Director, Division of Member Parliaments and External Relations

The Director leads the Division of Member Parliaments and External Relations, reporting directly to the Secretary General. The role involves enhancing relations with Member Parliaments, coordinating with international organizations including the UN, overseeing IPU Observer Offices, and providing strategic political advice and leadership within the IPU Secretariat.

Responsibilities

• Enhance relations and facilitate contacts between the IPU and Member Parliaments, as well as with other parliamentary bodies and organizations.
• Help advance the IPU towards universal membership.
• Ensure good relations with and support coordination of the IPU’s geopolitical groups.
• Enhance relations with the United Nations system and help build more substantive cooperation between the IPU, the UN and other international organizations.
• Strengthen the parliamentary dimension of the work of the UN, World Trade Organization and G20.
• Oversee the work of the IPU Observer Offices in New York and Vienna, and guide them in identifying opportunities for future UN-IPU cooperation.
• Provide political advice and guidance to the Secretary General at the strategic level on matters concerning relations with Member Parliaments, IPU activities and work plan, and cooperation with other organizations.
• Support, develop and implement IPU parliamentary diplomacy initiatives.
• Coordinate the work of the Secretariat on matters relating to human security and common security, disarmament and non-proliferation, and interfaith dialogue for more peaceful and inclusive societies.
• Provide advice to the Secretary General and other colleagues in relation to the Statutes and Rules of the IPU and ensure that these are respected and amended as necessary.
• Organize and coordinate sessions of the IPU Assembly and its Standing Committees and other specialized bodies, at and away from Headquarters.
• Carry out responsibilities as Secretary of the IPU statutory Assemblies on a bi-annual basis.
• Organize and coordinate the World Conferences of Speakers of Parliament, convened in cooperation with the United Nations every five years.
• Meet with visiting delegations and represent the IPU at international events.
• Ensure the efficient utilization of conference resources and advise on procedures and possible cost-effective measures.
• Ensure that the institutional memory of the IPU and membership records are in good order, and oversee the production and distribution of official documents.
• Prepare inputs for the work programme of the IPU, helping to determine priorities, and contributing to the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to the IPU governing bodies.
• Promote implementation and follow-up of decisions taken at IPU meetings, including through the annual report of the Secretary General and the bi-annual accountability segments at IPU Assemblies.
• Provide analysis and opinion on international issues as they affect the IPU and assist in the implementation of the IPU programme of work as it relates to other organizations.
• In coordination with Human Resources, foster diversity and gender balance within the Division.
• Manage, guide, develop and train staff under his or her supervision; foster teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across the Secretariat.
• Plan and oversee the activities undertaken by the Division, ensure that work programmes and activities are carried out in a timely and effective fashion.
• Carry out programmatic and administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including preparation of budgets, evaluation of staff performance, reporting on budget/programme results, interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates, etc.
• Other such duties assigned by the Secretary General and consistent with the overall responsibilities of the position.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in law, political science, international relations or a related field.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in international, multicultural institutions.
• Demonstrated management and leadership ability.
• Fluency in oral and written English or French and ability to work in the other language; knowledge of another official UN language is an advantage.
• Comprehensive knowledge of IPU policies, procedures and operations.

Skills

• International Relations
• Political Science
• Law
• Leadership Management
• Multicultural Institution Experience
• Strategic Political Advice
• Policy Development
• Operations Management
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Coordination with International Institutions
• Fluency in English
• Fluency in French
• Knowledge of UN Languages
• Knowledge of IPU Policies
• Knowledge of IPU Procedures
• Knowledge of IPU Operations

Languages

English, French