UN job grades explained: P, D, G, NO and FS

A UN grade belongs to a post. It is not a general seniority rating awarded to a person. A candidate with 12 years of experience does not automatically qualify for every P-5 vacancy, and a G-7 post is not a lower version of a P-2 post. The categories cover different kinds of work and use different recruitment rules.

The International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) defines the common framework used by organizations in the UN common system. Each organization applies staffing rules and publishes its own vacancies. The opening remains the controlling source for education, experience, language and eligibility.

Professional and Director grades

The Professional category has five grades: P-1 through P-5. Above them are the Director grades, D-1 and D-2. The ICSC also includes Assistant Secretary-General and Under-Secretary-General, or equivalent levels in some organizations, in the Professional and higher salary structure.

P and D posts concern substantive programmes, management, general administration and language services. They normally require university-level knowledge or an equivalent professional background. Recruitment is international, with geographical distribution considered where applicable. UN Secretariat staff in these categories are generally expected to serve at different duty stations during their careers.

The grade does not provide a standard job description. A P-3 lawyer and P-3 engineer share an evaluated level, not identical duties. ICSC classification considers matters such as complexity, role, impact and working relationships.

UN Careers publishes Secretariat experience benchmarks for P-2 through D-2. They are useful orientation, but each vacancy can add specialist requirements. Professional posts normally require an advanced degree, while many openings accept a first degree with additional qualifying experience. Some medical, language and other specialist jobs use different standards.

D-1 and D-2 are the highest grades in the career staffing structure. Directors lead programmes, set priorities and allocate resources. ASG and USG are senior appointment levels with selection routes that can differ from ordinary staff recruitment.

General Service and related categories

General Service grades generally run from G-1 to G-7. The work includes administrative support and specialized technical functions. Examples include finance assistants, programme assistants, clerical staff, laboratory technicians and building-maintenance personnel.

G staff are recruited and paid locally. Salary scales are set for each duty station in local currency under the principle of best prevailing local conditions. A G-6 in Geneva and a G-6 in Nairobi do not share one worldwide dollar salary.

Local recruitment does not always mean that only citizens may apply. At the Secretariat, candidates are generally recruited from the area of the office and may be of any nationality if they meet work-authorization and vacancy conditions. The opening may set a narrower eligibility area.

Related categories exist at particular locations. New York, for example, has separate Trades and Crafts, Security Service and Public Information Assistant categories. In other duty stations, similar work may appear under General Service.

National Professional Officers

National Professional Officer grades run from NO-A to NO-E. Vacancy systems may display NOA, NOB and so on. These are professional posts for work requiring knowledge and experience of the country of service.

The ICSC describes the category as serving functions that cannot be performed as effectively by internationally recruited staff because national knowledge is needed. Development assistance and public information are established examples, while current vacancies also cover human rights, engineering, political affairs and programme work.

Recruitment is local. The Secretariat applicant guide describes candidates as nationals and permanent residents of the country of service. Language requirements often include a national or local language.

NO staff perform professional work; they are outside the internationally recruited P category. Administrative equivalency charts used for pay or contracting do not make NO and P posts identical in recruitment, benefits or mobility.

Field Service

The Field Service category was developed for UN field operations. Its posts provide administrative, operational, technical, logistics, communications and security support. Staff are normally recruited internationally and expected to be mobile.

Formal salary and staffing documents contain FS-1 through FS-7. Current UN Careers guidance presents FS-4 through FS-7 as the four levels used for applicants. Older records and payroll documents can therefore mention FS-1, FS-2 or FS-3 even though current external openings generally start at FS-4.

Field Service is separate from General Service and the Professional category. Older administrative material has compared FS-6 and FS-7 with certain P levels, but comparison does not make the categories interchangeable. Movement between categories is subject to staffing rules.

Reading a vacancy correctly

Start with Category and Level, then check recruitment type and duty station. Read the required education, experience and languages literally. Confirm whether a first degree can replace an advanced degree and how additional years are counted.

Grade and appointment type are separate. A P-3, G-6 or NO-C post can be temporary or fixed-term. Funding and roster restrictions usually appear in the Special Notice.

For pay, use the correct official scale. ICSC publishes the worldwide Professional and higher scale and links to local General Service scales. Field Service and National Professional Officer compensation follow their applicable arrangements.

Official references: ICSC staff categories; ICSC grades and salary scales; ICSC job classification; UN Careers applicant guide.