Senior Architect, Grade 18, HQ Amman

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 reports to Chief, Architecture & Design Division, HQ Amman

Supports the Chief Architecture & Design Division in the development, application and review of architectural and design policies, strategies, technical instructions and standards, and in the preparation and implementation of the Division’s workplans and priorities, ensuring the effective delivery of architectural services in line with Agency objectives; may represent the Division with internal and external counterparts at working level. Identifies and analyses architectural design risks, constraints and tradeoffs arising from site conditions, technical requirements and regulatory frameworks, and develops technically robust, cost effective and implementable options to mitigate risks and support the timely and efficient delivery of construction projects. Reviews, and provides technical clearance of architectural preliminary designs, feasibility assessments and concept options in accordance with Agency needs, and ICIP design policies, standards and guidelines and applicable local/ international codes of practice, coordinates closely with the Design Section to resolve architectural issues and ensure consistency of design intent and standards. Reviews the final and detailed architectural drawings, specifications, presentations and tender/contract documentation (architectural packages) for the Agency’s construction projects and ensures their compliance with the relevant technical instructions, standards, procedures, guidelines and best practices. Provides technical clearance of the architectural tender documents prior to final review/approval by the Chief, Architecture & Design Division. Contributes to the preparation, updating and dissemination of the Division’s procedures and standard documents (including design checklists, tender/contract templates and design manual content) related to architectural works; coordinates with Field and HQA counterparts on standards and criteria, and supports the application of agency-wide design standards, including accessibility, safety, gender sensitivity, sustainability considerations. Provides technical support and quality assurance to Field offices; assists in monitoring design development and implementation in the Fields; undertakes missions for support, advice, and performance monitoring; reviews and advises on architectural designs prepared by the Design Section; maintains coordination with Fields to resolve priority design issues and contributes to value engineering and post-implementation reviews, as required. Provides consultancy management support for architectural assignments, including preparation of design briefs/terms of reference, technical inputs to consultant selection, liaison and coordination, review of deliverables, and performance feedback; reviews and coordinates consultants’ submissions, including layouts, drawings, specifications and architectural tender documents, and provides technical clearance of architectural packages (as delegated) prior to final submission/approval. Escalates critical issues to the Chief, Architecture & Design Division and maintains close coordination with the Architect Design Lead/ Design Section on architectural issues arising from consultant deliverables. Acts for the Chief, Architect and Design Division during absences ensuring continuity of operations and meeting priority set and deadlines. Identifies training and capacity- building needs within the Architecture and Design area and supports delivery of learning activities, including coaching, guidance and technical workshops on architectural standards, quality assurance and relevant design software/tools maintains professional awareness by monitoring standards publications and engaging , with national and international bodies working on building codes, accessibility, fire safety, sustainability and materials, and shares updates with the Division to support continuous improvement of standards and best practices;

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. - Applying Technical Expertise - Planning and Organizing - Relating and Networking - Persuading and Influencing - Managing complexity and change - Creating and maintaining impact and Partnership - Strong quality assurance mindset, with attention to detail in technical review and clearance of design deliverables and tender documentation. -Ability to manage priorities and deliver outputs to deadlines, including coordination of multidisciplinary inputs and timely follow-up of action points.

Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in architectural engineering. Demonstrated proficiency in computer-aided architectural design and documentation tools (e.g., AutoCAD and/or equivalent).

Not available.

Indicate your current involvement in any outside activities, as it is required. Including but not limited to employment, independent contractor/freelance consultant, board member (corporate, academic, etc), expert group, lobby, public speaking/writing (article, book, blog, social media etc), teaching, conferences, training, press statement, voluntary work, political activity, fundraising/donation for non-UNRWA entity, running for public office, role in political party or orgs, owning business, work for gov./NGO/private company/charity, UNRWA partner/vendor, full/part-time, paid or not. A “yes” answer doesn’t necessarily lead to exclusion from future work at UNRWA, yet misrepresentation in providing accurate/complete info can lead to disqualification/termination of appointment, if hired. At least eight years of progressively responsible experience in architectural design and delivery for building/infrastructure projects is required Aat least three years should be in a supervisory capacity. This includes experience in preparation, review and technical clearance of preliminary design drawings and tender documentation; multidisciplinary coordination (structural/MEP and other inputs); and supervision/technical guidance of staff is required. Experience in managing or overseeing architectural consultancy assignments (terms of reference, deliverables review, and performance monitoring) 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. Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in architectural engineering is required.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English

and

Arabic are 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).

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Required Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

English

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

Arabic

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

UN Level III

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

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 18 Monthly basic salary JD1246.60. 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 and external candidates. 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 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." - The incumbent may be required to travel in the Agency's area of operations. 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

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.

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.