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It’s really common that candidates find trouble when looking for a UN job aligned with their professional background and experience. Besides, they may be confused about the types of contracts in the UN that are most compatible with their profile.
With that in mind, the purpose of this article is to clarify some of these general questions about the different types of contracts in the UN System.
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UN Jobs Contracts
The opportunities offered by the UN System encompass several types of contract and grade levels, varying according to the specificities of each UN organization.
Furthermore, most vacancies are divided by the type of the selection process, which can be designated as being for nationals/local candidates or accept international professionals.
NO (National Officer) and GS or G (General Service) positions are exclusively for locally-recruited staff. Professional (P) and Director (D) category contracts are open to international candidates and often come with benefits such as housing and education assistance.
General Categories for UN Jobs Contracts
The table below presents the general categories of job offerings with their respective definition and requirements:
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Contract Types |
Grade Level |
Definition |
|
Locally-Recruited |
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National Officer (NO) |
Entry-Level (NO-A; NO-B)
Mid-level (NO-C; NO-D) |
National Officers are recruited locally and serve only within their home country. NOs perform functions in the areas of development assistance and public information that require knowledge and experience at the national level. |
|
General Service (GS)/Administrative Support |
Entry-Level GS-1 to GS-3
Mid-Level GS-4 to GS-5
Senior Level GS-6 to GS-7
|
Staff falling within the ‘General Service’ (GS) carry out support functions, including administrative, secretarial, and clerical work. They are largely recruited from the area of the office’s location but can be of any nationality. As a result, they are not expected to relocate to other duty stations. |
|
Internationally-Recruited |
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|
Professional (P) |
Entry-Level P-1: rarely position. 1 year of relevant work experience P-2: minimum of 2 years of work experience. P-3: minimum 5 years of work experience |
Demands a high degree of analytical and communication skills, substantive expertise, and/or managerial leadership ability.
Typically, these positions require judgment in analyzing and evaluating problems as well as in decision-making involving discretionary choices between alternative courses of action.
Senior professionals hired for positions at the P-6 and P-7 level typically work as senior advisers or experts, bringing several years of analytical and research experience to the United Nations. |
|
Mid-Level P-4: minimum 7 years of work experience P-5: minimum 10 years of work experience |
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Senior-Level P-6: minimum 15 years of work experience P-7: more than 15 years of work experience |
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|
Director (D) |
Senior-Level D-1: minimum 15 years of work experience D-2: more than 15 years of work experience |
This is the highest level on the career staffing structure of the Organization. As a Director you manage a program of the Organization. You are also expected to provide leadership in formulating and implementing the substantive work program of an office; determine priorities; and allocate resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
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Other Categories |
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Consultants |
Not specified – May include all grade levels and a great range of relevant experience. |
Temporary work with contracts from 1 year that can be renewed. It requires a high level of technical knowledge about different legal topics depending on the working areas of each organization. |
Knowing these types of contracts in the UN System will surely be helpful for anyone trying to make sense of their international career at the incredible variety of options that such system offers.
For more information regarding types of contract and job categories, see Chapter 2 – “UN System Jobs and Careers” – of our eBook “UN Careers for Law Professionals”. In it, you will discover what the competencies, requirements, and most common tasks performed by law professionals at the UN are.
Moreover, we will bring you updated information about the agencies offering the greatest number of internships and job opportunities, as well the most common countries and positions by grade level.
For more info, access:
UN Law Careers – Complete Manual
