I have put together another detailed breakdown of Types of UN Jobs And How Young Scholars Can Apply For Open Job Vacancies in the United Nations sites.
There are several types of UN Jobs ranging from young professionals to Contract, to internships, volunteers roles, to generic jobs such as field supervisors, administrative, Observers, and thousands and more of other generic jobs. I will list the types of UN Jobs opportunities and they type of UN job opportunities you may be qualified to apply for depending on your profiles, academic background and work experience.

Types of UN Jobs And How Young Scholars Can Apply.
The list of the types of UN Jobs are the following below;
Young Professionals
Program
Internship Type.
Consultancies job type
Temporary job type
Contract jobs type
Generic Job type
And Opportunities for students and graduates.
The Young Professionals Program
The united Nations Young Professionals Program is one of the most popular UN opportunity type that invite youn talented professionals to be part of United Nations work to advance and the shape the mission and goals of the organisation
The United Nations YPP is a recruitment program tailored at talented, and really qualified young professionals from all around the world to start and grow their career with the United Nations starting as international civil servants with the UN Secretariat.
For Young professionals who are interested in UN YPP, the program has in part an entrance examination as one of the processes to select successful candidates for the program and also another part designed for professional development of successful selected young professionals that have their participation in the program confirmed. The UN Young Professionals Program is an open opportunity for young world future leaders to be natured and groomed.
The United Nations Young Professional Program conducts examinations to select talented young and Brightest minds. The selection examination is conducted yearly at a particular set date once in every year. The UN YPP examination would be held in different subject fields, the subject fields for the examination are based on the choice and the needs of the United Nations.
The United Nations Young Professional Program is a high rated youth opportunity program that everyone should aim at to advance his or her career starting from the very early stage. The program is an open young program for nationals of participating United Nations countries. Because of the dynamics of the United Nations, candidates interested in apply for the UN YPP is encouraged to always first check the participating countries for each year before starting applications to join in the program
The application period for the UN YPP opens periodically typically in every June of every year, and application windows stay open for a period that the working committee of the program can choose during their organising time.
Eligible Nationals for UN YPP.
To participate and be part of the UN Young Professionals Program, intending participants must be nationals of participating countries. However due to the nature and the changing dynamics of the participating countries, intending applicants should confirm that their country is amongst the participating countries before starting application.
Education Criteria to be eligible for the UN YPP.
For education qualification needed for the UN YPP, interested intending participants should not be less than a degree holder or it’s equivalent certificate obtained for not less than 3 years academic pursuit. The degree is the minimum education qualification to have. Having a masters degree and or PhD is an added advantage to push your application up high and gives you more chances of acceptance for the program.
Age Requirement for the UN YPP
The acceptable range for the UN YPP is starting from 18 years and ending at 32 years at the time of YPP examination for interested participants.
Language Requirement for UN YPP
The working languages of the United Nations is the only acceptable language for the program. The United Nations has two main working languages, English language and French language. Therefore participants must speak and understand one or two of the languages. Being multilingual, speaking more than one language is an added advantage for the UN YPP.
How to Check list of the participating Countries
Interested candidates to the UN YPP should check the regularly updated lists of the participating countries before applying for the program. To check the list visit the section on the portal that says “see the list of countries in the YPP Exam Cycles section on this page.” Then scroll through the list of the countries carefully to check your country is listed.
Eligibility and selection process for UN YPP
To be accepted to be part of the UN Young Professionals Program, applicants will examined and screened to decide their eligibility and select those that meet the basic eligibility requirements for the program such as education qualification, current age at the time of application and the national of the applicant
Take this important note and how the selection works. Assuming there are 100 applications from the same country and all of these 100 applications are eligible for the UN YPP examination, these applications will be screened after the screening and the application shall be ranked.
The important consideration for the ranking is education completed, their highest level of education, that was why I pointed earlier that having a masters or PhD or both is an added advantage, second factor is knowledge of official UN languages; English and French, major. And the third factor is work experience relevant to the UN Young Professionals Program.
During the examination, each eligible country is entitled to 90 examination candidates per examination, therefore where they are more than 90 applications from one particular eligible country, the examination will be taken in two separate sections. Do not panic if you are not invited for the first section of the exam, if you have reached the examination stage of your application, you must surely be invited in the second section of the examination.
After the examination stage, 60 application from each eligible country shall be invited to advance to another stage of the UN YPP application. Candidates who have reached examination stage shall be informed of their application status going forward until the final selection of the final successful applicants.
After learning about this UN Young Professionals Program and you are interested in participating in the program. Prepare to apply for the opportunity. Check your academic certificates and your work experience and put them together and ready. Visit the official UN Young Professionals Program here. Apply when the application window is open.
Currently there are other job types on the United Nations that you can apply, I have discussed them below, continue to read.
The UN Generic Job Openings in short form as GJO
I will tell you more about the United Nations Generic Job Openings. Continue to read.
The United Nations has another opportunity called generic jobs. This opportunity, the Generic Job Openings is announced to selct qualified candidates for jobs ropes in UnitedNationsregular jobs across the organisation. This job roles are usually the most regularly needed to be filled for smoother UN operations. These roles can range from permanent to temporary. If you will be interested in this roles, read the full details, including eligibility criteria and application process.
When announcement are made for job openings in the United Nations, candidates send in their applications, applications are sorted and successful applications are placed on a roster.
A roaster in UN is a pool of already screened candidates awaiting to be contacted and placed. The roasters can be considered for relevant job openings across UN offices, departments and field missions. These candidates are like reserved. Already interviewed and screened and placed on awaiting period to be immediately deployed for work at the necessary time.
Reasons Application for Generic Job Openings is advised for professionals
If you apply for the UN Generic Job Openings you will be screened and be added to be immediately deployed for work, This is referd to as a roster, this roaster is for future job opportunities at the United Nations. When they are jobs in United Nations, the roasters are first checked and the candidates in the roasters are employed for the jobs if there are no candidates on the roasters then announcement for external application will be announced.
Another reason to apply for GJO is faster selection: immediately a suitable positions are open at the United Nations candidates on the roasters can be selected more quickly and immediately filled in the vacancies.
Third good reason is Increased visibility: being a candidate on the roster, you are more visible to be selected for a job, GJO enhances candidates chances of being selected.
Fouth good reason to apply is for GJO is that the GJO support for diversity: the Rosters method by the UN help the organisations streamline recruitment while at the same time promoting diversity, gender parity and multilingualism in the organisation and around the world.
Brief summary of How GJO works:
The generic job openings are announced on careers.un.org regularly throughout the year. This announcements are generally in accordance with workforce needs of the UN Secretariat.
When a candidate applies for a generic job openings and successfully completes the assessment process for the GJO, the candidates will now be placed on a roster for a period of four to six years.
Once a candidate is on a roaster, the candidate may be considered first for relevant positions, and the candidates shall not have to go through the full recruitment process again which involves application, screening and sorting of applicants, interviews and the rest.
Other types of UN opportunities
Learn about this opportunity for language professionals and language positions
Consultancies;
This opportunity is open to professional consultants for the UN missions and works. You can apply for UN consultancy roles when application is announced. This role can be permanent.
Temporary consultancies and contracts; This position is a temporary opportunity to individual professionals who can be employed to perform tasks for the UN based on contract for a period of time or based on consultation for a period of time.
Internships.
United Nations Internships are usually open for students and recent graduates of higher institutions. UN internships are mostly paid and internships usually last up to 12 months or more depending on the internship type. If you are a recent graduate of bachelor’s degree or currently undergoing Master’s studies or PhD studies you are qualified academically to apply for the UN internships.
UN Volunteer Program
The UN Volunteer Opportunities are also open and accept applications regularly. The UN Volunteer Program are paid, however some UN volunteering programs are not paid but can be issued certificates of volunteering. There are many benefits of the UN Volunteery program. These benefits includes; networking, certificate, experience, and more
UN Volunteer Program, paid. Director of affairs. One of the type of volunteering jobs available in UN job portals. Apply for this if you meet the requirement.
The UN Affairs Job Description
This position is for a director and the unit placement of the job is in Peace and Humanitarian, the category and Level of the job is Professional and Higher Categories.
The job duty station is in new York city. The job duty station is where the employee will be working from
The position is located in the single regional operational structure shared by the other departments including Peace building and Peace Operations.
The employee reports directly to the Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for Africa, and in extension to the Under-Secretary-General for peace building affairs and the Under-Secretary-General for peace operations.
The Employee (Director) Responsibilities
This position is high level position, as a director, the employee shall be performing the following duties that may be delegated to him
Direct and manage the work of the Africa in the Northern division and in control of the management of the departments Peace building affairs and of peace operations
The director’s direction in the management duty shall initiate and implement the substantive work program for the division under the director’s supervision
The director shall determine priorities, and allocate resources for the completion of the program and their timely delivery of the initiated program.
The director shall look over the activities and management of every programs that are being handled by the north Africa divisio.
This shall include the initiating and seeing to completion of the division l yearly work schedules.
The director shall make sure that the scheduled activities are undertaken and carried out in a timely manner.
The director shall coordinate the division scheme of work in the different areas of work in the division, the work in the organizations of the United Nations system, donors and agencies, as required appropriately.
The director shall contribute to the initiative of the departments and all strategies and policies.
The director shall participate in all important committees
The director shall prepare documents on policy issues
The director shall be an advisory of the United Nations and therefore should maintain that capacity.
The director shall contribute to the complete management of the activities and operations of the departments he is appointed as a director.
The director shall be current with happenings in the northern Africa region so that he or she can provide warning timely when there is an expected tension and potential conflicts in the region and the countries.
The director shall act in support of the Secretary-General’s responsibilities in the maintenance of international peace and security.
The director shall exercise complete management of timely provision of analyses, briefing notes, background papers and talking points to the Secretary-General,
The director shall report to the General Assembly and Security Council, and other appropriate agencies.
The director shall provide guidelines and advice and all other necessary support to special representatives of the UN Heads of Mission, Coordinators or Envoys of the Secretary-General.
The director shall maintain regular contacts with field missions, this shall include the peace keeping and special missions of the organisatio.
The director shall engage in monitoring and support all missions.
The director shall provide necessary high level assistance, and analysis for the organisation.
The director shall advice and make recommendations for necessary and possible actions to be taken on preventative diplomacy and peace making, and also for peace keeping in the Northern Africa and relevant regional and others.
The director shall coordinate and maintain regular contacts with the organisation member States, regional and sub-regional organizations, and other relevant departments and offices of the UN secretariat, and UN agencies,
The director shall coordinate funds and programs on issues within the scope of the division.
The director shall lead related inter-agency task forces and working groups.
The director shall report to inter-governmental bodies on budget/program performance, as may be very appropriate, particularly those presented in annual reports or twice yearly reports
The director shall coordinate and take complete responsibility for the preparation of reports for presentation to the organisation and all other agencies that are required to reported at the appropriate time.
The director shall make sure that the work and performance of the Northern Africa division is of a very high-quality standards
The director shall make sure that all reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data.
The director shall make sure that all work done by the Northern Africa division is of a high and required standards before completion. This is to make sure that the work comply with the relevant ways it has been made to be.
The director shall undertake to oversee the program and the administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the division. This undertaken shall include preparation all of the following non exclusive
1.Budgets inputs
2.assigning of performance parameters 3.monitoring of performance parameters and all the critical indicators.
The director shall report on budget and program over all performance
The director shall prepare the program inputs for results-based budgeting, and evaluate staff performance.
The director shall also be in charge of the recruitment of staff for the Northern Africa division
The director shall take all necessary account of geographical and gender balance and other institutional values for the organisation.
The director shall make sure that all roles, all responsibilities and all reports are clear to each staff member of the NorthernAfrica division
The director shall also manage, guide, develop and train staff under his/her supervision
The director shall also foster teamwork and communication among staff in the the Northern Africa division and across all other organizational boundaries.
The director shall chair the division meetings, seminars, and all other events and programmes on all issues
The director shall represent the organization at all relevant international levels, regional levels and in other levels of the agency and seminars and conferences organised by the division and other organizations.
The director shall also provide program expertise on an issue and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
The director shall undertake all other related duties as would be requested by the senior management of the the United Nations Organization.
Education and Experience Requirements
Education Requirement
Applicants to this director roles shall have an advanced higher institutions degree most preferably master’s degree in any related course of studies or equivalent degree to Master’s in international relations field, law or international law, social sciences or another related area of studies. And a PhD holder.
Also another great candidate for this role is a bachelor’s degree holder from a university degree awarding institution in combination with qualifying experience. This combination may be accepted in place of the advanced university degree such as masters and PhD
Work Experience
An ideal applicant to this director shall have a professional experience not less than fifteen years of progressively responsible work in diplomacy, social work, international affairs, peace building missions or and other very related area of experience earned in the cause work.
The applicant should have experience in peace and security matters in Northern Africa, this unique experience is required for the to be a director.
The applicant shall have experience in providing analysis and developing strategy and or policy in support of senior-level political engagement.
The applicant shall have a minimum of three years of experience working in Africa, preferably in Northern Africa.
The applicant shall have experience managing the diverse teams of senior level employees.
If you are interested in applying for this job opportunity and other UN jobs, visit the official UN job portal. Take notice of the application deadlines before starting your application.
Note this is very important.
The United Nations is an equal employer and the organisation does not charge a fee for job applications advertised by the UN at all levels. Therefore, do not pay to apply for UN jobs. The United Nations also does not charge any form of a fee for application processing or for interviews at any time or level of applications. Do not pay to process applications. The United Nations does not have an agent who acts on its behalf to collect fees, therefore does not pay any third party for UN job application or application processing. Take this information very seriously.
Take note also that scholars Africa is not an affiliate of the United Nations. We only provide information on how to apply for jobs and other opportunities. Take note also that Scholars Africa does not and will never ask you for a fee to access information on our blog or charge you a fee to apply for job opportunities or scholarship opportunities.
Visit the official UN website to view list of United Nations jobs and follow the guide to aoply
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