JPO UNRWA - Special Assistant to the Director of External Relations and Communication

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.

The External Relations department is headed by the Director of External Relations and Communications Department who has a direct reporting line to the Commissioner-General’s Office. The department’s main objective is to mobilize and is in charge of donor engagement and fundraising, supported by a team of international staff, local staff, consultants, JPOs and interns. The department provides technical expertise and guidance, develops and drives policies and strategies, and coordinates UNRWA’s internal and external efforts towards ensuring that UNRWA counts the resources it needs to deliver on its mandate, which is to provide services, assistance and protection for Palestine refugees to help them achieve their full potential in an increasingly challenging environment.

Training component

Learning elements and expectations:

• The Induction Training will include information on UNRWA's mandate and operations in general whereas the individual briefings with ERCD key team members will concentrate on the various objectives of the Departments.
• After six months the JPO will have extensive knowledge of UNRWA programmes, mandate and operational issues (depending on the security situation, the JPO may accompany the ERCD Director to the Fields of Operations). 
• The JPO will have a first-hand understanding of the benefits and challenges of the Resources Mobilization Strategy of the Agency.
• S/he will benefit from the experience and mentorship of senior UN colleagues while having the opportunity to coordinate with UNRWA’s 5 Fields of Operations i.e. Gaza, West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. S/he will also learn how decision-making at the highest level of UNRWA is formulated, decided and implemented.
• S/he will gain experience coordinating, developing and operationalizing successful initiatives in challenging cultural environments and have a better understanding of the UN’s humanitarian mandate functioning within a difficult political context.

The JPO training programme includes the following learning elements:

• On-the-job training, through closely supervised assignments
• Access to diverse expertise within the UN Joint Team on HIV and AIDS, working with the diverse members
• Exposure to senior management discussions and events, across UN, government and civil society
• Dedicated travel to countries, as per available budget
• The JPO position includes a Duty travel and training allowance (DTTA) of $4,000 per year which may be used for learning activities related to the assignment and career development.

General

Support the Director of External Relations and Communications to ensure the smooth and coordinated management of the External Relations and Communications Department to enable maximum quality and efficiency in communications and resource mobilisation.

1. Support the Director in managing core workflow and outputs on a timely basis, ensuring that she is able to execute her management and other responsibilities and is prepared for all meetings.

Summary of duties and expected output:

• Draft correspondence, presentations, talking points, speeches, and background documents;
• Prepare meeting minutes and notes for record and ensure follow-up from meetings is communicated to relevant staff;
• Develop spreadsheets and monitoring systems;
• Conduct research and analysis as necessary to support operations, decision-making, policy development, planning and strategizing in the Department;
• Coordinate meetings and agendas;
• In coordination with field offices and other departments, prepare the bi-weekly donor communique.

2. Assist in the coordination of the administrative functions of the Department

• Summary of duties and expected output (max 5 bullet points)
• Contribute to follow up on the implementation of the ERCD budget;
• Provide support on human resource processes;
• Coordinate and support supervision of administrative aspects across the Department;
• Where relevant, identify priorities, develop processes and systems to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and morale of the Department.

3. Act as the gatekeeper for communication in the Director’s office and primary liaison with various internal and external stakeholders 

• Summary of duties and expected output
• Assist with internal communication in the Department, and with other key stakeholders across UNRWA;
• Manage initial communication with donor representatives and other external actors;
• With support from the Administrative Assistant, manage the Director’s calendar.

Key competencies of the assignment

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; 
• Ability to independently plan and prioritize work;
• Positive attitude and ability to work well under pressure;
• Excellent interpersonal communication and collaboration skills;
• Proven excellence in drafting, particularly in analytical writing, report writing, and written communication on policy, operational and organizational development matters;
• Proven ability to exercise initiative and resourcefulness in the workplace;
• High levels of political and organizational awareness.

Desirable qualifications

• Working knowledge of the international aid architecture and discourse;
• Knowledge of contemporary issues relating to the Middle East and the Palestine refugee question in particular;
• Knowledge in fundraising and advocacy ideally on humanitarian or Middle East issues is an asset
• Knowledge of the UN system 

Education:

• Master degree or equivalent in international relations, law, political science, public or business administration, social sciences, or any related discipline.

Working experience:

• Minimum 2 to maximum 4 years relevant working experience which should be in an international setting.

Languages:

• Excellent command of written and spoken English. Knowledge and command of Arabic would be an asset

Nationality:

• This post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the Netherlands and is addressed exclusively to people with the Dutch nationality.  For criteria see  the website of Nedworc Foundation: http://www.nedworcfoundation.nl/Index.htm?hoofdpath=/NL/JPO/General%20Information.htm&hoofdhash

For further details about the JPO Programme:

http://www.jposc.undp.org/content/jposc/en/home/for-partner-countries/current-partner-countries/partner-country-thenetherlands.html

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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