Jobs - 61493- UNRWA Junior Professional Officer (JPO)

UNRWA Junior Professional Officer (JPO) - Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff

Lieu :

Amman, JORDANIE

Type de contrat :

FTA International

Date de commencement :

01-Mar-2016

Date limite de candidature :

29-Nov-15 (Minuit New York, États-Unis)

Niveau du poste :

P-2

Durée du contrat initial

One year extendable

Langues requises :

Anglais

Durée prévue de la mission :

Initially one year with the possibility to extend up to 3 years

Le PNUD s’engage à recruter un personnel divers en termes de genre, de nationalité et de culture. Nous encourageons de même les personnes issues des minorités ethniques, des communautés autochtones ou handicapées à postuler. Toutes les candidatures seront traitées dans la plus stricte confidentialité. Le PNUD ne tolère pas l’exploitation et / ou les atteintes sexuelles, ni aucune forme de harcèlement, y compris le harcèlement sexuel, et / ou toutes formes de discrimination. Tous/tes les candidats/tes selectectionnes /ées devront ainsi se soumettre à de rigoureuses vérifications relatives aux références fournies ainsi qu’à leurs antécédents.

Historique

Note: This post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the Netherlands and is addressed exclusively to candidates from developing countries. Candidates MUST BE NATIONALS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THAT APPEAR ON THE LIST OF THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES FOR THE DUTCH JPO PROGRAMME:

http://www.nedworcfoundation.nl/pdf/List%20of%20eligible%20developing%20countries%20-%202015.pdf

For criteria see the website of Nedworc Foundation: http://www.nedworcfoundation.nl/Index.htm?hoofdpath=/NL/JPO/General%20Information.htm&hoofdhash

Please read the criteria and FAQ section carefully before considering applying.

Background information on UNRWA

UNRWA employs some 30,000 area and international staff across five fields of operation (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and Gaza Strip).

The challenges facing UNRWA are considerable, including those arising from the increasingly unstable context in which UNRWA operates, a reality driven home by the long-term catastrophic conflict in Syria and the 2014 50-day war in Gaza, with impacts spilling across borders. Even outside the devastating impacts of multiple conflict-driven crises, conditions on the ground throughout the region pose an enormous challenge for Palestine refugees and UNRWA. The occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continues to constrain life for refugees in extreme ways. In Gaza, the illegal blockade has had a ruinous effect on the economy and the Strip is faced with the prospect of becoming unliveable unless urgent remedial action is taken. The situation for Palestine refugees in Lebanon is exacerbated by a lack of rights and socio-economic exclusion. In Jordan, Palestine refugees also face hardships, including increasing numbers living in abject poverty. These factors together point to the unsustainability of the Palestine refugee situation.

Against this backdrop, UNRWA faces ever increasing demands of Palestine refugees for critical services essential to their human development, i.e., health, education, social services, protection, and emergency assistance. However, the consequences of the global economic recession have resulted in a situation where voluntary contributions to UNRWA cannot keep pace with the legitimate demand for services, requiring UNRWA to enter a period of transformational change and austerity, whilst keeping the needs of Palestine refugees front and center.

The Executive Office aims to lead and sustain change Agency-wide, manage high-level strategic decision-making, be a catalyst for cooperation Agency-wide and manage sensitive issues and diverse risks deriving from both the external and internal environment. Within this context, the Chief of Staff has central organizational responsibility and contributes to driving corporate operational management with a focus on decision-making processes and implementation of strategic policy decisions, in addition to managing the Executive Office team and providing high-level advice on strategic, policy, management and representation issues.

Information on living conditions at Duty Station

Place of assignment is Amman, Jordan with frequent travel to Jerusalem in the occupied Palestinian territory and occasional travel to other Fields of Operation.

Amman is a family duty station (Security Level: Low - 2 ) according to the assessment of the UN Department of Safety and Security. There are no specific security threats. Amman is an easy city in which to live; large, many amenities, modern and serviced by an international airport.

Devoirs et responsabilités

General

The Special Assistant provides support and assistance to the Chief of Staff in the day-to-day performance of her/his management, coordination, supervision, and leadership functions, and as needed to other senior officials in the Executive Office, including the Commissioner-General. This encompasses the full spectrum of functions and tasks of the Executive Office, including vision and direction; organizational design; governance and decision-making; policy and practice; operational oversight; internal stakeholder engagement; and advocacy and external stakeholder engagement. The Special Assistant contributes to the timely flow of information to, from and within the Executive Office and the rest of the Agency. Support tasks are often of an urgent nature and require simultaneous actions in coordination with multiple counterparts.

Responsibility 1

Provide assistance and advice to the Chief of Staff on various regional political and social issues, Agency-related operational and policy matters, development and humanitarian assistance, humanitarian principles such as neutrality, and other areas identified by the Chief of Staff, with special attention to review of diverse documents and reports submitted to the EO for approval and clearance, as well as monitoring follow up in relation to the Executive Office's programme of work. (25%)

Responsibility 2

Assist the Chief of Staff in developing background materials and briefing notes related to Agency's service delivery, programme planning and operations, and advocacy. (15%)

Responsibility 3

Assist the Chief of Staff in tracking and following up on issues raised by internal stakeholders to the EO, as well as processing austerity measure approvals from throughout the Agency. (10%)

Responsibility 4

Provide substantive and organizational support to the Chief of Staff in preparing internal and external meetings on a range of issues (including governance/decision-making meetings, management meetings, coordination meetings, UN meetings, stakeholder meetings, donor and host country meetings, etc.,), including preparation of agendas, schedules, briefing notes, minutes, and action points. This includes preparing inputs to correspondence (with high ranking state officials and senior staff of UN and other international bodies), policy memoranda, management guidance and other sensitive communications, as well as relevant liaison with UNRWA HQ Departments and Field Offices. (30%)

Responsibility 5

Keeps abreast of key issues facing UNRWA and Palestine refugees and advises Chief of Staff of possible follow up actions. (10%)

Responsibility 6

Performs such other duties as may be required. (10%)

Compétences

Key competencies

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
Positive attitude and strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills;
Proven ability to independently plan, organize, and prioritize own work, work well under tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent activities;
Proven ability in drafting and editing in English, particularly in analytical writing, report writing, minutes, and written communication on policy, operational and organizational development matters;
Proven ability to exercise initiative and resourcefulness necessary for prioritizing and completing multiple activities whilst maintaining a high quality work product;
Ability to develop clear goals and identify priority activities and assignments.
Well-developed organizational skills.
Proficiency in computer applications including internet, word processing, spreadsheets and databases.
Knowledge of contemporary political and social issues of the Middle East.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education:

Master degree or equivalent in political or social sciences, or other related field.

A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in combination with qualifying experience (4 years of relevant working experience, but not more than 5 years) may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Part of the candidate's academic training must have taken place in a developing country that appears on the following list of eligible countries of the Dutch JPO Programme.

http://www.nedworcfoundation.nl/pdf/List%20of%20eligible%20developing%20countries%20-%202015.pdf

Working experience

2 to maximum 4 years relevant working experience in the specific sector of responsibility or related areas at the international level.

Languages

Excellent command of spoken and written English; must be able to draft and edit in English at a high professional level.
Basic knowledge of Arabic is a strong asset.

How to Apply

This post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the Netherlands and is addressed exclusively to candidates from developing countries. Candidates MUST BE NATIONALS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES THAT APPEAR ON THE LIST OF THE FOLLOWING ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES FOR THE DUTCH JPO PROGRAMME:

http://www.nedworcfoundation.nl/pdf/List%20of%20eligible%20developing%20countries%20-%202015.pdf

Please complete the P11 form http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.docx and attach it with a cover letter to your online application. Kindly note that applications without a filled in and signed P11 are not considered complete and will not be reviewed.

For more details about this vacancy and the JPO Programme, please visit http://www.jposc.undp.org

Applicants will receive acknowledgement of receipt of their submission.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.