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SECURITY ADVISOR

Background

Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women (UNW) will work for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls, the empowerment of women, and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action , peace and security. Placing women's rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women will lead and coordinate the United Nations System's efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States' priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors. The Division, Management and Administration is responsible for all aspects of security management for UN Women (UNW) Headquarters and Field Offices
The primary objective of the Security Advisor UNW Security is to advise and assist UNW Divisions, Regional and Sub Regional Offices, Country Offices and UNW Security Filed Staff on their security responsibilities to protect and minimize the risk to UNW staff, project personnel, property and operations in the field and at the same time enabling UNW programme delivery throughout Under the direction and supervision of the Director, Management and Administration, the Security Advisor provides leadership and direction to UNW Field Security Staff in the implementation of UN and UNW security policies and plans for the protection of UNW personnel and assets and the safe delivery of programmes in the field. Under the direction of the Director, he/she is also responsible for the formulation and review of UNW security policy, technical content and best practices, annual work plan, training, IT support MOSS programme and compliance, and effective administrative support to field security operations.
Summary of key functions:
  • Security advocacy
  • Policy formulation and advice
  • Provides strategic results-based planning
  • Concept development and programmatic support
  • Managerial functions: supervises Regional Security Advisors
  • P to RSA activities performs coordination function
  • Knowledge management
  • Management of Emergency Preparedness Plans for HQ Locations
  • Maintain Liaison with UNDSS and Host-Governments
  • Acts as Crisis Management Focal Point

Duties and Responsibilities

Advocacy, Policy Formulation and Planning:

  • Development, implementation and maintenance of UNW Security Policy including fast track policy.
  • Clarifies, interprets and implements existing UN and UNW security policy as applicable to UNW.
  • Assist with and prepare briefing notes for managers and staff as required, and inputs to position papers from a field perspective.
  • Keeps abreast of all security-related information as well as monitor international events in order to assess their security-related trends and implications on UNW operations and staff.
  • Ensures effective and timely access of UNW managers and security advisors to prescriptive content such as policy, risk management methodology, MOSS and MORSS.
  • Manages the UNW Security Annual Work Plan on behalf of the Director, Division of Management and Administration.

Field Support:

  • Provides security policy and technical advice to UNW management, Regional and Sub Regional and Country Offices on related security policy, best practices and risk management issues.
  • Tracks developing threats and related risks, reviewing the impact of security factors and risk on UNW staff, premises, assets, programme design and delivery, and providing timely recommendations to the Division of Management and Regional and Sub Regional and Country Offices regarding effective risk mitigation measures, including possible UNW support needs and improvements.
  • Providing timely and accurate security advice and support to the UNW Divisions and field offices for security-related assistance and follow up on their implementation, recognizing that staff rely on country-specific security arrangements.
  • Undertake security assessment missions to the field as required.
  • Assists in the formulation and management of appropriate security-related requests from Divisions and fields offices.
  • Ensures UNW security measures are compliant with approved MOSS and residential measures and assist field offices to reach compliance as required.
  • Addresses field office needs associated with program, operations and premises towards compliance with UN and UNW security policy and security operating standards to ensure effective response.
  • Provides advice on selection and procurement of appropriate equipment for security (vehicles, telecommunications equipment, etc.).

Programming:

  • Advises Divisions regarding the mainstreaming of security into global and regional programmes.
  • Advocates for the inclusion and main streaming of security in field (country) level programming; including gender specific issues into the CCA, UNDAF and country programme (or future equivalent instruments).
  • Advises Divisions and field offices regarding the inclusion of security as a factor in the UNW Regional, Sub Regional and Country Programme Strategic Plan.
  • Advises UNW Divisions and field offices to mainstream security in project planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
  • Reviews the impact of security factors on UNW programme designs and delivery, as well as the potential impact that programmes might have on stability and security (both positive and negative), making recommendations, including to the Division of Management and Administration and Regional and Sub Regional Offices and of Country Offices regarding possible UNW support needs and improvements.
  • Addresses field office needs associated with program, operations and premises towards compliance with UN and UNW security policy and security operating standards to ensure effective response.
  • Facilitates mainstreaming of security as an integral part of UNW operations and projects, including reflecting in budgets the security cost of doing business.

Managerial Functions:

  • Provides managerial leadership in managing and directing the activities of the UNW Field Security advisors and other security designated staff members.
  • Formulates and manages the knowledge management plan for the UNW Security Office.
  • Provides presentations on security awareness at UNW orientation courses.
  • Provides UNW security presentations at DSS orientation courses.
  • Serves as the second reporting officer on performance evaluations of field security staff.
  • Manages the HQ MOSS-compliance support and the budget to UNW security.
  • Manages security information in UNW on behalf of the Director, Division of Management and Administration.

Representation and Networking:

  • Participates in inter-agency working groups to exchange views and experience on related security issues.
    Interfaces with relevant functional units in UNW to address policy and implementation dimensions overlapping with security.
  • Interacts with UNW Division Directors and Regional and Sub Regional and Country Office Directors regarding UNW security advice.
  • Represents the Division of Management in meetings regarding security, attend security workshops/training sessions (inter-agency or other), work groups and conferences.

Management of Emergency Preparedness Plans for HQ Locations:

  • Develops and updates HQ Crisis Operations Plans as required.
  • Implements the plans and ensures all required staff are trained to respond to the required duties for activation.
  • Ensures effective security related information flow/exchange to enable and improve operational assessments, planning at HQ and to enhance security awareness, coordination and implementation of security arrangements.
  • Serves as the representative for the joint management of the Business Continuity Planning process within UNW.
  • Ensures that the HQ BCP maintains alignment with Crisis Operations Plan at the NY HQ.

Maintain liaison with UN HQ Security and Host Governments:

  • Maintains interface with the Safety Services with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security. This interface will ensure that the UNW HQ planning links to the requirements of the Secretariat Emergency Plan.
  • In cooperation with UNDSS, the interfaces with the Host Government security services; he/she shall remain informed on local laws and ordinance changes that will impact HQ planning and inform management of the impact on HQ Operations.
  • Is responsible for finding external resources that can best prepare supporting line units to be most effective with their interfaces with these changes.

Crisis Management Focal Point:

  • Serve as the Security Office focal point for HQ Crisis Management.
  • Ensure preparedness through training, simulation exercises and workshops toward preparedness.
  • Mainstreams the inclusion of Business Continuity Planning within the context of Crisis Management and interface closely with IST and HRC toward that end.
  • Bring the most state of adequate solutions and ensure operability of the same to enhance crisis response by senior management.
  • Constantly monitors the effectiveness of the crisis communication platform and ensure that it is tested periodically to be most effectiveduring an emergency.

Impact of Results:

The risk to UNW staff, project personnel, property and operations in the field minimized and at the same time UNW programme delivery enabled through:

  • Ensuring that UNW security support is included in all aspects of the programming process at country office level as well as throughout individual project life cycles, from project identification, planning, budgeting, implementation monitoring, evaluation and project closure.
  • Strengthening the security arrangements of UNW offices, sub-offices, and eventually guesthouses and safe houses.

Competencies

Core Values & Ethics:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN values and ethical standard.
  • Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter.
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
  • Supports the Organization's corporate goal.
  • Complies with UNW rules, regulations and code of conduct.

Teamwork:

  • Builds effective client relationships and partnerships.
  • Interacts at all levels of staff/organization.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills.
  • Building and sharing knowledge.
  • Provides guidance and support to others.
  • Applies existing knowledge to work.
  • Makes valuable practice contributions.

Communication:

  • Excellent oral and written skills.
  • Listens actively and responds effectively.

Task Management:

  • Plans, prioritizes and delivers a variety of tasks on time.
  • Exercises sound judgment/analysis.
  • Develops creative solutions.
  • Ability to function effectively in crisis and stressful circumstances.

Learning:

  • Promotes learning environment in the office.
  • Provides constructive coaching and feedback for others.

Technical/Functional:

  • In-depth knowledge of security and risk management.
  • Solid experience of conducting security risk assessment as integral part of operational planning and the enabling of operations.
  • Experience of policy development and implementation.
  • Knowledge of UNW business, operations and programming cycle.
  • In-depth understanding of UN and UNW security policy; roles and responsibilities including that of Regional, Sub Regional and Country Office Directors and Designated Official, Security Management Team, DRR, Security Officers, MOSS, UNDSS and UN Security Management System.
  • Monitors developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipates problems.
  • Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Masters degree (or equivalent) in management, international politics or equivalent or formal multi-year education in security management, such as military or police senior Command and Staff College qualification with command experience at senior level.

Experience:

  • Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in security management of which at least 5 years is in senior management.
  • Minimum 5 years experience of programme management in the field in a development context with reference to conflict and post conflict scenarios.

Language:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
  • Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

NOTE:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment

Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

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UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.