Director of Planning

Vacancy Announcement

Director of Planning , D-1

Amman, Jordan

Deadline for Applications

5 August 2017

(20 July 2017 for internal applicants)

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-35

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

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 passionate and 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. As Director of Planning, you will provide strategic and technical support and guidance to the Commissioner-General, Programmes, Support functions and Field Offices on strategic and operational  planning, results based management, emergency preparedness and management, and enterprise risk management. 

The main responsibilities include:

•         In relation to strategy and policy development and implementation, (a) leading the development of the Agency’s Medium Term Strategy (MTS) and strategic plans; (b) providing a quality assurance function in relation to the development of lower-level strategies (including programmatic, resource mobilization human resources and information management strategies  etc.) and policies for the purposes of ensuring alignment with the Agency’s MTS; (c)  leading the advancement of emergency planning and management procedures Agency-wide including in the development of business continuity plans; (d) is the focal point for the Commissioner-General’s Office on partnerships with non-private entities, such as other UN organizations; and (e) providing assistance to the Department of External Relations and Communications on matters of interest to external interlocutors (donors and hosts) and working closely with the Commissioner-General’s Office, the Representative Office in New York and with the Department of Finance in providing Agency input into the UN Secretary-General’s Strategic Framework;

•         In relation to annual operational planning: (a) leading and supports Fields in the preparation of the operational/implementation plans developed to support the goals and strategic outcomes in the MTS; (b) playing a leading role in coordination between Programmes and between Fields; (c) is the Secretariat of the Project Review Committee which (i) deciding upon a list of Priority Projects that will supplement activities to be carried out under the Programme Budget or using funds generated through Emergency Appeals; and (ii) monitoring overall project implementation progress in the Agency and taking any necessary action/decisions to improve performance; and (d) preparing emergency appeals that are a reflection of plans that are developed to respond to humanitarian needs;

•         In relation to monitoring and reporting: (a) is responsible for the continual development, implementation and enhancement of systems and procedures to capture results against performance indicators for all departments and fields in the Agency; and (b) leading the coordination efforts to collect, asses and consolidate the inputs to annual reports against operational plans;

•         In relation to risk management and accountability: (a) leading in institutionalizing risk management systems and procedures in the Agency and shall incorporate all necessary elements into the programme and project management cycle; (b) assisting the Commissioner-General’s Office in the generation of management compacts with Directors by ensuring they reflect priorities and key enterprise risks; and (c) developing and maintaining a framework of Accountability to Affected Populations and shall ensure that the framework is reflected in each phase of the Programme and Project Management Cycle;

•         Establishing and overseeing the implementation of good practice in project management by ensuring the necessary systems, structures, procedures and personnel are in place. Providing strategic leadership and technical guidance and advice for the Field Programme Support Offices (FPSO) and Field Project Offices (ordinarily within the FPSO), which have been established to coordinate the preparation of Field Office’s input to the annual planning cycle, coordinate the Field Office’s inputs to the preparation of appeal documents, project outlines and proposals, and annual operational plans, ensure compliance with monthly, quarterly and half-yearly reporting requirements set out in Organisational Directive 21 and to quality control those reports, prepare inputs for quarterly, half-yearly and annual performance and results reports, build capacity of, and provide on-going support to, programme and project managers in programme cycle management issues; and ensuring coordination with programme within the Field and at HQ;

•         Serving as Secretariat for the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), the Committee that makes budgetary recommendations to the Commissioner-General and adjudicates ad hoc resource allocation recommendations for the Agency;

•         Liaising and representing the Agency with other UN Agencies and external stakeholders on strategic planning, programming, and programme cycle management initiatives and preparing reports on Agency planning and programming, as required;

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 is required to travel frequently, particularly in the Agency’s area of operations.

To qualify for this position, you will need:

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in public or business administration, political or social science or other relevant subject; 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 fifteen years of professional experience, of which at least seven years should have been at a senior international level, preferably with the UN system. Demonstrated experience in leading organisation-wide strategic planning, policy development, and operational/programme coordination in a large humanitarian organization is essential.

Language(s)

Excellent command of written and spoken English.

You will also need to demonstrate the following competencies:

•         High level analytical skills and ability to provide well-reasoned, strategic-level and contextual relevant recommendations;

•         Demonstrated competence in all aspects of strategic planning, programme and project planning and management, including application of all aspects of results-based management/programme cycle management;

•         Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;

•         Ability to lead, motivate and manage staff, develop clear goals for the unit, independently plan and prioritize own work and those supervised by incumbent, work well under tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;

•         Positive attitude and strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills;

•         Proven ability to exercise initiative and resourcefulness necessary for prioritizing multiple clusters/components;

•         Excellent drafting skills.

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: 6 July 2017/ NH