PRINCIPAL COORDINATION OFFICER, POLITICAL AFFAIRS

Organizational Context

This Principal Coordination Officer position is within the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), based in Kinshasa. The role reports directly to the SRSG, playing a key part in the mission's strategic operations and mandate implementation.

Job Purpose

The Principal Coordination Officer provides critical strategic advice to the SRSG and Senior Leadership Team on diplomatic, political, and security matters, developing policy and operational strategies to ensure effective mandate implementation and renewal. This role is responsible for overseeing, coordinating, and streamlining plans and initiatives across various mission entities, ensuring a cohesive and balanced approach to mandate delivery. The officer aligns priorities and support capacities for organizational change, promotes best practices, and enhances oversight and accountability in resource management. They also manage mission-wide procedures, evaluate the impact of organizational changes, identify and mitigate risks, and ensure high-quality reporting to Headquarters. The position serves as a vital link between senior leadership and mission components, facilitating international and local consultations and managing supervised staff.

Responsibilities

The Principal Coordination Officer provides strategic advice to the SRSG and Senior Leadership Team on diplomatic, political, and security matters, developing policy and operational strategies for mandate implementation. Responsibilities include overseeing and coordinating mission-wide plans and initiatives to ensure a balanced approach, aligning priorities and capacities for organizational change, and promoting best practices. The role strengthens oversight and accountability in resource management, including Enterprise Risk Management and Results-Based Management. It involves evaluating the impact of organizational changes, identifying and mitigating risks, and enhancing communication with Headquarters through effective coordination and high-quality reporting. The officer acts as a strategic link between leadership and components, provides regular reports and advice, liaises with external stakeholders, manages supervised staff, and fosters teamwork and communication across the mission.

Work Experience

A minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in coordination, administration, budget, finance, human resources management, international relations, political outreach, analysis, and reporting is required. Experience in inter-agency collaboration, partnership building, priority setting, strategic analysis, and managing organizational development initiatives in a large international organization is also required. Experience in a field operation within a conflict or post-conflict setting is desirable.

Skills

Professionalism, Strategic Advice, Policy Development, Operational Strategy, Mandate Implementation, Coordination, Planning & Organizing, Resource Management, Risk Management, Results-Based Management, Communication, Leadership, Judgment & Decision Making, Political Judgment, Diplomatic Skills, Inter-agency Collaboration, Partnership Building.

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