Assistant Operations Support 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 million Palestine refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and the Syrian Arab Republic. The Agency is committed to assisting Palestine refugees 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 the Middle East with 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. Assistant Operations Support Officer   Location Tyre Area Type of Appointment Fixed Term – Project funded Deadline for Application 26 October 2014 Vacancy Announcement Number 64/2014 Grade 12 Department/Division Office of the director – Protection Unit   MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES In accordance with Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent: (A)     Assists in monitoring and reporting on: i)     the living conditions of Palestine refugees and other persons of concern to UNRWA; ii)    their access to humanitarian services provided by UNRWA and other humanitarian actors in Lebanon, that affect the dignity, physical safety, welfare and protection of Palestine refugees and other persons of concern to UNRWA; iii)  Daily constraints on UNRWA operations and staff in the    field. (B)     Assists in gathering information and data: i)      with a view to ensure integrity in the application and implementation of UNRWA policies and procedures related to beneficiaries; ii)     that will contribute to adequate identification of vulnerable beneficiaries and to monitor and ensure the provision of humanitarian and protection services. (C)     Assists in inspecting UNRWA's property and other assets that the Agency controls, including UNRWA’s facilities, to ensure that they are used only as intended; (D)     Assists the OSO (Operations Support Officer) in gathering information and data on the humanitarian services provided by other organisations and local authorities, for the purpose of strategic and humanitarian programming and response; (E)     Assists the OSO in communication: i)      explaining UNRWA's humanitarian and protection mandate to the refugee community, advising on  issues related to the Agency's facilities; ii)     the purpose of UNRWA’s mandate and programmes, when briefing and accompanying visitors and donors during field visits; iii)United Nations core values of neutrality and impartiality. (F)      Assists in preparing and editing weekly OSO reports and field notes; (G)     Performs such other duties as may be assigned.   PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES (A)   Academic and Professional A university degree from a recognised university-level academic institution, preferably in social sciences, political affairs, international relations, law or a related field.   (B)   Experience At least two years of experience in humanitarian/relief emergency operations, human rights affairs or other related discipline.   (C)   Language        Excellent command of spoken and written English and Arabic.       (D)   Competencies i)      Very good communication skills and ability to draft/edit a variety of written reports, studies and other correspondence in English and Arabic; ii)     Flexible, able to assess and analyse situations quickly, objectively and prudently; iii)   Ability to build and sustain effective work relationships with refugee population, UNRWA staff, community leaders, partners and local authorities to achieve common goals; iv)    Ability to work under pressure, flexible hours and as part of a team; v)     Articulate, politically aware while remaining impartial and discreet at all times; considering the safety and security of personnel; vi)    Computer skills (Microsoft Office applications).   DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS i)      Experience with radio communication equipment and procedures; ii)     Knowledge of UNRWA’s operations in Lebanon.   ADDITIONAL INFORMATION i)      The incumbent must possess a valid driving licence; s/he will be required to travel within the field in performance of his/her duties. ii)     May be required to work beyond normal duty hours.   CONDITIONS OF SERVICE Salary: Monthly basic salary L.L. 1,925,139.- Contract Duration: Fixed term – Project funded for ten months, extendable according to the availability of funds. 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.  Only Short-listed candidates who fully meet the required criteria shall be contacted and 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%.  ملاحظة: سيتم الاتصال فقط بالمتقدمين الذين يستوفون الشروط المطلوبة للوظيفة..   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.   Referring to PD A/2/REV.4 – 3.1.2. para. (b), which states that staff members, with indefinite appointment who are applying for this post, may return to their original posts, or to similar posts, if those posts will exist and are vacant. This reassignment shall be made at the staff members’ former grade level. However, the step level will be adjusted to account for the number of years in the fixed-term post. Otherwise, their status will be governed by the relevant provisions of Personnel Directive A/9 on Redundancy.   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. The Agency maintains the discretion to fill future vacancies for this position from the roster without re-advertising the vacancy.   As an Area post, preference will be given to local candidates already based in the duty station of the post.   TECHNICAL & PRACTICAL TESTS REQUIRED Short-listed candidates will sit for two tests: Written technical test (100%). Computer test (Pass/Fail), which includes (Basic Level: MS Word, MS Excel)   The top 5 scoring candidates in the written technical test given that (i) none have scored less than 50%, and (ii) none have failed the computer test, 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 Palestine refugees, then register on http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile and completing the UNRWA Personal History Form; it is the responsibility of the candidates (internal and external) to make sure that their Personal History Form is duly completed with the needed information before they apply as amendments to the Form will not be accepted after the deadline of the vacancy announcement. 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. or contact the recruitment unit on 009611840490.       Date of issue: 13 October 2014