Manager, Organization Design and Compensation Services

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 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 funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. For its international team, UNRWA is seeking to employ a qualified:

Manager, Organization Design and Compensation Services

UNRWA encourages applications from qualified women and welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.

Under the direct supervision of the Chief, Human Resources Strategic Services Division (CHRSSD), the Manager, Organization Design and Compensation Services manages the overall activity portfolio of the organizational design and compensation team, and advises CHRSSD on ongoing activities, status of projects and initiatives. In accordance with the established Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent will:

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead, plan and coordinate the conduct of major departmental and inter-departmental reviews of Agency organization structures, work methods and staffing; plan, develop, revise and implement the Agency job classification system for International and Area Staff and provide oversight to designing, maintaining and updating the compensation system for Area Staff;
• Lead and direct the work of subordinate staff in relation to organization design, management studies, job analysis and classification for International and Area posts and compensation systems for Area staff; develop the capacity of subordinate staff through, coordination and planning activities;
• Assess the relevance of the existing regulatory framework; develop and recommend changes to classification and compensation policies as regards relevant organization directives, technical procedures, methodologies, standards and norms (such as Occupational Classification Manual);  
• Participate in inter-departmental working groups and assignments  related to the division’s work and wider HR agenda; coordinate and contribute to and coordinates pertinent initiatives in the context of Agency-wide reforms and compensation matters, and integrate its various components with HR and organizational strategies based on a thorough assessment of needs of the various stakeholder groups in the Agency; draft proposals on policy issues for CHRSSD and Director of Human Resources (DHR) for review/discussion  including in the Management Committee and other Agency forums;
• Provide leadership and guidance on staff training at HQ and in the Fields in the areas of work related to organization design, classification, compensation and benefits issues; develop cross-section and cross-HRD division knowledge transfer activities; establish and maintain effective work relations with various stakeholder groups in the Agency including management, staff unions (as instructed by the Executive Office or Director, HRD), and staff at large; coordinate and ensure quality for technical advice and guidance to managers and staff on job design, organizational structures, classification and compensation issues;
• In close coordination with CHRSSD, review and propose changes to internal management processes and procedures with the objective to improve efficiency, productivity and quality of the Division’s output; and reduction of processes and procedures that hinder efficiency;
• Assist her or his supervisor in managing other sections of the division, as requested, and act as Officer-in-Charge for the Division during the Chief's absence;

Professional Knowledge and Experience

• An advanced university degree from an accredited educational institution in public or business administration, human resources, industrial engineering, or a related field, ideally with coursework in organizational design, compensation or public sector project management;
• A minimum of eight years directly relevant work experience, of which three years should have been in an international, a large governmental or a commercial organization, preferably within the UN system, including two years of international experience outside one’s home country or regular place of residence;
• Experience in working with computerized spreadsheets and databases and project charts;
• Excellent command of written and spoken English.

Competencies

• Working with people – proven ability to manage projects with diverse teams including highly specialized technical experts;
• Proficiency in analyzing and presenting information and data in a clear and instructive manner;
• Proven ability in establishing effective internal and external work relationships at all levels;
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to defend and explain difficult issues and positions to staff and senior management;
• Ability to negotiate persuasively a range of problems, to take and defend collaborative decisions that include sensitive, complex and contentious issues; and to advice managers and staff on different options to meet client needs;
• Proven ability in working independently in addition to leading and working as part of a team, managing their output; and providing advice, coaching and mentoring and meet multiple deadlines;
• Established skills in examining and interpreting policies and procedures, formulating proposals and developing and implementing new strategies and programmes;
• Advanced computer literacy and previous exposure to database management and utilization;
• High level of motivation, initiative and creative thinking;
• Ability to deliver training.

Desirable Qualifications

• Detailed knowledge of and practical experience in UN or UNRWA Rules and Directives and of the sources from which they are compiled;
• Working knowledge and experience of the Agency’s operations in the Middle East and knowledge of the Middle Eastern culture;
• Up-to-date knowledge of modern classification and compensation principles, models and trends;
• Thorough knowledge of statistical preparation, research and evaluation methods;
• Project management experience, ideally certified (e.g. Prince 2);
• Working knowledge of written and spoken Arabic.

Additional Information

The incumbent will be required to travel in the Agency's area of operations in the Middle East.

Equivalency

When the minimum requirements are not fully met, the Human Resources Department may substitute part of the unmet requirements under UNRWA’s equivalency determination guidelines with a combination of relevant academic qualification, additional professional training and/or progressive relevant work experience. Note: Work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered sufficient for an equivalency determination.

Conditions of Service  

UNRWA offers an attractive compensation package including annual salary starting at $70,647 net tax free with post adjustment of 36.4% (subject to change without notice). Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include education grant, home leave, pension fund, health insurance, 6 weeks of annual leave, and other allowances such as dependent spouse, single parent or child allowance as applicable. All UNRWA duty stations (with the exception of Gaza and Syria) are family duty stations. Initial contract is for two years, with the possibility of further extensions subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory performance and the continuing need for the post.

How to Apply

To start the application process, applicants are required to register at http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile and completing UNRWA Personal History Form. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. Only applications received through http://jobs.unrwa.org will be considered. Due to the large number of applications received for UNRWA vacancies, only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

The United Nations does not charge fees at any stage of the recruitment process (application, testing, interviewing, etc). The United Nations does not concern itself with information related to bank accounts.

General Information

UNRWA is a United Nations organization whose staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity, and 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 work environment.

The statutory retirement age for staff entering or re-entering service in the UN Common System after 1 January 1990 is 62 and 65 after 1 January 2014. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete a term of appointment will normally be considered.

The Agency reserves the right not to make an appointment, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description.

On appointment, all individuals will be asked to sign a self-attestation, confirming that they have not committed, been convicted of, or prosecuted for, any criminal offence and that they have not been involved, by act or omission, in the commission of any violation of international human rights law or international humanitarian law.

Date of issue: 1/2/2017 / HB