Responsibilities:

Oversees the UNRWA Sustainable Management and Resource-efficient Transformation (SMART) project across all Agency fields of operation and related HQA Departments and Divisions. Ensures effective management, planning and coordination to achieve project goals and objectives within UNRWA rules, regulations, and donor requirement / grant condition. Develops strategies for achieving project goals; creates a detailed project plan in coordination with HQ focal points and manages progress and reporting against the plan; monitors the project’s, timeline and budget and cooperates closely with all project personnel. Manages issues and risks associated with the project (scope, time, budget, project’s impact, and outcomes) and maintains a risks and issues register. Escalates issues to the project Steering Committee in a timely manner. Oversees expenditure planning and management against the project budget and coordinates the preparation of disbursement payment requests to the German Bank for Reconstruction (KFW). Ensures accurate project documentation including expenditure reconciliation and forecasts including timely documentation of any proposed re-programing and utilization of contingencies, timelines, extension requests and other required documentation for subsequent phases of the SMART project under implementation, if any, as per the signed grant agreements. Develops and maintains effective, efficient, and regular communication, documented and otherwise, with internal stakeholder groups in all concerned Fields and HQ, as well as external stakeholder groups, including donors and governmental bodies. Serves as the entry point for donor queries in relation to the SMART project. Coordinates with concerned HQ and Field teams to prepare periodic financial progress reports, high quality narrative reports, technical briefs, status reports and other documents that may be required for internal and external stakeholders. Develops appropriate formats for all reports, compiles inputs from HQ teams, and from field staff through HQ focal team, oversees report quality, including editing and formatting as required. Provides substantive support to SMART project monitoring and evaluation processes in the Fields, in close coordination with each HQ related Department / Division and counterpart Field Project / Programme Support Office; coordinates the implementation of external evaluations and other monitoring/evaluation exercises related to the SMART project, ensuring that the appropriate logistics and administrative support are provided. Coordinates and finalizes needs assessments, concept notes and proposals for the donor(s) in coordination with Fields and relevant HQ Departments / Divisions, for any future phases of the SMART project. As required, implements re-programming requests. Contributes to the development of organizational capacity of staff recruited for the SMART project in all Fields and HQ; and facilitates access to information, knowledge, and good practices; shares information and lessons learned between the Fields on UNRWA’s Project Cycle Management processes, as needed. Coordinates with other UNRWA Departments/Offices (HQ and Field) to ensure full coordination, oversight and accountability for the advancement and implementation of relevant policies (Environmental Sustainability Policy, Environmental and Social Management Framework, Framework for Accountability to Affected Populations, etc.) within the context of the SMART Project. Acts as secretariat to the SMART Project Steering Committee.

Requirements:

Education

An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in business, public administration, engineering, international affairs, social sciences, or a related field.

Job – Specific Qualification

Internationally accredited certification in project management (e.g., PRINCE2 Practitioner, PMP, or similar is desirable. Professional membership of an environmental or energy management professional body such as Chartered Environmentalist, Certified Energy Manager or similar is desirable.

Work Experience

At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in project management of environmental sustainability programmes and/or renewable energy projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities is required. Experience in building and managing partnerships with host governments, donors, UN agencies, development banks, NGOs, and private sector is required. Experience in drafting high quality programmatic and financial reports, briefings and concept notes, proposals, papers and presentations is required. Experience in establishing and maintaining project documentation, including risk registers, daily logs and meeting minutes in line with global standards for project management is required. Experience of United Nations procurement principles and practice is required. Experience in directly supervising staff and coordinating cross-functional project teams is required. Unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System, a candidate for an international post must have at least two continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and outside the country(s) of which the candidate is a national or holds citizenship, a passport or a national identity number is required. Prior working experience in the Middle or Near East is desirable. Knowledge of Arabic at the intermediate level or above is desirable.

Languages

Excellent command of written and spoken English. Knowledge of Arabic at the intermediate level or above is desirable.