Counter-Terrorism Senior Advisor

Pursuant to the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and relevant Security Council resolutions, the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism/UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNOCT/UNCCT) and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) engage in dialogue with Member States and regional organizations with a view to delivering capacity-building and technical assistance, as appropriate, on counter-terrorism and preventing/countering violent extremism (PCVE). In doing so, UNOCT/UNCCT and CTED continue to cooperate closely within framework of the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact Working Groups.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, visited Baghdad in 2018 jointly with Assistant-Secretary-General Michele Coninsx of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). During the visit, the Government of Iraq highlighted a number of priority issue areas as capacity-building needs. Based on these consultations and the needs identified by a CTED assessment mission to Iraq conducted in 2015, the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), UNOCT’s main capacity-building arm, is engaging with the Government of Iraq on a number of projects, including:

●        Enhancing National Capacities to Prevent and Respond to Chemical and Biological Terrorist Attacks in Iraq;

●        Preventing Violent Extremism through Strategic Communications;

●        Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT) through Effective National and Regional Action;

●        Support to Iraq on Youth Employment and Skills Development to Prevent Violent Extremism; and

●        Developing a National Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

Upon request of UNOCT/UNCCT and as part of the project team and within the framework of relevant Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact Working Groups, the consultant’s responsibilities will primarily include:

-          Engage with the Government of Iraq, with a view to facilitate the implementation of the projects above;

-          Identify Government needs in the areas that the UNOCT/UNCCT projects address, inform UNOPS Programme Management Specialist, and find solutions to deliver capacity-building;

-          Prepare high level reports on counter-terrorism and PCVE initiatives of the Government to keep UNOCT/UNCCT leadership and the UNOPS Programme Management Specialist informed;

-          Engage in awareness-raising of UNOCT/UNCCT activities among Government interlocutors, UN entities, the diplomatic community in Baghdad, and civil society organizations;

-          Travel to Iraq and the Arab/Middle Eastern region, as required for the implementation of the projects;

-          Develop follow-up activities closer to the finalization of ongoing projects;

-          Develop, implement and evaluate the UNOCT/UNCCT Iraq project; directs review of relevant documents and reports; identifies priorities, problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; identifies and initiates follow-up actions;

-          Directs research and programme evaluation on Counter-Terrorism and PCVE and presents information gathered from diverse sources;

-          Coordinates PCVE policy development in the wider Arab/Middle Rastern region; reviews the assessments of issues, trends, new initiatives by national Governments and international and regional organizations, preparation of evaluations or research activities and studies;

-          Supervises preparation of various written outputs relating to UNOCT Iraq project, e.g. background papers, analysis, substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.

-          Directs substantive support to consultative and other meetings, conferences, technical assistance engagements, capacity-building efforts etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc.

-          Leads provision of guidance and technical assistance to external consultants, government officials and other parties and drafting mission summaries, etc.

-          Perform any other tasks as as may be reasonably required by the leadership of UNOCT/UNCCT and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above

Monitoring and Progress Controls

The consultant will provide quarterly activity reports setting out progress against the following key deliverables: 

●        Deliver, and provide direct guidance for the delivery of national and subnational workshops and technical assistance;

●        Contribute to the continued development and incorporation of good practice and lessons learned into the project delivery. 

●        Contribute to the project’s Measurement and Evaluation framework;

●        Desk review on all existing regional Strategies and Plans of Action;

●        Draft a working paper and main conclusions based on the research conducted, and taking into account gender and human rights perspectives; and

●        Organize and Moderate the workshops in the region, including strategy for disseminating the report’s main conclusions.

Education 

●        Advanced university degree.

●        Bachelor university degree plus two (2) additional years of relevant experience may substitute the requirement of a Master Degree.

Work Experience

●        Minimum ten (10) years of work experience in counter-terrorism required;

●        Experience in counter-terrorism in the Middle East and North Africa region highly desirable;

●        Experience in research and analysis related to regional counter-terrorism strategies highly desirable; and

●        Judicial experience in counter-terrorism, proven experience in drafting policy papers, reports and summaries on counter-terrorism or political matters, as well as proven experience in working with various Governmental officials and other relevant stakeholder highly desirable.

Language

●        Fluency in English (write, read, speak) is required.

●        Fluency in Arabic (write, read, speak) is required.

Contract type: ICA, retainer modality
Contract level: IICA-4/ICSC-12
Contract duration: 1 July 2020 - 30 June 2021 with the possibility of extensions

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.