UN job grades explained: P, G, NO, FS and D
UN vacancies use several grade families rather than one universal seniority ladder. The code on a vacancy is best read together with the job category, duty station, contract type and vacancy-specific requirements.
Why grade codes matter
Grade codes help candidates understand the broad employment framework behind a vacancy. They often indicate whether a role belongs to an internationally recruited professional track, a locally recruited general-service track, a national professional track, field service, or senior leadership.
They should not be used as a substitute for reading the vacancy itself. Experience, education, language and nationality rules can differ between organizations and between posts carrying similar-looking grade labels.
Professional and Director grades
P-level roles are internationally recruited professional posts. In broad terms, lower P grades are used for earlier-career professional assignments, while P-4 and P-5 commonly involve deeper technical responsibility, programme leadership, management or advisory work. D-1 and D-2 are director grades and normally carry wider strategic and organizational accountability.
- P-1 / P-2: entry or early professional level where those grades are used.
- P-3: established professional level with independent delivery responsibility.
- P-4 / P-5: experienced professional, managerial, technical-lead or senior advisory scope.
- D-1 / D-2: director-level leadership and strategic accountability.
General Service, National Officer and Field Service
General Service (G) posts are generally locally recruited and can cover administrative, operational and specialized support functions. National Officer (NO) posts are professional positions recruited in the country of the duty station and are often closely connected to national institutions, programmes and technical systems.
Field Service (FS) roles are associated with field operations and missions. Their requirements can reflect the operational environment, mobility expectations and specialized support needs of field locations.
How to compare two vacancies with different codes
Start with the grade family, then compare the actual scope: reporting line, budget or team responsibility, years and type of experience requested, technical specialization, language requirements and location. A title that sounds senior can sit at a lower formal grade than another organization would use for comparable work.
Official sources and further reading
UN Atlas uses official recruitment and programme information to ground the general guidance above. Vacancy-specific rules can differ, so always verify the hiring organization's current requirements before applying.
- Applicant GuideUnited Nations HR Portal
Official overview of UN Secretariat job categories, job-opening types and the application process.
- Career optionsUnited Nations Careers
Official overview of staff categories, levels and alternative employment paths in the UN Secretariat.
Explore current opportunities
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