordinates the work carried out by different work units under the Branch and by other agencies and bodies of the United Nations system; provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others.
• Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for presentation to the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up and other intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
• Leads the planning and organization of meetings of the ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up, and the Sustainable Development Investment Fair on an annual basis; spearheads support for preparations at the national and regional levels in the lead-up to these meetings.
• Oversees the implementation of the engagement strategy of the Office with partners of the UN System, UN Member States, civil society and private sector and other entities.
• Reports to intergovernmental bodies on programme performance or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Branch maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Assists the Director in preparing the work programme of the Division, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Branch, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.
• Recruits staff, taking due account of gender and geographical balance.
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Branch and across organizational boundaries.
• Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues. Manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars.
• Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Represents the Division at international, regional or national meetings.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. 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.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, 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 audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
• 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 ssumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.
• Managing Performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in economics, international affairs, social sciences or related area is required. 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.

Work Experience

• A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in economic development, economic research and analysis, and policy formulation is required.
• Experience in managing complex programmes of work and large diverse teams is required.
• Experience in inter-agency collaboration is desirable.
• Experience on financing for sustainable development issues is desirable.
• Experience in intergovernmental processes is desirable.

Languages

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

Application instructions