Associate Political Affairs Officer

About the role

The Associate Political Affairs Officer will support the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) by providing timely political, socio‑economic and security analysis and by engaging with a wide range of local stakeholders. This position is based in Kabul and reports to the Political Affairs Team Leader of the Domestic Politics Portfolio.

Key responsibilities

• Gather, select and analyse information on political, socio‑economic and security developments from diverse sources.
• Monitor national and regional political trends and provide briefings to senior officials.
• Interact regularly with de‑facto authorities, elders, community leaders, civil society, women, youth and the business community to advance UNAMA’s engagement.
• Draft inputs, reports, briefing notes and other analytical products as assigned.
• Prepare meetings and briefing materials for senior UNAMA staff and diplomatic counterparts.
• Collect, analyse and visualise data using graphs, charts and tables to support decision‑making.
• Document requirements and background information for data analysis.
• Prepare meeting notes and provide interpretation in Dari and Pashtu when required.
• Perform other related duties as needed.

Required profile

• Professional competence with persistence in challenging situations.
• Calm under pressure and able to meet deadlines.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong teamwork orientation and ability to collaborate with diverse partners.
• Good knowledge of Afghan political dynamics and UN mandate implementation.
• Fluency in English and proficiency in Dari and/or Pashtu.

Required skills

• Data analysis and visualisation (graphs, charts, tables).
• Report writing and briefing note preparation.
• Interpretation in Dari and Pashtu.
• Stakeholder engagement and liaison.