Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is based in the Compliance Assurance and Regulatory Management Unit (CARMU) of the Office of Contract Management and Capacity Building (OCMC) of the International Seabed Authority in Kingston, Jamaica. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an international organization established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 1994 Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The ISA is the organization through which States Parties to UNCLOS shall, in accordance with the regime for the seabed and ocean floor and subsoil thereof beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (the Area) established in Part XI and the 1994 Agreement, organize and control activities in the Area, particularly with a view to administering the resources of the Area.
Responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Secretary General and the direct supervision of the Director, OCMC, and within delegated authority, the Chief, CARMU will be responsible for the following duties:
a. Lead effective management of contracts for activities in the Area, including annual reports, periodic reviews, data submission and other obligations of contractors.
b. Develop and maintain a seabed mining registry in line with international best practice.
c. Assess the regulatory impact of the regulatory framework on the contractors and the ISA and, in combination with other functional units, lead the development and implementation of the Authority's compliance assurance and risk management framework and culture, through an appropriate programme that demonstrates the effective identification and management of risk and implement effective risk policies, governance, assessments and oversight practices.
d. Design a compliance assurance implementation strategy to ensure that the Authority's contractor base complies with their regulatory and contract obligations, regulatory reporting, and regulatory relationship management.
e. Manage a robust regulatory reporting programme; manage a comprehensive monitoring and audit programme and evaluate compliance controls; maintain a calendar of compliance obligations and holding workstream owners accountable; managing cross-functional compliance issue management projects.
f. Develop guidance and training material for regulated entities and stakeholder base.
g. Develop a risk-based non-compliance decision matrix.
h. Serve as the primary point of contact for all regulatory compliance matters and build relationships with the contractor base and key stakeholders.
i. Prepare and submit timely and accurate regulatory compliance performance reports as required by the Secretary-General or organs of the Authority, including the Council and the Legal and Technical Commission
j. Help owners of regulatory obligations in other teams understand the obligations and standards expected by regulators to build scalable mechanisms and controls.
k. Optimize internal workflow processes, including operating procedures and checklists.
l. Contribute to the improvement of the organizational performance of ISA.
m. Perform other duties as required by the Director OCMC and or DSG.
Competencies
Professionalism: Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of work.
Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments. Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards. Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules. Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments. Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
Managing performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision- making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly.
Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands.
Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
Education
An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in Law, Ocean Studies, Engineering or Business Administration is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree
Work Experience
Minimum 10 years combined relevant experience in a government regulatory agency, international organization, or in-house regulatory compliance role (preferably in the mining sector) is required. Strong communication skills, including excellent writing ability in English, and the capacity to produce complex technical reports, studies, and official documentation, is required. Relevant professional qualifications in assurance, risk or a related discipline are desirable.
Demonstrated experience and expertise in leading a compliance assurance and risk function (public or private sector) is desirable. Demonstrated experience building quality assurance and compliance programmes and processes is desirable. Experience in building and managing an efficient and effective team is desirable. The ability to work with high-level stakeholders is desirable. Strong negotiation and influencing skills, along with significant technical credibility is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).
Required Languages
Language | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking
English | UN Level III | UN Level III | UN Level III | UN Level III
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
The appointment is available for a fixed period of 2 years, and renewal thereof is subject to the availability of the post, funds and satisfactory performance in the role.
ISA reserves the right to not make any appointment to the vacancy, and/or to make an appointment at a lower level from the one advertised.
At the ISA/ United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the
basis of qualifications and organizational needs.
The ISA/United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect.
The ISA/United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities.
The ISA/United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.
Only nationals of ISA Member States are eligible for consideration.
United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts.
The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.
The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.
By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised.
This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening.
No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2
(a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2.
(c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.