Quaker UN Representative, Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO)

Status: Full-Time

Application Deadline: April 10, 2021

Location: New York, NY. This position will require remote work until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

For consideration, please submit a Cover Letter, Resume, and answers to all application questions (no more than 200 words for each answer) including 3 professional references with full names & contact info with your application.

For any questions about the position or application process, please contact us at quno@afsc.org.

Brief Summary of Organization

“Grounded in the Quaker belief that there is that of the divine in every person, QUNO New York seeks a United Nations that addresses key drivers of peace and violence, including the structures and systems that produce exclusion and injustice; that facilitates and supports change through peaceful means; and whose policies and practices reflect a diversity of voices, such that people around the world can safely and peacefully achieve their potential.” QUNO Vision Statement

QUNO’s 2020 Strategic Plan “Quiet Diplomacy at the Frontiers of Peace” articulates a central theme for QUNO’s work, to “expand constituencies of support for sustainable and people-centered strategies for peace among key UN stakeholders”. QUNO will pursue this strategy in the context of UN policies and agendas that relate to building sustainable peace, both over the longer term and in crisis response, while continuing to foster a growing understanding of what lies at the heart of efforts to build a peaceful world.

QUNO is set up as a partnership between AFSC and the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), acting together as trustees of the Quaker witness and the Quaker presence at the United Nations in New York. The Quaker UN Committee - New York (QUNC) is responsible for setting program priorities, recommending program plans and budgets to the AFSC Board of Directors, and monitoring and evaluating the work of QUNO. The QUNO New York office is legally and administratively part of the American Friends Service Committee, based in Philadelphia. QUNO New York has a collegial relationship with the Quaker United Nations Office Geneva (QUNO-Geneva).

QUNO grounds its approach in Quaker values and ways of working, with an emphasis on facilitating relationships, convening spaces for stakeholders to deal with difference through dialogue, integrating the voices of those with lived experience of peace and conflict, and lending support and encouragement to international policy makers engaging at the UN to enact policies and practices that actively build peace and address conflicts nonviolently.

Summary of Principal Responsibilities

There are currently three Quaker UN Representatives at QUNO New York, including the Director. This Representative position functions as a senior member of the QUNO team, sharing program responsibilities while taking particular care for the operations of the office. Their principal responsibilities include: taking a lead role under the supervision of the QUNO Director in facilitating the administration and financial management of the QUNO office and Quaker House (including supervising the Office Coordinator); developing and implementing one or more areas of QUNO program as articulated in the QUNO strategic plan; and supporting the Outreach and Development Officer in respect of fundraising and outreach activities. It is anticipated that their time will be evenly divided between programmatic and administrative responsibilities.

Essential Functions/Responsibilities: The key responsibilities of the Representative include the following:

Representation

1. Act as part of the representative team of the Religious Society of Friends at the United Nations. Communicate the insights, perspectives and concerns of Quakers to the UN community as appropriate.
2. Model inclusive, non-violent and collaborative approaches in interactions with the UN community, in accordance with Quaker testimonies and practices
3. Represent QUNO at relevant UN programme-related meetings. Alert the QUNO Director to meetings requiring their presence.
4. Represent QUNO at meetings of Friends, Quaker service agencies and AFSC as required.

Program Development and Implementation

1. Develop and implement one or more areas of QUNO programme work within the QUNO strategic plan, and in accordance with the working methods and strategies set out in that plan. Currently QUNO New York works on peacebuilding and the prevention of violent conflict.
2. Establish and maintain relationships with key diplomats at UN missions, UN staff, and NGO representatives who work in areas relevant to QUNO program.
3. Submit program plans, and narrative and financial reports on program activities, as required. Prepare for, report to and attend meetings of the Quaker UN Committee, in collaboration with the QUNO Director and other staff.
4. Liaise with QUNO Geneva, AFSC, FWCC and other Quaker service agencies around areas of program specialization. Accompany the appropriate participation of these organizations at the UN.
5. As appropriate, and in consultation with the Director and in partnership with QUNO colleagues and AFSC Development staff, seek funding for their program work.

Administration and Finance

1. Manage the financial and administrative matters of the office and Quaker House as required, under the supervision of the QUNO Director.
2. Supervise the Office Coordinator in managing and maintaining the systems and functions of the Quaker UN Office, and maintaining the systems, functions and physical plant of Quaker House.
3. Oversee budget preparation and expense monitoring
4. Manage capital projects at Quaker House as required, in collaboration with AFSC as the owner of the house and the Director
5. Ensure that all administrative and financial functions are executed according to the procedures and policies established.
6. Ensure QUNO compliance with organizational grant guidelines and standards.

Outreach and Fundraising

1. Support the Outreach and Development Officer as they develop fundraising strategies for QUNO New York and Quaker House.
2. Support the Outreach and Development Officer in maintaining relationships and communications with individuals and organizations of the Religious Society of Friends as appropriate.
3. Plan and facilitate QUNO engagement with New York area meetings, and appropriate Yearly and other gatherings of Friends as applicable.

Staff Supervision, Development and Support

1. Supervise the QUNO Office Coordinator.
2. Supervise and mentor QUNO Program Assistants, Associates or Fellows, as required.
3. Participate in the recruitment, orientation and training of new staff.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Graduate degree or the equivalent in experience in a related field (e.g. international affairs, public policy, development, non-profit administration, non-profit fundraising).

Experience:

1. Eight or more years of experience in non-profit administration and program implementation, including financial management, grant management and staff supervision.
2. Demonstrated programme experience in a related field (e.g. international affairs, peacebuilding and conflict resolution, international relief and development, public policy and diplomacy).
3. Experience with a values-based policy or social change organization preferred.

Other Required Skills and Abilities:

1. Commitment to Quaker values and testimonies, and an understanding of the concerns and insights of the Religious Society of Friends world-wide.
2. Knowledge of the UN system and international diplomacy. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing. Fluency in one additional UN language appreciated.
3. Demonstrated ability to work and communicate respectfully with people of differing backgrounds, ideologies and perspectives. Understanding of and commitment to the principles and practices of QUNO and AFSC with regard to issues of race, class, nationality, religion, age, gender and sexual orientation, and disabilities.
4. Strong interpersonal skills, with knowledge of and experience in using consultative decision-making processes, working under pressure and adapting to changing situations and priorities.
5. Experience working collaboratively in a small team. Ability to organize time, give attention to detail, and carry out careful planning and follow-up.
6. Availability to attend evening and weekend meetings and to travel nationally and internationally, working overtime as needed.

Compensation: Salary $80,000 with minimal flexibility based on experience - Exempt- Comprehensive medical and hospitalization plan; term life, accident and salary continuation insurances, defined benefit pension plan, plus fringe benefits; participation in unemployment and worker’s compensation and social security.

The American Friends Service Committee is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified persons are encouraged to apply regardless of their religious affiliation, national origin, race, age, sex, gender identity**,** sexual orientation or disability.

AFSC’s Central Office and some of its offices in the US are unionized workplaces. This position is not represented.

The Quaker United Nations Office is a smoke-free workplace.

How to apply:

For consideration, please submit a Cover Letter, Resume, and answers to all application questions (no more than 200 words for each answer) including 3 professional references with full names & contact info with your application here.