Organizational setting and reporting relationships:
The Director reports directly to the Secretary General and supervises the work of the staff of the Division, which includes both the IPU Observer Offices, in New York and Vienna. He or she may act as Officer in Charge for the Secretary General in her absence.
Accountabilities
Within delegated authority, the Director will:
- 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.
Wok implies frequent interaction with the following:
- Senior representatives of Member Parliaments, including Speakers, MPs, senior parliamentary staff and members of delegations;
- Parliamentary organizations and associations;
- United Nations officials and representatives of international organizations;
- Ambassadors and senior diplomats in Permanent Missions;
- Various officials in host countries;
- Civil-society organizations;
- Senior managers and staff within the Secretariat.
Results expected
- Strong ties between the IPU and Member Parliaments, regular interaction and engagement with regional and other parliamentary organizations, expanded membership of the IPU;
- Close and substantive cooperation with the United Nations system and other institutional partners;
- Efficient allocation and utilization of conference resources;
- High-quality outputs on key issues, accompanied by effective assistance, guidance and support to staff in meeting objectives;
- Maximization of information and communication technologies in the management of official IPU documents;
- Effective development of staff under his or her supervision, including their ongoing learning and development.
Competencies
- Professionalism: Diplomatic skills; expert knowledge in the field of politics and international relations; attention to protocol and detail; ability to formulate and communicate complex policy and strategic issues on a broad range of development areas; ability to facilitate coordination with parliaments; demonstrated professional competence in the management of budgetary resources.
- Communication: Excellent drafting ability and communication skills, both oral and written; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; ability to prepare written reports that are clear, concise and meaningful.
- Technological awareness: Familiarity with Internet applications; proficiency in the use of the MS Office suite.
- Teamwork: Good interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds; ability to lead and engage others in a team endeavour.
- Gender mainstreaming: Ability to provide leadership and take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives into substantive work; commitment to the goal of achieving gender balance in staffing.
- Client orientation: Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with Members and donors by gaining their trust and respect; ability to identify Members’ needs and propose appropriate solutions as well as to establish and maintain effective relationships with outside collaborators and other contacts, including representatives of Member Parliaments and the public.
- Commitment to continuous learning: Willingness to keep abreast of new developments in the relevant technical field and to develop own managerial, leadership as well as information technology skills.
Managerial competencies
- Judgement/decision-making: Good judgement and initiative, imagination and resourcefulness, energy and tact; ability to ensure an effective work structure to maximize productivity and achieve the Division’s goals.
- Leadership: Strong managerial/leadership skills; empowers others to translate vision into results; demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis of complex human resources, financial or administrative management policy and programme issues; proven record of building and managing teams and creating an enabling environment, including the ability to effectively lead, supervise, mentor, develop and evaluate staff, and design training/skills enhancement initiatives to ensure effective transfer of knowledge/skills. Tact in negotiating skills; good judgement and decision-making skills.
- Managing performance: Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor work of others; ability to make timely decisions; ability to coach, mentor, motivate and develop staff and encourage good performance.
- Building trust: Reputation for dealing honestly and openly with issues and staff; recognized and highly respected by peers, clients and staff.
Qualifications
Education: Advanced university degree in law, political science, international relations or a related field.
Experience: At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in international, multicultural institutions. Demonstrated management and leadership ability.
Language: 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.
Other skills: Comprehensive knowledge of IPU policies, procedures and operations.
Compensation:
The Inter-Parliamentary Union offers an attractive salary and benefits package, comparable to that of other international organizations headquartered in Geneva, commensurate with education and experience.
Indicative annual net salary at the D1 level (entry level, net of tax):
USD 117’953 at single rate (plus allowance for primary dependants if applicable).
Post adjustment:
A post adjustment for Geneva will be paid in addition to the above amount taking into account the exchange rates established by the International Civil Service Commission (website: http://icsc.un.org/). This rate stands at 90.7% for May 2026.
Employment policy:
This position will be filled through an international recruitment process that will be open to internal and external applicants.
The IPU is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Qualified women, individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups, and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
English and French are the two working languages of the IPU. From among equally qualified candidates, priority will be given to applicants from regions under-represented at the IPU. There will be a probation period of nine months.
This position will be based in Geneva and will require frequent travelling. It will be for an initial period of two years, renewable depending on satisfactory performance and availability of funding.
