SENIOR INVESTIGATOR

Org. Setting and Reporting

The incumbent is responsible to the Chief, Investigations Division.

Responsibilities

Performs the following independently or as a team member, under general guidance and supervision;

- Undertakes or coordinates as appropriate, investigations of potential violations of Agency rules, regulations, policies, procedures and standards including sexual exploitation and abuse, fraud and corruption, breaches of neutrality, and other misconduct throughout the Agency, applying and ensuring objectivity, impartiality and fairness throughout investigative processes in accordance with generally recognized international investigative standards and Agency guidelines;

- Reviews and assesses complaints and allegations, formulates investigation plans, reviews and analyses all information to determine its relevance and reliability; conducts interviews of staff and other involved parties, records interviews, obtains and analyses potential documentary and electronic evidence; conducts investigative research and determines the appropriate presentation of investigative results;

- Prepares reports and ad hoc briefs pertaining to investigations. Reports outcomes of investigations to Chief, Investigations Division;

- Prepares recommendations for corrective action and improved controls and effectiveness or efficiency of UNRWA systems and operations;

- Coordinates with local officials, governments, and outside organizations and obtains internal support such as interpreters to facilitate investigative work;

- Provides advice on best-practice with respect to investigations;

- Supports investigations carried out by Field Offices and HQ Departments or other offices including participating in Field Office Intake Committees, advising Field Office Directors on Terms of Reference and related plans for investigations; provides guidance on the conduct of such investigations in accordance with generally recognized international investigative standards and Agency guidelines;

- Provides support in the preparation of work plans and the establishment of priorities for the investigation function in the Agency including the prioritization of investigative work in consultation with their supervisor; monitors and supports the work of investigative teams to ensure that outputs meet the required quality standards and are delivered according to schedule;

- Develops and participates in the development of the Agency’s policy and procedural framework, best practices and lessons learned from investigative work; ensures that lessons learned from investigations are incorporated into the Agency policy and procedures and are shared with HQ Departments; assists in the development and implementation of investigator training;

- Works and coordinates closely with the other control and monitoring functions as appropriate; and assesses the potential for fraud and corruption in operational activities and makes any necessary recommendations;

Competencies

Professionalism:
Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Client Orientation:
Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Creativity:
Actively seeks to improve programmes or services. Offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs. Promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas. Takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks "outside the box." Takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things. Is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

Judgement/decision making:
Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.

Building trust:
Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion. Manages in a deliberate and predictable way. Operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda. Places confidence in colleagues, staff members and clients. Gives proper credit to others. Follows through on agreed upon actions. Treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in law or a related field.

Work Experience

A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible relevant experience applying internationally recognized investigation techniques in criminal or administrative inquiries.

A minimum of two continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and outside the country(s) of which the candidate is a national or holds citizenship, a passport or a national identity number.

Languages

Excellent command in oral and written English.

Special Notice

Type of Contract and duration: 2 years, with the possibility of further extension.

Equivalency:
A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

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.

Applicants have to complete the Personal History Profile (PHP) in inspira in order to be considered. The PHP should be completed with full relevant work experience as per the requirements in the Job Opening, in order to be considered.

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

Competencies:
UN Core Values of Professionalism, Integrity and Respect for Diversity and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Default managerial competencies may apply.

- Delivering Results;
- Creating and Maintaining Impact and Partnership;
- Planning and Organizing;
- Applying Technical Expertise;
- Adapting and Responding to Change.

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/

United Nations Considerations

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.