Talent programme "Swiss Junior Professional Officer at the UN"

Positions are identified and selected by the different entities in the Swiss government throughout the year and on an ad-hoc basis. Here is a selection of former job descriptions that indicate the diversity of specialisation sought:

• WFP, Disaster Risk Reduction Officer (P-2), Rome and other
• OHCHR, Associate Expert in Human Rights (P-2), Geneva, Switzerland
• UNHCR, Associate Protection Officer, Bamako
• UNFPA, Programme Analyst (Evaluation), New York/Cairo
• UNICEF, Innovative Finance Officer, New York/Kampala
• UN Women, Programme Analyst (Gender Equality and Women Economic Empowerment), Yangon
• UNDP, Transitional Justice and Rule of Law Officer, Bangui
• OCHA, Associate Public Information Officer, Yaoundé
• OSAPG, Associate Political Affairs Officer, New York

1. For SDC and PHRD funded JPOs, cinfo pre-assesses candidates by conducting written tests with longlisted candidates and/or comprehensive interviews with those shortlisted.
2. cinfo then submits a list of the most suitable candidates to the respective UN host organisation.
3. The host organisation then conducts a second round of interviews and often, a technical test before making its final selection. 

The entire process may last several months.

Junior Professional Officers (JPOs) are UN staff members and international civil servants. They are contracted by the UN and report to their respective host organisation. Initially, you will be hired for a one-year fixed-term contract, which usually gets extended for a second year subject to your performance.

As a JPO, you receive a generous remuneration package, with the same benefits and compensation as other UN staff members.  Your salary is exempt from national income tax (but taxed through the “staff assessment”, the UN internal tax system). It corresponds to your professional category, which usually is at P-2 level. In addition, you are entitled to the following benefits:

• medical insurance for you and your family
• inclusion in the UN pension scheme
• relocation and installation allowance
• rental subsidy
• education grants for your children
• maternity/paternity leave
• annual leave
• rest and recuperation time if you serve in a hardship duty station

For an estimate, use UNDP's salary calculator.

A third-year extension for SDC-financed JPOs may be negotiated depending on the availability of funds, with cost-sharing between SDC and the host organisation.

Although there is no guarantee for retention in the UN, a JPO experience is highly regarded. Many current senior UN staff started their careers as JPOs.

By expatriating or leaving a national employer for a multilateral organisation such as the UN, you leave the national social security system. While the UN provides a pension scheme and health/life insurance, it does not offer unemployment insurance. Please find a some useful links on this topic below: 

• Social legislation for Swiss civil servants (FDFA)
• UN Joint Pension Fund: Stopping work or Separating
• Services for Swiss nationals abroad (FDFA)
• Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA)
• Rights and obligations of Swiss citizens living abroad (OSA)

For more information, you can get in touch with Soliswiss. They provide expert advice on social security matters to Swiss citizens when emigrating, returning home or working for multilateral organisations (in Switzerland or abroad).
Soliswiss

About the programme

• Why does Switzerland fund Junior Professional Officer (JPO) positions?
  For many years, an important strategic focus of Swiss foreign policy has been to increase the number of Swiss nationals working in international cooperation, with particular support to the UN.
   
• What are the roles of the Swiss government (SDC, PHRD and UND) and cinfo?
  The programme is funded within the Swiss government by SDC, PHRD and UND, which all sponsor JPO positions within their core areas of work and interest. cinfo promotes the programme, coordinates the recruitment process*, pre-selects candidates*, provides pre-departure training sessions for selected JPOs* and supports them throughout their assignment*  (*does not apply to UND-financed JPOs).

Tips for my application

• How can I submit my application?
  Read the respective instructions in the job announcements.
  For jobs recruited via cinfo applications must be submitted via cinfo’s recruitment tool, cinfoPoste. Make sure your profile on cinfoPoste is complete and up to date:
  • Motivation letter in English (not more than 3,500 characters, to be inserted in the pop-up window when you click 'apply')
  • CV in English
  • P11 form duly completed and uploaded under the section 'documents'. Note that we will base our evaluation and calculation of your relevant experience on the P11.
  • Work certificates, diplomas and university credentials (as PDF) uploaded under the section 'documents'

Entry on duty date

• Is there any flexibility with regard to the starting date?
  Once we inform you of your selection, you are expected to start max. three months later. The actual starting date is negotiated with the organisation. 

Professional experience

• How specific do I need to be regarding my amount of experience in my P11?
  Please be as specific as possible. This helps the UN recruiters and us count the months of relevant experience as precisely as possible. You need to have at least 36 months’ experience relevant to the specific position at the moment of your interview with cinfo.
   
• In the vacancy announcement of the UN, it says that candidates require two years’ experience, three years are desirable. Why does cinfo require candidates to have three years’ experience?
  Promotion at the UN results from the submission of applications. There are very few P-2 level positions in the UN system that you could apply for to secure employment after your JPO assignment. For P-3 level positions, candidates need to have at least five years’ experience to apply. UN recruitment processes are lengthy. JPOs should start applying for vacancies no later than the beginning of their third year to secure employment following their JPO experience. If we recruit you with less than three years’ experience at the beginning of your JPO assignment, you will not be eligible to apply for P-3 level positions early enough to secure subsequent employment.

Requirements regarding educational background

• Can I apply if I am about to obtain my master’s degree?
  No, you need to provide a copy of your diploma at the time of your application. 

Requirements regarding nationality

• Can I apply if I am not a Swiss citizen but have the Swiss C residence permit?
  Only Swiss nationals can apply for the positions funded by the Swiss Confederation.