JOB DESCRIPTION

Org. Setting and Reporting

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5.8 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA”s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference for one of the most vulnerable communities in the world, UNRWA would like to hear from you. The incumbent of the post is responsible to the Head, Administrative Services Section. The incumbent of the post supervises the Travel & Visa Associate-A12 and other Administrative Assistants.

Responsibilities

Oversees the onboarding of newly recruited international staff and personnel at the Agency level, coordinating with HRD, cross-functional teams, and various stakeholders to streamline processes. Analyzes onboarding procedures to identify areas for improvement, cost savings, and speedup the overall process. Tracks onboarding progress and prepares reports for management review. Develops and implements standardized onboarding plans, welcome-SOPs, and protocols, providing initial induction, and communicating with new hires after job offer acceptance. Ensures a seamless onboarding process by connecting new hires to respective departments or field offices, facilitating their proper installation at the duty station, and leaving them with a positive impression. Manages budget planning and financial control processes by preparing operating and project budget estimates and establishing internal financial controls; monitors budget expenditure, prepares Budget Allotment Adjustments (BAAs), and drafts responses to audit requests; prepares periodic reports on budget updates and suggests alternative plans for utilizing balances; assists in developing and implementing procedures for accurate reporting. Effectively coordinates with Human Resources Office/Department on actions relevant to the administration of human resource activities, e.g., the recruitment of staff and consultants, initiating vacancy announcements, performance appraisal, attendance, separation of staff members, etc.; administers contracts of Individual Service Provider (ISP) and Limited Duration Contracts (LDCs) if any; prepares staffing table proposals. Assists staff members during onboarding and separation. Translates documents from Arabic to English as required. Oversees work related to procurement operations and billing; verifies service contracts and maintains relationships with vendors and suppliers; prepares yearly procurement plans and handles logistical operations for tenders, quotations, and purchasing orders; as applicable, chairs the Tenders Opening Committee, ensuring that the process is duly followed as per Agency procurement policies. Supports on all issues related to protocol and meetings with donors and host government officials; assists in contacts with UN organizations, international bodies, government officials, diplomatic missions and the public as required. Compiles and analyzes statistical data, maintains up-to-date records, and coordinates with other departments for information as required; establishes and maintains comprehensive filing and archiving systems for contracts, agreements, and related documents, ensuring easy access, accuracy, and compliance with organizational standards and legal requirements; implements systematic categorization and indexing methods to facilitate efficient retrieval of critical information, contributing to streamlined administrative processes and enabling prompt responses to inquiries and audits. Assists in the administration of fellowships/grants, maintains records of department projects, prepares progress reports, and manages logistical preparations for workshops, conferences, and meetings. Supervises Administrative Assistants, providing guidance, training, and ensuring adherence to policies; monitors work quality, conducts performance evaluations, and addresses queries or issues. Supports the development, implementation, and reporting of Agency-wide ”Greening of the UN” initiatives; builds and maintains relationships with external stakeholders and attends meetings to facilitate communication and updates; coordinates data collection from Field and HQ offices for the Annual Greening Report.

Competencies

UN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Leading and Supervising. Applying Technical Expertise. Planning and organizing. Creating and Innovating. Analyzing. Other Competencies not listed under Functional and Leadership Very good drafting skills in English and Arabic. Excellent computer skills, especially in MS application used in the Agency, such as Work, Excel, Internet Explorer and Outlook. Knowledge of protocol norms.

Education

A first university degree from an accredited educational institution in business administration, finance, human resources or a related field.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

At least five years of responsible relevant work experience in administrative support, procurement, human resources, finance or other related functions, including two years in a large international, governmental or non-profit organization, using computer-based financial systems, is required. Are you a registered Palestine refugee? If yes, please provide your Ration Card Number. It is highly recommended to respond to this question in order to assist us in further assessing your application. Please explain below? Is required. Do you have close relative(s) in UNRWA (mother, father, daughter, son, sister brother)? If yes, please provide full name(s) and relationship. It is highly recommended to respond to this question in order to assist us in further assessing your application. Please explain below. Is required Candidates are required to make a declaration as to whether they have any current or past affiliations with non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, political organizations, military, or have/are engaged in activities or have made any public statements, that could be seen to impact their neutrality, objectivity or independence in the performance of their duties for the UN / UNRWA. Any declaration will not necessarily disqualify candidates from consideration for this post.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. Arabic is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIArabicUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level III

Assessment

The applicant will sit for a technical test and competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Type of Contract: Fixed Term Appointment for 1 year, with the possibility of further extension, subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory performance, and continuing need.” Grade and Salary: Grade 15 Monthly basic salary JD 997.30. Other benefits: Other benefits include a monthly Provident Fund contribution (15.4% of basic salary paid by the Agency), compulsory medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, and dependency allowance (if applicable). Additional benefits:

• 2 days of sick leave for each completed month of service.
• 14 weeks of Maternity Leave.
• 2 weeks paternity leave. This vacancy notice is open to INTERNAL CANDIDATES ONLY. Only candidates residing in Amman, and within commuting distance of the duty station with authorization to work in the duty station at the time of application are eligible to apply. The Agency will not assume responsibility or accountability to support or facilitate the issuance of work permit in Jordan, and without a valid work permit, the appointment may be rescinded.
• The incumbent may be required to travel in the Agency’s area of operations.
• The incumbent may be required to work outside normal duty hours and on call basis. Preference will be given to registered Palestine refugees and candidates assisting the Agency to meet its commitment to gender parity. Only applications that have been fully completed in UNRWA”s online e-recruitment system Inspira will be considered, and no late applications will be accepted. The Personal History Profile (PHP) should be completed with full work experience under the experience tabs as per the requirements in the Job Opening. All university degrees must also be stated where applicable. UNRWA personnel must ensure adding their contract type and grade level. For UNRWA internal staff, they are required to specify and include their current UNRWA grade level. To do so applicants should select under “Category” RLG, scroll down to see all categories, then select their local grade. Given the large pool of applicants, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for further assessment. Applicants applying for positions for Grades 12 to 20 or LDC Bands E to H must submit a cover letter/motivational statement in order to be considered. Providing incorrect or misleading information on an application form will result in the immediate disqualification of the candidate. Advertisements published in English will only accept applications in English, other language submissions including Arabic will not be considered. UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities. A roster may be created from the selection exercise, and successful candidates may become eligible for appointment to the same post or a similar post, when the need arises. Equivalency: Equivalency may apply for this post. NB: Work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination. The Agency disqualifies applicants whose name appears on the UN Sanctions List or a UN database of staff separated for reasons of misconduct or of staff who separated while a misconduct process was pending. UNRWA shares investigation and misconduct information with other UN Agencies, and past and prospective employers about staff members who have been separated for misconduct, or who have separated while an investigation and/or disciplinary process for misconduct is underway; and those individuals may be prohibited from employment with the United Nations. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. The mission of UNRWA is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under the difficult circumstances in which they live. For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org

United Nations Considerations

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her. UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups. At UNRWA, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. UNRWA Considerations UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST (UNRWA) DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE OR REQUEST MONEY FROM CANDIDATES AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING, ONBOARDING). UNRWA DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.