Org. Setting and Reporting

Since 2017, the UN Secretary-General’s reforms agenda aims at establishing a more effective and coherent UN development system, placing prevention and sustainable development at its core in line with the UN SG’s Prevention Agenda. The reforms repositioned the Resident Coordinator system—led by an independent Resident Coordinator as the highest-ranking UN development official at the country level—to better support countries in advancing national development priorities and achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Mozambique, the Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) brings together UN entities to enhance the efficiency and impact of UN sustainable development activities at country level. The United Nations Country Team (UNCT), composed of 25 agencies, implements the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022–2026, structured around four strategic priorities: human development; economic diversification and sustainable livelihoods; climate resilience and sustainable natural resource management; and peacebuilding, human rights, and inclusive governance. Work is currently underway with the Government to design the next Cooperation Framework for 2027–2030. Mozambique is one of Africa’s most climate vulnerable countries, regularly exposed to flooding, droughts, and cyclones. Combined with a protracted conflict in the North and mass displacement, climate and other shocks continue to generate humanitarian crises and hinder sustainable development. Against this backdrop of multidimensional risks, achieving the SDGs requires a coherent and integrated UN approach to recovery, resilience, peacebuilding, and development—fully aligned with humanitarian efforts and firmly grounded in the UN SG’s Prevention Agenda. Ensuring that the UN Country Team provides anticipatory, conflict sensitive, and prevention driven support is essential amid conditions of profound change, complexity, and uncertainty. Against this background and the need to advance the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Resident Coordinator Office (RCO) in Mozambique seeks to recruit a Prevention Adviser. Under the overall guidance of the Resident Coordinator and the direct supervision of the Head of the RCO, the Prevention Adviser (P4) will support the Resident Coordinator and the UN Country Team (UNCT) in Mozambique by providing strategic analysis, advice, and technical support on conflict prevention, peacebuilding, rule of law, social cohesion, and risk monitoring. The Prevention Adviser will support the UN ability to strengthen national capacities to prevent and mediate conflict; support inclusive national, political and social dialogues; and integrate conflict-sensitive approaches across UN programming.

Responsibilities

• Conduct strategic analysis on social, cross-pillar and conflict dynamics within Mozambique, evaluating their potential impact on UN engagement, to inform decision-making and align UN activities with the evolving national context. • Provide substantive technical and policy support to the Resident Coordinator's, the UN Country Team, and national authorities as needed. • Identify opportunities and entry points for preventive actions, dialogue, mediation and peacebuilding initiatives. • Provide guidance to facilitate integration of conflict prevention, social cohesion, and rule of law into UN strategies and programs and strengthen the coherence and effectiveness of UN interventions. • Lead or contributes to early warning and risk monitoring mechanisms, producing regular updates for senior leadership, in order to facilitate timely responses to emerging threats and vulnerabilities. • Foster collaboration and strengthens partnerships with government, civil society, regional bodies, and development partners to enhance prevention and peacebuilding efforts across sectors. • Support the coordination of prevention and peacebuilding interventions within the UN Country Team, ensuring coherence across humanitarian, development, and peace initiatives. • Collaborate with relevant UN parties and experts, including at global and regional levels, aligning activities with UN norms, principles, and standards. • Lead or support research, assessments, and data analysis focused on conflict trends, governance challenges, and risks to social cohesion, strengthening the UN evidence base for programming and advocacy. • Develop and support capacity-building initiatives on conflict sensitivity, dialogue, mediation, prevention and any other related subject, for national and UN stakeholders, as needed. • Produces high-quality advisory inputs for projects, strategies, speeches, talking points, reports or any other relevant documents, ensuring that prevention and peacebuilding considerations are integrated throughout UN programming and advocacy products. • Contribute to resource mobilization for prevention and peacebuilding initiatives, supporting the sustainability and impact of UN programming. • Perform any other related duties as required.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Proven knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to sustainable development. Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities and risks. Ability to generate and communicate broad and compelling organizational direction. Ability to communicate clearly links between the Organization's strategy and the work unit's goals. Demonstrated ability to provide innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the planning, development, and management of operation. Demonstrated ability to negotiate and apply good judgment. Proven ability to analyze complex data and produce reports leading to sound policy recommendations for achieving sustainable development; Solid understanding of the country environment and the programmes and activities of the UN system; Ability to think strateglly, to identify key emerging sustainable development issues and related policy implications. 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 situation . Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. PLANNING AND 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. CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; establishes and maintains productivepartnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in political science, international relations, conflict studies, law, or related field. A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) 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 seven years of progressively responsible experience in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, political analysis, governance, or a related field is required. Experience in sociopolitical and conflict analysis skills is required. Experience in partnership-building and negotiations skills is required. Experience in managing competing priorities and deliver results is desirable. Experience working in complex, multi-stakeholder environments is desirable Experience working in UN or similar international organizations is desirable. Experience in negotiations with diverse stakeholders is desirable.

Languages

Assessment

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

Special Notice

THIS IS A FIXED TERM LIMITED POSITION. Appointment or assignment against this post is for an initial period of one (1) year and any extension will be subject to availability of funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate. "External candidate selected for this position will be granted a fixed-term appointment limited ("FTA-limited") in accordance with section 2.2 (b) of administrative instruction ST/AI/2013/1 on Administration of fixed-term appointments. Renewal of appointment is contingent upon continued existence of mandate and availability of funding. If this position is discontinued, the incumbent will be separated from service. United Nations Secretariat staff members who meet the definition of "internal candidate" in staff rule 4.10 who are selected for this position subject to limitation will retain their current appointment status and will be reassigned or transferred to the position, without a lien to their parent position." 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. Internal Applicants: When completing the form, ensure ALL fields, ALL professional experience and contact information are completed and up-to-date. This information is the basis for the hiring manager to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position and to contact you. Individual contractors and consultants (Non-Staff Personnel) who have worked within the UN Secretariat in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply on-line as soon as possible after the job opening has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the job opening. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary. If the problem persists, please seek technical assistance through the Inspira "Need Help?" link. Please note that pursuant to the Staff selection system policy (ST/AI/2025/2): (1) Applicants for positions in the Field Service category cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located, and (2) Applicants for positions in the Professional and higher categories in a mission, field operation, or resident coordinator’s office cannot be of the nationality of the country where the position is located. For currently serving staff of a United Nations Common System organization, only the UN-recognized nationality will be considered for the purposes of these restrictions.

United Nations Considerations

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. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

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.