Administration 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. Administration Officer   Location North LebanonArea Type of Appointment Fixed Term – One year (Project Funded) Deadline for Application 27 August 2012 Vacancy Announcement Number 50/2012 Grade 14 Department/Division Office of the Field Director/Nahr El-Bared Project Management Unit   MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES In accordance with Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent:   (A)     Supervises the projects’ administration and co-ordinates its various functions including mail services, premises management and maintenance, telephone, manage office supplies and consumables; works with programme supervisors to ensure the proper compliance with the Agency administrative policy; (B)     in performing administrative support duties, manages and updates filing system and archives on all related activities to ensure full integrity of procedures and accountability; (C)     Drafts correspondence, prepares monthly and periodic reports and statistical data relating to, (procurement, building maintenance and repair; vehicles, generator maintenance and management; co-ordinates with other departments and divisions for obtaining materials and information, as required; (D)     Supervises dispatcher services for the project which includes supervision of logistics and transport arrangements; (E)     Liaises with contractors and services providers to ensure quality services deliver to the project; (F)      Prepares and issues bid documents, and negotiates contracts; (G)     Works with project finance office to maintain records and ensures timely payment of accounts payable; (H)      In coordination with the safety and security unit, assists with the implementation of office security requirements in Project installations; to ensure overall compliance with UN security standards; (I)        Performs such other duties as may be required.   PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES (A)     Academic and Professional        A University degree in public or business administration, management sciences, or other related discipline.   (B)     Experience Four year’s experience related to office management, personnel, procurement, logistics, general administration.   (C)     Language Excellent command of spoken and written English and Arabic;   (D)     Competencies (i)        Ability to develop clear goals and identify priority activities and assignments; (ii)       Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others in team environment and with people of diverse backgrounds, culture and nationalities; (iii)     Demonstrated skills in planning, budgetary control, and monitoring performance; (iv)      Demonstrated skills in the use of computers and standard software applications used by the Agency.   DESIRABLE QUALIFICAYIONS Knowledge of UNRWA internal systems, rules, and regulations.     CONDITIONS OF SERVICE: Salary: Monthly basic salary L.L. 1,992,658 - Contract Duration: Fixed term – One year (Project Funded) 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 When the minimum requirements are not fully met, the Director of Human Resources, in consultation with Director of UNRWA Affairs,Lebanon, may exceptionally substitute part of the unmet requirements with a combination of relevant academic qualifications, 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.   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. 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 two tests: 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 to 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. 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