Chef of Branch, Programme, D1

Org. Setting and Reporting

PBPSO was reorganized as a result of the integration of DPPA's Peacebuilding Support Office with three offices formerly within the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI) of the Department of Peace Operations (DPO), as endorsed by A/RES/80/242 of 31 December 2025. PBPSO comprises seven main sections: Office of the Assistant Secretary-General (OASG), Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Section; Justice and Corrections Service; Security Sector Reform Unit; the Peacebuilding Commission Support Branch; the Peacebuilding Strategy and Partnerships Branch; and the Financing for Peacebuilding Branch. PBPSO is headed by an Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) with dual reporting duties to the Under Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and the Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations. This position is located in the Financing for Peacebuilding Branch of the Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office (PBPSO/FPBB) of the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) and reports to the Director and Deputy Head of PBPSO.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Chief of Branch will be responsible for the following: Oversee all activities related to the management of the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), including the programmatic and overhead management of the PBF. Key tasks include, inter alia, the following:

• Outreach to Member States to solicit additional contributions to PBF, monitor current contribution level, activate pledges, actively seek out replenishment and brief Member States on the activities of the PBF.
• Provide advice to the Director and Assistant Secretary-General on PBF processes, identification of priority countries, priority plan and project review.
• Oversee the delivery of PBF programmes and provide targeted outreach and briefing on PBF procedures and guidelines to senior UN Representatives at the country level. Provide high level support to the work of the PBF Advisory Group, including organization and preparation of the Group's meetings and reports.
• Serve as the PBPSO lead liaison with the UNDP Multi-Partners Trust Fund Office (MPTFO) on matters pertaining to overall PBF fund allocations, administration and delivery, including facilitation for the transfer/release of approved project funds, overseeing the administration of PBF overhead budget, and tracking donor contributions to the PBF.
• Oversee the development and implementation of a monitoring and evaluation system, in collaboration with UN recipient agencies and the Peacebuilding Impact Hub, to track the impact of investments and identify activities with the best peacebuilding results for promotion and replication.
• Oversee the development and implementation of PBF guidelines and tools, including through the facilitation of intra-UN processes, in line with emerging lessons and experiences and present them for periodic review and approval by the Director and Assistant Secretary-General.
• Oversee the preparation and distribution of PBF progress briefings to the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), donors and other stakeholders.
• Oversee the preparation of the Annual Report of the Secretary-General on the PBF.
• Design initiatives within PBPSO and in collaboration with the UN system to provide support to increase the quality of programmes submitted for PBF funding, including through collaboration with existing initiatives to promote UN integration and coherence.
• In collaboration with the Peacebuilding Strategy and Partnerships Branch, advise the Director and Assistant Secretary-General on financing strategies for peacebuilding and organize the collection of critical data on financial contributions through bilateral and multilateral development channels.
• With the support of the Strategy and Partnerships Branch, foster partnerships with International Financial Institutions, Regional Development Banks, the EU and other key multilateral or regional institutions for the scaling up of PBF-funded projects (catalytic effect).
• Manage senior level liaison with counterparts in development organizations, financial institutions, and regional, multilateral and bilateral agencies in the field of peacebuilding. Formulate and implement the substantive work programme of the Branch and supervise the staff assigned to the Branch, ensuring that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and work is coordinated within PBPSO and with other areas of the UN system, as appropriate.
• Oversee the programmatic and administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Branch, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), selection of candidates for job openings, and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.
• Participate actively and regularly in PBPSO’s Senior Management Team (SMT) meetings and work alongside the ASG, Director and other SMT members to enhance the coherence and effectiveness of PBPSO’s contributions to the Organization’s prevention, peacebuilding and peace support efforts.

Competencies

Professionalism: Expert knowledge in the fields of programme and fund management. Proven ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues. Ability to review and edit the work of others. Demonstrated ability to manage relations with Member States. Comprehensive knowledge of UN policies, procedures and operations and knowledge of the mandates and policies of PBPSO's various UN partners. 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.

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 & 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.

Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.

Judgement/ Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

An Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law, international development, international affairs, social sciences or related area is required. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of 15 years of experience in the field of international development and financial management or a related field covering both development and financial management is required.

International experience in positions of management and leadership, preferably with a diversity of organizational type, is required.

Experience dealing with crisis prevention, post-conflict recovery and/or peacebuilding work is required.

Experience in designing and managing funding mechanisms and leading inter-agency programming and financing processes is required.

At least five years of field experience is desirable.

Experience in leading change initiatives is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. French is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

Desirable Languages

Assessment

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

Special Notice

• The job opening is advertised to fill a temporarily vacant position during the absence of the regular incumbent for a period of 364 days. The regular incumbent is entitled to return to this position at the expiry of the temporary vacancy period. If the regular incumbent exercises the right to return, the appointment or temporary assignment of the candidate selected for this job opening will not be renewed or extended.
• While this temporary job opening may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.
• This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15.
• While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. An external candidate selected for this position is bound by the prevailing condition of the staff selection system under ST/AI/2010/3, as amended, and ST/AI/2010/4/Rev.1. A staff member holding a temporary appointment who is recruited in the Professional and above categories on a temporary appointment and placed on a position authorized for one year or longer may not apply for or be reappointed to his/her current position within six months of the end of his/her current service. This provision does not apply to staff members holding temporary appointments and placed on positions authorized for one year or more in duty stations authorized for peacekeeping operations or special political missions.
• The Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and administrative issuances governing staff appointments can be viewed at: http://www.un.org/hr_handbook/English
• The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
• Staff members appointed to the current position are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon assignment or appointment and annually thereafter.
• Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.
• Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.
• 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.

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 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.

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.