Fellow (CBRN and nuclear security unit)

Organizational Context

The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) is a UN entity supporting countries in crime prevention and criminal justice. UNICRI assists organizations in policy formulation and implementation. A strategic priority is developing an integrated Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) approach, fostering a holistic strategy among stakeholders. This Fellow role contributes to UNICRI's CBRN and nuclear security unit, supporting key programs like CONTACT, THEMIS, and the Ukraine threat assessment project.

Job Purpose

The purpose of this Fellow role is to significantly contribute to UNICRI's strategic priority of developing an integrated Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) approach. The Fellow will assist the Associate Programme Officer in implementing project activities for the CONTACT, THEMIS, and Threat Assessment projects. This involves developing and reviewing training curricula and materials focused on countering the trafficking of CBRN materials. The role supports UNICRI's broader goals of advancing understanding of crime-related problems, fostering efficient criminal justice systems, and facilitating international law enforcement cooperation. By strengthening institutional capacities to prevent, detect, and disrupt chemical security incidents and addressing CBRN-related crimes, the Fellow directly contributes to enhancing global security and non-proliferation efforts, particularly in regions like Central Asia, the Black Sea, Ukraine, and Moldova. This position is crucial for building capabilities among law enforcement and intelligence officers to thwart RN trafficking attempts and assess security implications of lost radioactive sources.

Responsibilities

The Fellow will primarily assist the Associate Programme Officer in implementing project activities for the CONTACT, THEMIS, and Threat Assessment projects. A core responsibility involves developing and reviewing comprehensive training curricula and materials specifically focused on countering the trafficking of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) materials. This includes conducting in-depth research and analysis on diverse CBRN security issues, with a particular emphasis on intelligence and law enforcement operations aimed at thwarting radiological and nuclear (RN) and chemical material trafficking attempts. The Fellow will collect and meticulously analyze data to inform and guide the organization of relevant project activities. Furthermore, the role entails drafting and reviewing specialized research reports and training materials pertaining to CBRN security. The Fellow will also be instrumental in assisting with the preparation of substantive workshop and training content, and actively participating in missions, meetings, and technical workshops conducted at UNICRI Headquarters, Ukraine, and other partner countries, predominantly in the Black Sea and Central Asia regions. Maintaining effective liaison with relevant stakeholders on all project-related issues is also a critical duty.

Work Experience

Work experience is not required for Fellows holding a Master’s degree. However, desirable experience includes research and/or analysis in international security, nuclear security, and non-proliferation. Experience with the United Nations or other similar international organizations is also considered desirable.

Skills

Key skills include CBRN security research and analysis, developing training curricula and materials, data collection and analysis related to intelligence and law enforcement operations, report drafting and review, and organizing training events and workshops. The role also requires effective stakeholder liaison and proficiency in English, Russian, and Ukrainian languages.

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