Public Information Officer

UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST – UNRWA   UNRWA is the United Nations agency responsible for the protection, care and human development of a population of some 4.6 millionPalestinerefugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank,Jordan,Lebanon, and theSyrianArabRepublic. The Agency is committed to assistingPalestinerefugees in maintaining a decent standard of living, acquiring appropriate knowledge and skills, enjoying the fullest possible extent of human rights, and leading a long and healthy life. UNRWA is by far the largest UN operation in theMiddle Eastwith over 29,000 staff. Most of the staff members are refugees themselves, working directly to benefit their communities – as teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers. Public Information Officer   Location Lebanon Field Office Type of Appointment Fixed Term – till August 2014 Deadline for Application 15 July 2013 Vacancy Announcement Number 38/2013 Grade 16 Department/Division Office of the Field Director   MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES In accordance with Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent:   (A)     Supervises the routing activities of the Public Information Office, including monitoring the daily press and production of the daily/weekly press reviews and monthly situation reports checking translations of press summaries and other documents; responding to requests for information, briefing visitors and journalists and speaking to groups, organizing exhibitions; and distributing Field and Headquarters public information materials; (B)     Coordinates the compilation of Field information and the drafting of test in English and Arabic for use by Headquarters Public Information Officer in Agency-wide information materials including for the web site and contributions to the staff newsletter; (C)     Maintains regular contact with local and international media representatives; keeps the press informed of the Agency’s activities to promote better understanding and coverage of the Agency’s work, and to encourage the media to use UNRWA as a source of information on registered refugees; (D)     Produces Field public information materials including press releases, texts for publications and articles, and reports from the Agency’s Area of Operations to be used by the media and by governmental and non-governmental organizations;  (E)     Establishes and maintains relations with refugee and camp representatives; (F)      Acts as the spokesperson for the Field Office Director in the Field in coordination with the Spokesperson Office; (G)     Advises the Field Office Director, Spokesperson and Deputy Spokesperson/Arabic Spokesperson and the Headquarters Public Information Office on public relations and information opportunities and needs in the Field of assignment; (H)     Establishes and maintains relations with inter-governmental organizations, research centers, NGOs and groups using or disseminating Agency information materials; provides support for the Front Office including establishing communications with government authorities and diplomatic missions; (I)        Performs other duties as may be assigned.   PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES (A)   Academic and Professional        A University degree in journalism, communications, public relations or other related discipline.   (B)   Experience Six years experience in the application of the knowledge acquired in (A) above in a large national or international organization. Experience should include writing for publications in Arabic and English and knowledge of and contact with the international media.   (C)   Language        Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic.       (D)   Competencies i)      Ability to translate and interpret accurately from and into Arabic and English; ii)     Knowledge and ability to use a variety of computer software e.g Word, Power Point, Excel, Page Maker, Corel Draw and internet; iii)   Knowledge of contemporary issues of theMiddle East; iv)    Ability to work rapidly under pressure.   DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS i)      Knowledge of Agency operations. ii)     Working knowledge of French. iii)   Possession of a valid driving licence   ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Incumbent will be routinely required to work rapidly under pressure, at irregular hours when necessary, and will be required to travel to refugee camps and Agency installations in the Field.   CONDITIONS OF SERVICE Salary: Monthly basic salary L.L. 2,420,086- PLUS 34.31% SOA (Special Occupational Allowance) Contract Duration: Fixed term – till August 2014 Holidays: 30 days annual leave Dependency allowance: Dependent spouse: L.L 60,000 per month     Dependent child: L.L 33,000 per month Pension:  Provident Fund contribution   EQUIVALENCY Candidates with an equivalent combination of relevant academic qualifications, professional training and progressive work experience may also be considered.   RECRUITMENT PROCESS The Recruitment process is based on the Agency’s strategy to obtain the best qualified and suitable employees through a competitive recruitment process. After the deadline for receiving applications, all applications will be reviewed by the Human Resources Office and the Hiring Department.  Short-listed candidates who fully meet the required criteria shall undergo technical/practical tests and the candidates with the highest passing scores will then be invited to interview (see “Technical and Practical Tests Required” below). The final recommendation for selection is based on the test results, interview assessment, Agency priorities and needs and the candidates’ profiles. For all posts, the weight allocated for the technical/practical tests (listed below) is 60% and for the interview is 40%.    GENERAL INFORMATION UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications equally from men and women. It is Agency Policy to give full consideration to qualified disabled candidates whose disability does not impact their ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of the post.   As a member of the United Nations system, UNRWA maintains a close relatives’ policy.  In this regard, if a candidate has a close relative (mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter) who is already employed by the Agency, he/she can only be employed if the Agency is unable to find another suitable candidate.   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 working environment. الأونروا هي منظمة تابعة للأمم المتحدة، وهي منظمة تفترض من موظفيها الالتزام بأعلى معايير الاستقامة والحياد والنزاهة. ويشمل ذلك احترام مبادئ حقوق الإنسان واحترام التنوع وتبني الوسائل غير العنيفة في حل كافة أشكال النزاعات.  المتوقع من موظفي الأونروا أن يقوموا بدعم هذه القيم في كافة الأوقات، سواء في أماكن العمل أم خارجه. إن أولئك الأشخاص الذين يتمتعون بالالتزام الكامل وغير المشروط بهذه القيم هم فقط الذين ينبغي أن يتقدموا بطلباتهم للعمل لدى الأونروا. الأنروا هي بيئه عمل لا يسمح فيها بالتدخين.   Where there are two or more equally qualified candidates, selection preference will normally be given to internal candidates, Palestine Refugees and candidates of the under-represented gender. If the post is a project funded post (this will be indicated in the vacancy), an internal candidate with a temporary-indefinite or fixed-term appointment selected for this post will not retain his/her current contractual status and entitlements in accordance with current letter of appointment and applicable Area Staff Rules. The Agency maintains the discretion to fill future vacancies for this position from the roster without re-advertising the vacancy.     TECHNICAL & PRACTICAL TESTS REQUIRED Short-listed candidates will sit for one test: Computer based technical test (100%).   The top 5 scoring candidates in the computer based technical test given that none have scored less than 50%, will be invited for an interview.    HOW TO APPLY If you have the skills and experience required above, and want to make an active and lasting contribution to improving the lives of Palestinerefugees, then register on http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile and completing the UNRWA Personal History Form. Only applications received through this website will be considered and the system will not allow applications after the deadline. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. Candidates may also be invited to take a technical exam in order further evaluate their qualifications for the post. Due to a high volume of applications received, only short-listed applicants will be contacted –“سيتم الإتصال فقط بالأشخاص الذين تنطبق عليهم متطلبات الوظيفة”. The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. The United Nations does not concern itself with information on bank accounts. For any queries please send an email to: recruitmentquestions@unrwa.org. Please apply as requested above, do not send your CV To this email address, all cvs sent to this email address will be automatically ignored. يرجى تقديم الطلبات حسب التعليمات اعلاها وعدم ارسال السيرة الذاتية الى هذا البريد الالكتروني, سيتم تجاهل السير الذاتية التي ترسل الى هذا العنوان تلقائيا.     Date of issue: 02 July 2013