Vacancy Announcement Number: 12-HQ-JR-62
Grade: P-4
Deadline for Applications: 13 November 2012
Duty Station: Jerusalem
Reporting to the Commissioner-General, who carries the rank of United
Nations Under-Secretary-General, the Special Assistant to the
Commissioner-General is responsible for
providing support and assistance to the Commissioner-General in the day-to-day
performance of his/her management, supervision and leadership functions.
In accordance with UNRWA policy and procedures, the incumbent will:
Primary Duties and
Responsibilities
· Provide the Commissioner-General with analysis, advice and support
with regards to his/her management of the largest UN organization operating in
the Middle East, including on political, policy
and operational issues. Draft, for review and signature by the
Commissioner-General, correspondence on matters of concern to his/her Office,
including, but not limited to, correspondence with high ranking State officials
and senior staff of UN and other international bodies;
· Ensure optimal preparation for and follow up on the
Commissioner-General’s contacts with internal and external
interlocutors;
· Undertake research and writing (including presentations, talking
points, speeches, minutes, and notes for the record) on a wide range of
strategic programmatic and operational issues of concern to the office of the
Commissioner-General;
· Liaise closely with the UNRWA External Relations and Communications
Department on fundraising action plans, as well as communication strategies,
providing feedback and guidance in the preparation of clearance by senior
management;
· Follow-up as required on the implementation of decisions and on other
matters referred by the Commissioner-General to departments and offices at
headquarters and the fields and contributes to the optimal flow of information
to, from and within the Executive Office and the rest of the Agency. Provide advice and assistance on organizational
and managerial effectiveness and efficiency;
· Represent the Office of the Commissioner-General and/or UNRWA at
meetings and conferences. Maintain contacts and liaise with UN offices,
specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations and other external UNRWA
interlocutors, including donor countries. Act as secretary for specific
meetings;
· Manage consultancy contracts on behalf of the Office of the
Commissioner-General.
Professional Knowledge and Experience
·
Advanced university
degree in political science, social sciences, law or related
subject;
·
A minimum of eight years
of relevant professional experience, including a minimum of three years of
international experience;
·
Excellent command of
written and spoken English.
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.
Competencies
·
Ability to establish and
maintain effective working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic
environment with sensitivity and respect of
diversity;
·
Ability to independently
plan and prioritize own work, work well under tight deadlines and handle
multiple concurrent activities;
·
Positive attitude and
strong analytical, interpersonal and communication
skills;
·
Proven excellence in
drafting, particularly in analytical writing, report writing, and written
communication on policy, operational and organizational development
matters;
·
High levels of political
and organizational awareness;
·
Proven ability to
exercise the initiative and resourcefulness necessary for prioritizing multiple
clusters/components;
·
Ability to develop clear
goals and identify priority activities and
assignments;
·
Knowledge of contemporary
issues of the Middle East, especially in the countries hosting Palestine refugees.
Desirable Qualifications
·
Knowledge of UN Rules and
Directives, or other similar framework, and of the sources from which they are
compiled;
·
Good command of Arabic or
French along with other UN languages;
·
Familiarity with resource
mobilization efforts, including with emerging donors and public
communications;
·
Working knowledge and
experience of the Agency’s operations in the Middle
East, and knowledge of Middle Eastern
culture.
Additional Information
The
incumbent will be based in Jerusalem and will be required to travel
throughout UNRWA’s areas of operation in the Middle East as well as
internationally.
Conditions of Service
UNRWA
offers an attractive compensation package including annual salary starting at
$72,467
net
tax free with dependants or $67,483 single plus post adjustment of
52.3% (subject to change without notice). Other benefits, subject to
eligibility, include education grant, dependency allowance, home leave, pension
fund, health insurance, and 6 weeks’ annual leave. All UNRWA duty stations (with the exception of Gaza and Syria) are family duty stations.
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.
UNRWA does not charge a fee at any stage in the recruitment
process.
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 human rights, for
diversity, and for 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.
Date of issue: 14 October 2012/CM
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