Special Advisor UN Resident Coordinator Office, Caracas, Venezuela

FDFA - Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD)

Special Advisor

UN Resident Coordinator Office, Caracas, Venezuela

Three structural trends continue to shape the long-term emerging state model in the aftermath of a protracted political, economic and social crisis. First, an economic transition that opens and reorients the economy towards new trade, technological and investment flows to stabilize the economy, including a potentially new context in Venezuela's relations with the US.

Secondly, the consolidation of a governance scheme with a dominant party alongside smaller parties also present after the presidential elections in 2024, with a new institutionally closely entrenched with the mechanisms at the communal level. Three key milestones in 2025 include parliament and regional elections in April 2025, a Constitutional Reform in progress, and municipal elections. Finally, a changing geopolitical landscape influenced by new regional challenges and dynamics after periods of diplomatic isolation and pressure.

Against this backdrop, to deepen and consolidate its programmatic strategy, the Office of the Resident Coordinator (RC) in Venezuela is seeking the support of a Special Advisor, to provide, inter alia, strategic analysis and guidance to the RC and the UN Country Team (UNCT). He/she will provide support to the UNCT in shaping the UN's engagement in areas related to governance, dialogue and social cohesion, while supporting the broader UNCT programme under the Cooperation Framework in order to promote a culture of peaceful conflict resolution. Under the RC guidance, the Special Advisor will engage with key actors and stakeholders for the purpose of enhancing the analytical capacity of the UN and presenting appropriate recommendations.

Tasks and responsibilities:

PDAs have a primary reporting line to the Resident Coordinator and secondary reporting lines to the DPPA-DPO regional division, as well as the UNDP Resident Representative.  Under their guidance and agreed workplan, and in close collaboration with the Peace and Development Officer and the country team, the PDA will:

Conduct conflict analysis and provide strategic advice to the Resident Coordinator in his/her engagement with high-level government officials, academia, business, civil society, social movements, including youth and women's networks, UN Country Teams, HQ, and other relevant stakeholders. Submit the analysis and reporting to the RC, UNDP RR, DPPA, and the UNCT

- Provide risk-informed analysis to the RC and the broader UNCT (and in some contexts, the Humanitarian Country Team) and the UN Headquarters (and regional level as relevant) on political and socio-economic developments and conflict dynamics. This would also require early warning and anticipatory action; enhanced integrated, gender, conflict-sensitive and peace-responsive analysis, identifying appropriate entry points for conflict prevention and sustaining peace, proposing concrete, actionable and timely recommendations for consideration by UN leadership.
-  Strengthen and support the capacity of the UNCT to undertake conflict, context and political economy analysis, ensuring that gender, youth and human rights dimensions are reflected in both analysis and programming; and provide analysis to identify risks, opportunities. and recommendations through early warning mechanisms. that inform UN access, activities, and strategic engagement.
- Provide updates to the UN Headquarters (and regional level as relevant) in line with the Joint Programme's reporting guidelines with advice on political and socio-economic developments and conflict dynamics. 
- Support the regular update of the Common Country Assessment (CCA), which informs the design and implementation of the UN Cooperation Framework, including leading the conflict analysis part of the CCA.
- Regularly brief and advice the UNCT on relevant political, geopolitical and social developments, national negotiation processes, and provide strategic advice on integrated approaches across the UNCT in the context of SDG 16 – Peace Justice and Strong Institutions.
- Participate on behalf of the RC in relevant national fora and represent the UN system where necessary, including engagement with high-level government officials.
- Facilitate the linking of political economy considerations, conflict and political analysis and strategies as well as risk-informed approaches to the UN's programmatic and policy engagement at the country-level;

Expand existing entry points and identify new opportunities to build national capacities for conflict prevention through a Triple Nexus Lens, with specific emphasis on social stakeholders, women and youth groups

-  Design and implement projects that enhance UNDP's role Provide strategic and technical advice to design initiatives in areas such as conflict prevention; infrastructures for peace; social dialogue facilitation; confidence-building measures; electoral violence prevention; and social cohesion and reconciliation.
-  Support the design and facilitation of multi-stakeholder processes, building national, local and community-level capacities for dialogue and negotiation; strengthening networks of facilitators (including female) at national and local levels, to advance initiatives that promote social cohesion and develop collaborative strategies aimed at addressing key drivers of the crisis and building sustainable resilience.
- Identify opportunities and options for UN preventive diplomacy engagement as required.
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Support connecting local and national level conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts, as well as regional and/or cross-border initiatives as appropriate.

- Identify and engage civil society actors and social movements in the peace and development agenda supported by the UN and work with other UN entities, including OHCHR and UN Women, for rebuild trust among social actors.
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 Support the UN Country Team to promote the effective participation of women and youth in peacebuilding efforts.

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Support the design and implementation of strategies for identifying entry points for mainstreaming of conflict prevention and conflict sensitivity in the work of the UNCT (including within the CCA, Cooperation Framework, Country Programme Documents (CPD), etc.); and where relevant, support UN's resource mobilization efforts for conflict prevention.

- Provide strategic guidance and quality assurance to the design and implementation of programmes funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), where applicable, and engage closely with PBF governance mechanisms; as well as with DPPA regional divisions and UNDP Country Offices and HQ on its implementation.

Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships with key national stakeholders, regional and international actors, and development partners on issues related to Sustaining Peace and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

- Establish and maintain networks and strategic partnerships for sustaining peace-related strategies and initiatives and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and national SDG plans.
- Liaise closely with national, regional, and local stakeholders, including civil society, social movements, academia, think tanks, unions of workers and businessmen, women's and youth networks and key international actors (including International Financial Institutions and regional organizations) to identify entry points, foster dialogue and strengthen strategic alliances and partnerships on conflict prevention, trust- and confidence-building, and reconciliation initiatives.
- Engage with academia and think tanks in research and analyses on peace and conflict-related themes, including areas such as climate-related security risk.
- Maintain close liaison with relevant development partners, the diplomatic corps, regional organizations and other actors supporting the UN's conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts.
- Maintain close contact with relevant staff in UN Headquarters as well at the regional level, including relevant focal points at UNDP, DPPA-DPO, DCO and work closely with the regional programme specialists based in the region.
- Liaise with the DPPA-Peacebuilding Support Office together with the respective DPPA-DPO regional division to identify opportunities for PBF funding; and
- Contribute to the results-based management efforts of the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme, including through setting up mechanisms to assess and measure the impact of peace and development initiatives and providing the Joint Programme secretariat with inputs on progress at the country level.

Duty station:

Caracas, Venezuela

Start of assignment:

Summer 2025

Duration of contract:

1 year, with the possibility of extension.

Deadline for applications

13 April

Interviews are scheduled to take place on:

28 / 29 April

Family:

accompaniment by family is not possible

Click here to learn more about the organisation: https://venezuela.un.org/es/about/about-the-resident-coordinator-office/rco-team

For further information, please contact:

- Mithra Akbari, Program Manager (mithra.akhbari@eda.admin.ch, +41 58 48 45570) for questions related to the mission or
- Ms Janine Misteli, Swiss Expert Pool (janine.misteli@eda.admin.ch, +41 58 462 63 39) for questions on requirements and on the selection process.

Assignment:

The assignments take place within the framework of the Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding[1]. The seconded expert receives a contract from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs for the duration of their deployment PVFMH (D) / OPers-PDHH (F) / OPers-PRA (I).

Please apply through the Swiss Federal Administration recruitment system https://www.stelle.admin.ch/stelle/en/home/stellen/stellenangebot.html

A complete application contains:

- an application letter in English;
- a CV in English;
- diplomas and work certificates;
- the completed Personal History Form PEP (see: https://www.eda.admin.ch/content/dam/eda/en/documents/aussenpolitik/menschenrechte-menschliche-sicherheit/stellenangebote-expertenpool/personal-history-form.docx )

[1] Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding

The deployment of civilian experts within the scope of Switzerland's policy on peace, human rights, and humanitarian issues is a long-standing tradition. Depending on specific needs, civilian experts are made available for temporary civilian peace projects as election monitors, police advisers or specialists in fields such as constitutional law and practice, mediation, the rule of law, human rights and humanitarian law (www.eda.admin.ch/expertenpool).

Sector: Servicios sociales y por la comunidad/Sin fines de lucro

Función: Otros

Porcentaje del trabajo: 80-100% / 100%

Tipo de empleo: Staff (Permanent and Fixed Term)

Qualification and Experience

- At least ten (10) years of experience in conflict analysis, scenario building and strategy development, risk-informed/conflict-sensitive development and/or conflict prevention & sustaining peace in a governmental, multilateral or civil society organization.
- Proven policy, advisory and advocacy experience and track record of engagement with senior officials, such as in the United Nations, government and external partners;
- Proven experience in programming, in areas related to conflict prevention, peacebuilding and/or development; 
- Experience working or cooperating with a UN Agency/Fund/Programme or Department and/or field experience would be an asset;
- Experience in national and community-level conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives and programming; with experience in gender dimensions of peacebuilding being an asset;
- Experience working in/on a comparative or similar context to Venezuela, or the Latin American region would be an asset.
- Fluent written and spoken English and Spanish as well as and passive knowledge of two Swiss official languages is required.
- Physical and mental fitness to work in this context, (assignments are subject to successfully meeting the medical standards);
- Possession of a valid automobile driving license and the ability to drive a 4x4 vehicle using manual transmission;
- Swiss nationality (dual citizenship with country of assignment not possible).

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