D2 executive director un global compact office

Applicant Home

Page 1 of 5

Job Opening Posting Title:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the United Nations Global Compact Office, D2

Job Code Title:

DIRECTOR, ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

Department/ Office: Global Compact Office Duty Station:

NEW YORK

Posting Period:

22 January 2015-23 March 2015

Job Opening number: 15-ECO-GCO-39021-D-NEW YORK (T)

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Email to Friend

Apply Now

Special Notice Staff Members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. The funding for this position is of a temporary nature.

Recruitment, selection or extension of appointments against this position will be subject to budgetary approval. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover note.

Org. Setting and Reporting

https://inspira.un.org/psc/UNCAREERS/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/UN_CUSTOMIZATION... 28/01/2015

Applicant Home

Page 2 of 5

The UN Global Compact is a strategic policy and advocacy initiative primarily targeted to businesses calling for the alignment of their operations and strategies with ten universal principles derived from UN instruments in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. The initiative advances a comprehensive and integrated concept of corporate sustainability that combines corporate responsibility with strong encouragement that businesses take appropriate action in support of UN goals and global issues. The initiative's overall mission is sustainable and inclusive global markets. It sees business, as a primary driver of globalization, as having an essential role to play in helping to ensure that markets, commerce, technology and finance advance in ways that benefit economies and societies everywhere.

As social, political and economic challenges (and opportunities), whether occurring in their home country and/ or in other regions, affect businesses more than ever before, many companies recognize the need to act ethically, but also the opportunity to collaborate and partner with governments, civil society, labour and the United Nations to create shared value including to secure their license to operate and to grow.

This ever-increasing understanding is reflected in the Global Compact's own rapid growth over its 14 year history. Now with over 10,000 corporate participants and other stakeholders from over 145 countries engaged and over 100 country networks, it is the largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative in the world.

Endorsed by chief executives, the Global Compact is a practical framework for the development, implementation, and disclosure of sustainability policies and practices, offering participants a wide spectrum of workstreams, management tools and resources, all designed to help advance sustainable business models and markets. The initiative has a unique accountability framework that emphasizes transparency requiring participants to meet annual minimum criteria for public disclosure of progress or else risk expulsion. Overall, the Global Compact pursues two complementary objectives: • Mainstream the ten principles in business activities around the world. • Catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

With these objectives in mind, the Global Compact has shaped an initiative that emphasizes principles and projects, and that promotes business engagement and collaborative solutions to the most fundamental challenges facing both business and society. In doing so, the initiative seeks to combine the best properties of the UN, such as its moral authority, normative agenda, global reach, technical expertise, and convening power, with the private sector’s solution-finding strengths, and the expertise and capacities of a range of key stakeholders. The Global Compact is a unique public-private initiative based upon networked governance.

The Executive Director of the Global Compact Office reports to the Secretary-General through the Deputy Secretary-General, but is also accountable to the Global Compact Government Group, the Global Compact Board, and, in relation to funds provided by the Foundation for the Global Compact, to that Foundation's Board. The initiative is entirely extra-budgetary, funded at no cost to the UN through the Global Compact Trust Fund and contributions from the Foundation to the Global Compact. This is despite the fact that the Global Compact also provides substantial services to the UN System on UNprivate sector engagement, especially partnerships. This includes capacity building, enhancing coherence, partnering tools, advice and guidance, and policy and communications support for the Secretary-General on UN-business collaboration.

The Executive Director provides overall leadership, strategic guidance and oversight of the Global Compact.

Responsibilities

https://inspira.un.org/psc/UNCAREERS/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/UN_CUSTOMIZATION... 28/01/2015

Applicant Home

Page 3 of 5

1. Oversees and has overall responsibility for the governance of the Global Compact, including regular updates to the Global Compact Board as one of its ex-officio members and oversight over implementation of the Board’s decisions and recommendations. Works with all the entities of the Global Compact’s multi-centric governance framework (i.e. GC Board, GC Government Group, Local Network Advisory Board) and staff to define the UN Global Compact’s strategic vision and priorities, communicate them effectively internally and externally, and ensure that they serve continuously as an inspiration and guide. Ensures that these are incorporated into all aspects of the UN Global Compact programmes and operations; 2. Advocates for corporate sustainability as a key contribution of businesses to future development priorities that is essential to create an inclusive and sustainable global economy, and places the UN Global Compact in the context of the rapid evolution of the global corporate sustainability movement, represents the UN Global Compact and its work in key international fora and serves as key spokesperson to international news media.

3. Provides the vision and thought leadership on a range of key corporate sustainability and responsibility issues that the UN Global Compact is promoting; and contributes to the dialogue, vision and direction of global investors, management educators, and civil society leaders on responsible business practices as leading experts and innovative visionary. Leads and oversees the development and maintenance of strategic alliance/partnerships with key organizations and stakeholders in the field for greater impacts of corporate sustainability globally, and elicits in partners the commitment, passion and patience needed to generate long-term change in the market; 4. Provides leadership to the overall management of the Global Compact Office, including having oversight of development and implementation of the UN Global Compact strategy and providing intellectual leadership and strategic guidance to the office’s staff. Oversees the development of the activity plan, annual report and overall progress, setting specific objectives, performance measurements, standards and expected results. In collaboration with the Global Compact’s senior management team, assesses progress and performance to ensure delivery of results as planned. Maintains and promotes a culture of openness that promotes teamwork and empowerment of staff that is conducive to delivering results and performance according to organizational, personal and professional standards of efficiency, accountability and integrity.

5. Leads and oversees the overall fundraising efforts and management of relationships with Government Contributors and the Foundation for the Global Compact. Mobilizes all funding needed for the Global Compact Office's operations and activities from a combination of voluntary contributions from Member States and private sector contributions raised through the Foundation for the Global Compact. Reports to the Government Group, Global Compact Board, and the Foundation for the Global Compact’s Board on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.

6. Within the UN System, champions the universal principles of the Global Compact as the essential underpinning of UN-business engagement and as Chair of the Annual UN System Private Sector Focal Points Meeting, supports capacity building efforts for the UN System to promote higher quality, efficiency, principled and more impactful relationships with businesses. Provides advice, guidance and other support to the Secretary-General on the UN-business agenda. Builds and maintains the support of Member States for the UN-business agenda, underpinned by the universal principles of the Global Compact, to secure the Global Compact’s mandate from the General Assembly, including for the objectives of the UN Global Compact, ensuring neutrality, impartiality and independence.

Competencies

https://inspira.un.org/psc/UNCAREERS/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/UN_CUSTOMIZATION... 28/01/2015

Applicant Home

Page 4 of 5

• Professionalism: Knowledge of concepts and approaches relevant to sustainable development, corporate citizenship, and entities such as the UN Global Compact. Professional competence and mastery of functions and trends of markets, finance, and businesses, including key market drivers of corporate sustainability, an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework and materiality notion. Knowledge of the role of civil society, trade unions, and higher educational institutions in advancing corporate sustainability. Ability to develop and implement a clear strategic vision and business plan for the direction of a unique public-private initiative. Shows pride in work and in achievements; is motivated by professional visions rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

• 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 the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

• Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

• 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.

• Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities.

Education Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, business or public administration, finance, accounting, law, social sciences or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience A minimum of fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in project management, administration or related area with relevance to the UN Global Compact’s programmes and mandates, including leading multi-stakeholder initiatives and multi-lateral processes, is required. Experience with managing critical and high-profile corporate affairs issues with relevance for the advancement of a stakeholder engagement process is required. Experience to lead and motivate diverse teams in an international environment is required. Experience in/of corporate citizenship, with at least 5 years of working at global corporations at the senior management/chief executive level or leading a global civil society organization, is required. Experience in leading a flat organization in the private sector is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English (oral and written) is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of other UN official languages is an advantage.

https://inspira.un.org/psc/UNCAREERS/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/UN_CUSTOMIZATION... 28/01/2015

Applicant Home

Page 5 of 5

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

United Nations Considerations Job openings posted on the Careers Portal are taken off at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.

Applications are automatically pre-screened according to the published evaluation criteria of the job opening on the basis of the information provided by applicants. Applications cannot be amended following submission and incomplete applications shall not be considered. The selected candidate will be subject to a reference checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” on the upper right side of the browser on Inspira.

The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

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.

Email to Friend

Apply Now

https://inspira.un.org/psc/UNCAREERS/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/UN_CUSTOMIZATION... 28/01/2015