Protection & Coordination Associate

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. Protection & Coordination Associate   Location Lebanon Field Office Type of Appointment Contractor Deadline for Application 30 December 2012 Vacancy Announcement Number 936/2012 Department/Division Director’s Office - Protection Unit   MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES In accordance with established Agency policy and procedures, the Project Engineer is responsible for: (A)     Through interviews with Palestine Refugees from Syria (PRS) at pre-defined locations, monitor, document and track protection concerns reported; (B)     Provide on-the-spot direction to PRS seeking protection advice and humanitarian services from UNRWA and other service providers at drop-in/legal awareness sessions; (C)     Provide PRS referrals to UNRWA’s Legal Aid Coordinator (LAC) for further legal counseling when necessary; (D)     Act as bridge between LAC and PRS, following up case management and ensuring adequate closure of cases; (E)     Capacity build UNRWA frontline staff so that they are aware of the protection concerns facing PRS and of UNRWA’s responses; (F)      Provide regular written and verbal updates to LAC, Coordination Officer (Protection) and FPO on key issues and concerns expressed by PRS in order to: feed into the development of an adequate response and the identification of referral mechanisms; be raised in coordination meetings for awareness raising and response identification; feed into the development of communications materials advising PRS of their rights and the services available to them (G)     Act as focal point in areas for the dissemination of information, verbal and written, regarding the response by UNRWA, and other external stakeholders, to the protection concerns experienced by PRS (H)     Attend area coordination meetings and provide briefings to stakeholders including popular committees, local and international NGOs, community-based and civil society organizations; (I)        Collect information for test cases on protection interventions (to be provided to Coordination Officer (Protection)).   PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES (A)   Academic and Professional A university degree or equivalent training in political science, sociology, law, international law/international studies and/or relations, public administration, journalism or related area   (B)   Experience i)        One-two years of relevant work experience in humanitarian affairs, inter-agency coordination or refugee/IDP affairs in a UN agency, non-governmental organizations, or human rights organisation or which at least 1 year was spent working in the field. ii)      Demonstrated experience in collecting and disseminating information   (C)   Language Demonstrated oral and written fluency in Arabic and excellent written and spoken English   (D)   Skills and Competencies i)        A commitment to UN values of non-discrimination on the basis of race, gender, economic status, or religion ii)      Excellent communication skills: able to listen to and correctly interpret messages from others and able to tailor language, tone and style to match audience when disseminating information iii)     Ability to work under pressure and in challenging conditions iv)     Ability to work effectively within a team as well as work independently without close supervision v)       Willingness to work in Palestinian refugee camps vi)     Flexible, able to assess and analyse situations quickly, objectively and prudently; vii)    Computer literate   DESIRABLE QUALIFICATION i)        Knowledge of UNRWA’s operations inLebanon. ii)      Experience of working withPalestinerefugees iii)     Experience in communicating with a variety of audiences   CONDITIONS OF SERVICE Salary: Monthly salary (full package) USD $2,000.- Contract Duration: Five Months (Renewable depending on funding Availability)   EQUIVALENCY Candidates with an equivalent combination of relevant academic qualifications, professional training and progressive work experience may also be considered.   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. Priority will be given to fully qualify registered Palestinian refugees. Prior to the commencement of services,the consultant shall confirm and acknowledge in writing,and provide proof of the existence of,self-procured adequate private insurance against medical,disability and accident for the duration of the contract. 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 staff members with fixed term appointments may not be considered for any consultant/contractor position while in service. Candidates who are no longer employed by the Agency must have a minimum of 3 months break in service before they applying to any consultant/contract positions.   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 staffs 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. UNWA 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.   TECHNICAL & PRACTICAL TESTS REQUIRED: Short-listed candidates will sit for one test: Written technical test (100%). The top 10 scoring candidates in the written technical test given that none have scored less than 50%; will be invited to interview.    HOW TO APPLY If you have got 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. 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     Date of issue:  21 December 2012