Position Title: Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Special Representative
Receiving Agency: Gang Suppression Force Secretariat Haiti
P Level: P5
Location: Port au Prince, Haiti
Duration: 18 months (Until Sep, 2027)
Language: French and English fluency required. 

Background

On 30 September 2025, the United Nations Security Council authorized, in resolution 2793 (UNSCR 2793), Member States to transition the deployed Multinational Security Support (MSS) in Haiti to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), in close cooperation and coordination with the Government of Haiti, for an initial period of twelve months. The GSF mandate includes multiple tasks, including to conduct intelligence-led targeted, counter-gang operations to neutralize, isolate, and deter gangs that continue to threaten the civilian population, abuse human rights and undermine Haitian institutions.

The United Nations Secretary-General is authorized to establish a UN Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH) to provide comprehensive logistical and operational support to the GSF and to the Haitian National police (HNP) and the Haitian armed forces on any joint operations with the GSF. UNSOH will also provide technical support, through voluntary funding contributions, to the Organization of American States (OAS) SECURE-Haiti project and will provide standard United Nations mission support services to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH)

The Standing Group of Partners (SGP) has the role of providing, in consultation with the Government of Haiti, high-level strategic direction, oversight, and relevant political decision-making for the GSF as appropriate. The SGP is overall responsible for (a) securing voluntary financial contributions for GSF personnel costs reimbursements; (b) facilitating force (military and police) generation; and (c) providing high level strategic representation and coordination for the GSF.

The SGP shall appoint a Special Representative (SR) who, as in-country head of the GSF, will report to the SGP and provide strategic oversight, representation and coordination for the GSF. The SGP appointed GSF Force Commander shall report to the SR and is responsible for operational command and day-to-day operational decision-making for the uniformed components of the GSF.

The SR is supported by an Office of the SR (the civilian component of the GSF)

Career Experience

The Deputy Chief of Staff (DCoS) shall have: a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in such areas as political affairs, civil service or security organisations; a proven track record of leadership and management in multicultural settings, including leadership of interdisciplinary teams; and experience serving in a senior advisory capacity in an international organisation or a peacekeeping, stabilisation or security field operation. It is desirable the DCoS has experience in: serving in a hardship duty station with a high level of insecurity; in leading inter-agency strategic and operational planning; working in partnership with the OAS or another regional organization; working in Haiti. An advanced university degree (Masters’ or equivalent) in political science, international relations, international economics, public administration, social sciences, law or any related subject, is required.  A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience and relevant academic/professional qualifications, such as accreditations from military or government command and staff colleges, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Languages

Fluency in English and French (both oral and written) is required.

Responsibilities of the Deputy Chief of Staff

The Deputy Chief of Staff (DCoS) reports to the Chief of Staff (CoS) and is based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The DCoS supports the CoS’ oversight of the core mechanisms and processes that enable the delivery of GSF mandate. The DCoS shall assist the CoS during the GSF start-up phase, including facilitating the transition of responsibilities from the MSS to the GSF.  Following the GSF start-up phase the DCoS responsibilities shall include the following.

The DCoS, shall support the CoS with the following Office of the SR recruitment related tasks:

• At the direction of the CoS, overseeing the recruitment of senior posts and unit heads.
• Ensuring all unit heads are familiar with GSF recruitment practices.
• Ensuring unit heads and senior members oversee the production of staff handover notes to ensure institutional knowledge is passed from outgoing to incoming staff.

The DCoS shall oversee the Compliance and Protection pillar and the Outreach and Partnership pillar, with the following related tasks:
 

• In consultation with the Force Commander, ensuring the GSF incorporates child and women protection, and the protection of other vulnerable groups, as a cross-cutting issue throughout its mandate in the planning and conduct of its security operations.
• In consultation with the Force Commander and the Senior Legal Advisor, ensuring compliance with applicable international law, including IHRL. To include the following measures, where appropriate and feasible: (1) for children apprehended in GSF operations to be subsequently referred to child protection actors and not detained with adults; (2) for survivors of sexual violence to be referred to protection and support services; (3) cooperating with the Haitian judiciary, as appropriate, to ensure that apprehended gang members are dealt with in a manner that upholds the rule of law.
• In consultation with the Force Commander and troop and police contributing countries, ensuring effective and transparent conduct and discipline procedures for the national contingents operating in Haiti within the GSF framework. This will include implementation of a compliance mechanism, building on the mechanism created under the MSS, to prevent, investigate, address and publicly report violations or abuses of human rights, including tackling sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, related to the GSF.
• Ensuring mechanisms are in place to address any alleged violations by GSF personnel and ensure a safe survivor-and-victim centered response, including establishing safe and accessible complaint and referral mechanisms, and timely investigations of all allegations of misconduct.
• Ensuring partnership mechanisms within Haiti are in place as soon as possible to enable the SR and CoS to engage with the government of Haiti (Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice and Haiti National Police - HNP (Police Nationale d'Haiti - PNH), the United Nations system (BINUH, UN Humanitarian Coordinator / Resident Coordinator and UNSOH) and the OAS (SECURE-Haiti project).

The DCoS is responsible for the following Office of the SR administration and support related tasks:

• Establishing strong working relationship with the Head of UNSOH and the UN Trust Fund management mechanism to ensure budgetary requirements of the Office of the SR and across the GSF are reflected in budget planning.
• Ensuring that the GSF budgetary requirements related to logistics support are understood by UNSOH officials who will defend the budget proposal to the UN General Assembly.
• Ensuring that the GSF budgetary requirements related to those activities and functions outside operational support are understood by the UN Trust Fund and SGP GSF management entities.
• Ensuring entity heads within the Office of SR are familiar with the UN (UNSOH and UN Trust Fund) and SGP budgetary processes so that they can competently inform budget submissions.
• Ensuring entity heads within the Office of SR develop budgets for their respective entities that enable production of work plans designed to advance the GSF’s strategic objectives.
• Ensuring individual work plans and budgets within the Office of the SR reflect the overall priorities of the GSF plan.
• Assisted by the UNSOH Liaison Officer, ensure operational support provided meets the requirements of the Office of the SR for the civilian component and the Force Headquarters and troop and police contributing countries for the uniformed component. Ensure GSF forecasting of requirements are timely and achievable while ensuring UNSOH can have ready access to the necessary GSF data, verifications, detailed requirements forecast and priorities in a timely manner.

Acts on behalf of the CoS during the absence of the CoS from the GSF area of responsibility.

The DCoS may be requested by the CoS to perform other duties, as required.






CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.