Senior Policy Officer, Unesco

The successful applicant will be engaged as a locally engaged staff member by the Australian Embassy, Paris.

**About the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade**

The role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is to advance the interests of Australia and Australians internationally. This involves strengthening Australia’s security, enhancing Australia’s prosperity, delivering an effective and high-quality overseas aid program and helping Australian travellers and Australians overseas.

**About the Position**

Australia is currently a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Executive Board. Australia’s overarching UNESCO priorities are Indigenous languages and knowledge; environment and World Heritage; and education. Advocating for greater representation and focus on the needs of the Pacific and other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are also a priority for Australia across all United Nations (UN) agencies.

The Senior Policy Officer in the Australian Permanent Delegation to UNESCO represents, advocates and negotiates on political, institutional and governance issues on behalf of the Australian Government. The successful applicant will have experience working within government and/or the UN system, including to achieve results in intergovernmental negotiations and processes. The applicant should have a proven ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders including international and Australian stakeholders. They will be required to undertake complex research tasks and provide high-level analysis and strategic advice to the Ambassador and other Australian government officials based on an understanding on complex policy related matters, trends and issues.

**Key responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to**:

- Provide strategic advice on priority political, institutional and governance issues related to Australia’s engagement with UNESCO.
- Coordinate and prepare briefing and negotiating instructions, in collaboration with policy leads in Canberra, to advance or defend Australia’s interests.
- Maintain up-to-date awareness of developments in UNESCO and the broader international environment and identifying risks and/or opportunities for Australia.
- Lead and manage locally engaged staff to ensure the successful completion of projects and tasks.
- Represent Australia at UNESCO meetings by negotiating outcome documents and resolutions in multilateral settings that secure Australia’s interests.
- Coordinate arrangements for ministerial and senior official visits to UNESCO including independently arranging, scheduling and managing programs and assisting with logístical arrangements as required.
- Propose and implement strategic communications and public diplomacy activities in support of Australia’s UNESCO objectives.
- Provide the Australian Government with reporting, analysis and policy advice on the full range of policy issues under discussion in UNESCO’s committees and programs.
- Develop a diverse network of influence across the Australian Government agencies, the UNESCO secretariat and Permanent Delegations.
- Maintain official records of the Permanent Delegation, responding to correspondence and contributing to the overall good governance and efficient functioning of the Mission.

**General requirements and experience**
- Extensive knowledge and experience of the Australian Government’s priorities, policy and legislative frameworks and ways of working across Government to achieve outcomes.
- The ability to respond quickly and efficiently to requests and to distil complex information into audience-appropriate written communications that inform and influence senior colleagues, often working to very tight deadlines.
- The ability to undertake work that is complex in nature, under limited direction.
- The ability to lead a small team to achieve outcomes, including developing work plans, setting priorities, managing workflow and providing performance feedback and development.
- The ability to build influential relationships; to understand the interests of diverse stakeholders; and from these build mutually beneficial networks that deliver results.
- The ability to display professional judgement to prioritise and meet competing deadlines in a high paced environment dealing with complex and sensitive issues.
- Fluency in English and a high level of written and spoken French is preferred.

**Security Requirements**
- This is a security-designated position requiring an Australian NV1 security clearance or ability to gain same. Therefore, applicants must hold citizenship of Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK or Canada to be considered.
- Persons holding dual French nationality with one of the above nationalities would not be eligible for a security clearance for this position.

**Selection Criteria**

In your written statements, you must include relevant high-level examples from your experience that s