UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY
FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST
UNRWA
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. For its international team, UNRWA is seeking to employ a qualified:
Team Leader, Operations Support Office
and Field Protection Coordinator (re-advertised)
Applicants to vacancy announcement number 13-FO-GA-38 need not re-apply.
Vacancy Announcement Number
14-FO-GA-7
Grade
P-4
Deadline for Applications
4 March 2014
Duty Station
Gaza
Under the direct supervision of the Director of UNRWA Operations in Gaza, the Team Leader, Operations Support Office and Field Protection Coordinator will be accountable for the Operations Support Office, particularly its work to support the neutrality of UNRWA operations, and for the overall leadership and accountability of protection within the field’s operations. The Deputy Director for UNRWA Operations (Programmes) in Gaza will be responsible for the senior supervision and guidance of the OSO and protection work. The incumbent of this post will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Operations Support Office in Gaza as well as for leading and co-ordinating UNRWA Gaza’s efforts to integrate the principles and practice of protection into its programmes and operations. This is a position for a mature professional in the humanitarian field who possesses a thorough understanding of humanitarian principles and operations and the programmatic and conceptual aspects of protection, and possesses the skills to translate these principles into practice for the benefit of Palestine refugees in Gaza. In addition, the incumbent and Team regularly support the Field in planning and hosting delegations when visiting Gaza. In accordance with the established Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent will:
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
· Lead the Operation Support Office, which contributes to the efficacy of the Agency’s humanitarian programmes in the Gaza Strip by proactively monitoring, documenting and reporting on the living conditions of Palestine refugees, their access to humanitarian services, threats to their welfare and protection, and Agency adherence to humanitarian principles, particularly neutrality; oversee the daily management of the Operations Support Office in accordance with the established objectives including conducting regular briefings for Operations Support Officers (OSOs) to review the events of the preceding period; plan and control the execution of all operations described in the office’s mandate and establish long term operational objectives under the supervision of the Deputy Director of UNRWA Operations (Programmes); oversee resource allocation, establish and maintain operational guidelines and issue instructions to his/her team members and administrative duties related to the assigned staff and for all logistics related to the programme;
· Lead and facilitate the implementation of the Agency protection strategy at the field level; develop/update and coordinate the implementation of the Gaza Field Office’s multi-year protection operational plan and protection work plans; monitor, document and report on protection incidents, patterns and trends and lead/advise the development of response mechanisms; assist Chiefs of Area Offices, Area Operations Officers and advise OSOs in supporting other governorate-level staff in identifying and responding to specific protection needs and well-being of refugees; ensure that rapidly changing protection and humanitarian needs are monitored and addressed during escalations of violence; provide the Director with regular, well-analyzed reports on the humanitarian conditions and protection threats of refugees and advise on decision points; ensure that UNRWA advocacy messages and strategies are well-informed by protection and operational challenges on the ground;
· Provide technical guidance to the Protection Officer (PO), ensuring that protection, including all aspects of gender, age and disability, is mainstreamed throughout UNRWA programmes, planning and service delivery; provide technical oversight to ensure programme mainstreaming work is done in accordance with Agency and international protection, gender, disability and age guidelines and best practices; together with the Senior Programme Manager (SPM), guide the Protection Officer in establishing and executing a work plan, including, inter alia, the training of programme staff and the facilitation of programme specific protection work plans; assist the SPM in designing responses to protection issues that emerge within UNRWA programmes; work in collaboration with the PO to ensure that field-level protection coordination meeting and protection reports to the Director reflect issues identified through the programme mainstreaming efforts;
· Maintain close cooperation with the Gaza Field Office (GFO) Field Security Officer (FSO) and UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) in order to brief OSOs on developments in the security situation, to guide OSOs while in the field, to inform the Agency’s protection monitoring, documentation and intervention efforts, and to ensure information gathered by the OSOs at the field level relevant to developing and maintaining UNRWA’s security situation awareness is shared with the Director of UNRWA Operations (DUO), Deputy Directors of UNRWA Operations (DDUOs), Field Security Officer (FSO) and UN DSS on a daily or real-time basis;
· Serve as the protection focal point for actors external to the UNRWA Gaza office; liaise and attend the Protection Cluster; coordinate with OHCHR, OCHA, relevant NGOs and other protection partners in the Gaza Strip; collaborate with OHCHR and others in planning and hosting human rights delegation visits and other protection-focused delegations when visiting Gaza such as special rapporteurs;
· Monitor political and operational developments in the Gaza Strip, the occupied Palestinian territory and the region, particularly in relation to the development of law and policy in the area of refugees’ protection.
Professional Knowledge and Experience
· Advanced university degree from an accredited educational institution in political or social sciences or law, or related discipline;
· A minimum of eight years of professional relevant experience managing or supporting the day-to-day work of a large-scale humanitarian operation, as well as in protection operations in emergency contexts, including two years of experience outside one’s home country;
· Excellent command of written and spoken English.
Competencies
§ Excellent interpersonal skills, mature, independent, disciplined, loyal, self-confident and self-assured;
§ Excellent analysis, communication, negotiation skills and demonstrated ability to handle sensitive situations diplomatically;
· Ability to work under pressure and within a team;
§ Flexible, able to assess and analyse situations quickly, objectively and prudently;
§ Politically aware while remaining neutral, impartial and discreet at all times;
§ Strong knowledge of and exposure to a range of human rights issues to include approaches and techniques to address sensitive problems;
§ Ability to establish priorities and to plan work assignments.
Desirable Qualifications
· Experience in applying knowledge of public international law, particularly of international refugee law, international humanitarian law and international human rights law;
· Practical experience in ways of putting operational protection principles within a human development framework;
· Experience working or leading protection efforts in an acute complex emergency;
· Knowledge and understanding of the Palestine refugees situation in the political context of the Middle East and specifically in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt);
§ Familiarity with relevant parts of the UN system (OHCHR, UNHCR, UNICEF, OCHA);
§ Working knowledge of Arabic.
Equivalency
When the minimum requirements are not fully met, the Director of Human Resources may exceptionally substitute part of the unmet requirements with a combination of relevant academic qualification, additional professional training and progressive relevant work experience. NB: Work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination.
Conditions of Service
UNRWA offers an attractive compensation package including annual salary starting at $72,605 net tax free with dependants or $67,611 single, plus post adjustment of 61.7% (subject to change without notice). Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include education grant, dependency allowance, home leave, pension fund, health insurance and 6 weeks of annual leave. Staff members based in Gaza are entitled to additional benefits, subject to eligibility, including Extended Monthly Security Evacuation Allowance, and R&R leave, currently every 8 weeks (according to the UN classification of the duty station) but subject to change without notice. While Gaza is a non-family duty station, eligible staff members may set up a second household in a nearby location to have their family nearby. Initial contract is for one year, with the possibility of further extensions subject to the availability of funds and the continuing need for the post.
How to Apply
To start the application process, applicants are required to register at http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile and completing UNRWA Personal History Form. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. Only applications received through http://jobs.unrwa.org will be considered. Due to the large number of applications received for UNRWA vacancies, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted.
The United Nations does not charge fees at any stage of the recruitment process (application, testing, interviewing, etc). The United Nations does not concern itself with information related to bank accounts.
General Information
UNRWA encourages applications from qualified and experienced women.
UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.
UNRWA is a United Nations organization whose staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity, and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. UNRWA staff are expected to uphold these values at all times, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.
The Agency reserves the right not to make an appointment, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description.
On appointment, all individuals will be asked to sign a self attestation, confirming that they have not committed, been convicted of, or prosecuted for, any criminal offence and that they have not been involved, by act or omission, in the commission of any violation of international human rights law or international humanitarian law.
Date of issue: 3 February 2014/LAN
