Director, Arab and Regional Partners

Vacancy Announcement

Director, Arab and Regional Partners,  D-1

Amman, Jordan

Deadline for Applications

25 July 2017

Duration

2 years, with the possibility of further extension, subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory performance and continuing need.

Vacancy Announcement Number

17-HQ-AM-31

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

UNRWA, the largest United Nations operation in the Middle East with over 30,000 staff working across five areas of operation, is looking for professionals like you.

UNRWA’s strategic objectives

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. In line with this mission, the Agency works towards five strategic outcomes: (a) Palestine refugee rights under international law are protected and promoted; (b) Palestine refugee health is protected and disease burden is reduced; (c) school-age children complete quality, equitable and inclusive basic education; (d) Palestine refugee capabilities are strengthened for increased livelihood opportunities; and (e) Palestine refugees are able to meet their basic human needs of food, shelter and environmental health.

Do you want to make a lasting difference? 

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. This is a demanding and rewarding position in charge of mobilising high volumes of resources from Arab and regional governments and institutions in an environment where recurrent and severe funding shortfalls constrain UNRWA’s ability to maintain its services at the requisite level of quality and consistency.

The main responsibilities include:

•         Conceiving, developing and leading the implementation of far reaching fund-raising strategies towards Arab and regional governments and institutions under the guidance and supervision of the Director, External Relations and Communications Department

•         Acting as Special Representative of UNRWA towards regional and Arab governments and organizations, in particular with the League of Arab States countries and its members, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB); advocating the importance of UNRWA and its mandate and mobilizing resources through traveling extensively and establishing and maintaining a high-level network of interlocutors across Arab Governments, diplomatic missions and relevant stakeholders;

•         Providing strategic advice to the Commissioner General’s high-level engagement with Arab and regional governments and institutions, and advising and supporting Departments and Field Offices on engagement and fund-raising strategies with Arab and regional governments and institutions;

•         Collaborating closely with the Communications Division, the Spokespersons and the Private Partnerships Division in reaching out to Arab and regional audiences including the media, charitable foundations, NGOs and the private sector;

•         Supervising the development of high quality proposals and reports for Arab and regional donors;

•         On behalf of the Director, driving and overseeing fundraising for and implementation of projects, in close coordination with the relevant field offices and departments;

•         Developing and overseeing the annual operational plans for the Arab and Regional Partners Division and managing its staff and resources.

Conditions of service 

UNRWA offers an attractive compensation package including annual salary starting at $96,865 net tax free with post adjustment of 36.4% (subject to change without notice). All UNRWA duty stations (with the exception of Gaza and Syria) are family duty stations. Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include:

•  Dependency allowances

•  Rental subsidy

•  Education grant for children

•  Home leave travel

•  6 weeks (30 working days) annual leave

•  Pension fund entitlements under the

    UN Joint Staff Pension Fund

•  International health insurance; optional

    life insurance

•  Disability protection

Additional information

The incumbent will be required to travel regularly inside and outside the Agency's area of operations.

To qualify for this position, you will need:

Education

Advanced university degree in international relations, political science, economics, law, business or public administration, communications or a related discipline; a first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Work

experience

•         At least 15 years' experience with a national/international organization or development/humanitarian agency in public fundraising, partnership building, political and diplomatic networking and/or external relations, of which at least 5 years must be at the international level, 5 years working in management positions, and 5 years in UNRWA's area of operations and/or in the Middle East/Gulf countries;

•         Demonstrated experience in resource mobilization and partnership building in the regional context and in developing strategic plans and operational guidelines that enhance resources, in particular with governments and multilateral institutions;

•         Extended political / diplomatic network in the Middle East region;

•         Proven track record in people management including driving change.            

Language(s)

Excellent command of spoken and written Arabic and English.

You will also need to demonstrate the following competencies:

•         Persuading and Influencing

•         Relating and Networking

•         Entrepreneurial Thinking

•         Creating and Innovating

•         Deciding and Initiating Action

For guidance on how to prepare for competency-based interviews:

      https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=AYI

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. Only applications received through http://jobs.unrwa.org will be considered. Due to the large number of applications received for UNRWA vacancies, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted. The United Nations does not charge fees at any stage of the recruitment process. The United Nations does not concern itself with information related to bank accounts.

General information

UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality at all times. 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. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.

The 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.

Date of issue: 15 June 2017/ CM