Community Credit Assistant

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. Community Credit Assistant   Location North LebanonArea Type of Appointment -       Fixed Term (1 person) -       Employment Roster (5 persons) Deadline for Application 27 August 2012 Vacancy Announcement Number 48/2012 Grade 10 Department/Division Relief & Social Services Department   MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES In accordance with Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent:   (A)   Assists in the initial screening of prospective borrowers for starts up and existing businesses, including explaining the loan application form, analyzing the loan request and visits the business;    (B)   Prepares feasibility studies and raises recommendations to the Income Generation Officer in respect of proposed projects;   (C)   Monitors existing businesses and reports progress thereof to Income Generation Officer;   (D)   Provides enterprise counseling to borrowers mainly borrowers in arrears and deals with problem loans;   (E)   Carries out surveys on market needs and micro-enterprise possibilities in the respective area.   (F)   Maintains up-to-date data on applications, borrowers and implemented businesses in the respective area;   (G)  Prepares monthly reports on Programme activities in the area.   (H)   Performs such other duties as may be assigned.   PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES A.    Academic and Professional        University degree in Economics, Finance, Business Administration, Social Development or related field.   B.    Experience        Two years experience in micro-enterprise development activities.        . C.    Languages:          Good command of spoken and written English and Arabic.   D.    Competencies:          i)    Good communication and negotiation skills, sound judgment and demonstrated problem-solving skills;        ii)   Good analytical and reporting ability;        iii)  Ability to operate standard computer software;        iv)  Ability to work under pressure and challenging conditions;        v)   Knowledge of the Near East environment and culture           DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS        i)    Previous experience with UNRWA or other UN Agency;        ii)   Special training in small business development and/or micro-credit;        ii)   Experience in working with internally displaced or refugee population. CONDITIONS OF SERVICE Salary: Monthly basic salary: L.L. 1,455,058.- Contract Duration: Fixed term-Three years 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. 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: For short-listed candidates, the following tests will be conducted: Written technical test (100%). Computer test (Pass/Fail), which includes MS Excel.  The top 20 scoring candidates, given that none have scored less than 50% on any of the tests; will be invited for an 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. 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