Background

This position is located in the UN Resident Coordinator’s (RC) Office in Syria. The incumbent will report directly to the Head of the Resident Coordinator’s Office and will provide support to the UNHQ Syria IATF as required.

To strengthen the capacity of the UN Country Team, and provide support to the Resident Coordinator for coordinating and planning an integrated UN response, as applicable, in the current crisis situation in Syria. With a particular focus on movement from a primarily humanitarian response to one which adopts a nuanced approach encompassing livelihoods and early recovery through a resilience-based approach where the security situation allows.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Strategic Coordination and Planning Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

• Support the RC and the UNCT in the roll out, implementation and monitoring of the Strategic Framework 2016-2017;
• Support and facilitate regular updates of needs and situational assessment processes and any other analytical work to help guide UNCT and UNHQ priorities;
• Support the UNCT in the development of a common work plan ensuring timeliness, coherence and quality of results and the promotion and development of proposals for UN System capacity building initiatives;
• Facilitate the coordination of the Programme Management Team (PMT) in support of the PMT Chair and the UNCT;
• Coordinate planning with relevant national entities and other relevant actors within Syria, other international presences, and the Office of the Special Envoy;
• Ensuring Strategic Planning for Syria is fully integrated with and complementary to planning for humanitarian responses inside Syria, UNHQ and regional responses and regional support to those affected by the Syrian conflict;
• Ensure the synergies of the UNCT on institutional and organizational issues, to promote a united and coherent UN system, consistent with the organizational mandate;
• Draw upon other UN experiences, lessons learned and knowledge networking to provide contributions to UNCT decision-making and learning;
• Support the RC in identifying and managing required resources for coordination; where the UNCT decides to promote joint programmes in a given area, support the elaboration, negotiation and implementation of these programmes through concrete and immediate support on operational and substantive issues as required.

Work closely with the Syria IATF on matters pertaining to interagency coordination, planning and future UN support to Syria and maintains regular contact with the relevant UNHQ Departments at the working level.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of RC and the UNCT;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Professionalism:

• Takes initiative and consistently drives for high quality performance for self and colleagues;
• Strong inter-personal skills, including the ability to manage multi-stakeholder processes;
• Values diversity and works effectively with colleagues and contacts in the immediate and wider teams in pursuit of objectives;
• Anticipates and manages risk;
• 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 perspective and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

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.

Planning and Organizing:

• Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies;
• Identifies priority activities and assignments;
• Adjust priorities where necessary;
• Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work;
• Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning;
• Monitors and adjusts plans as necessary;
• Uses time efficiently.

Creativity:

• Actively seeks to improve programmes or services;
• Offers new and different options to solve problems or meet clients need;
• Promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas;
• Thinks outside the box; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Political Science, Management or Development, or a related field;
• Professional training in the areas of planning and/or coordination is an asset.

Experience:

• A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant, progressively responsible professional experience, including in policy development at the strategic level as well as facilitating and coordinating multi-stakeholder planning processes, (Bachelors' degree or equivalent in combination with (9) years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree);
• Field experience is required, including at least one year in a UN peacekeeping mission and/or with UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes in a conflict or post-conflict setting;
• Comprehensive knowledge of relevant UN policies, processes and operations is required;
• Experience in strategic planning processes and application is highly desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required;
• Working knowledge of Arabic is desirable.