• Supervisor and Technical Guidance received:
The incumbent reports to the Head, Field Legal Office.
• Supervisees and Technical Guidance provided:
Not applicable, but the incumbent provides support, follows up and advises on various legal issues, including leases, contracts and the Agency’s obligations.
The incumbent:
1. Provides support in drafting and reviewing different legal documents, including, but not limited to, leases, contracts, memoranda, notes, and correspondence with third parties on various legal matters;
2. Contributes in formulating legal opinion on:
• The Agency's contractual obligations in the Field, including any disputes that may arise between the Agency and third parties, as well as other claims and compensation requests received by the Agency, including those related to personal injury;
• The Agency’s rights and obligations relating to leases and other land matters;
• Cases on administrative and employment law, in particular advising on staff misconduct matters and responding to Decision Review Requests;
• Questions related to procurement, including LCP review;
3. Conducts research and analysis to support the interpretation and application of the Agency’s regulatory framework, in particular the UNRWA Area Staff Regulations, Rules and associated administrative issuances, and issues related to the privileges and immunities of the Agency and its staff;
4. May appear before local courts and other tribunals as required in matters
affecting the Agency’s operations;
5. Contacts local authorities and other actors on a variety of legal matters, including following up on detained staff members and preparing input for inclusion in UN reporting on such matters;
6. Performs other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor(s).
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. In addition the following functional competencies apply:
1. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
2. Excellent writing, analytical and legal research skills;
3. Ability to establish priorities and to plan work assignments;
4. Good knowledge of MS Office applications and computer/IT systems.
- Law degree with a license to practice the profession.
Job - Specific QualificationA license to practice law is required.
Work Experience
- It is required to have at least four years’ experience as a practicing lawyer or as a legal adviser in the public or private sector.
- It is desirable to have comprehensive knowledge of Staff Rules relevant to UNRWA or other United Nations common system agencies.
- Excellent command of written and spoken English and Arabic.
Assessment- Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
Type of Contract: Fixed Term Appointment
Duration of Contract: 3 years including 1 year probation period, with the possibility of further extension, subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory performance and continuing need.
Conditions of service:
• Basic Salary: Monthly basic salary from $1,490.30; and monthly dependency allowance up to $123.25.
• Leave: 36 days of annual leave for staff attending UNRWA duty stations with six-day working week. 30 days of annual leave for staff attending UNRWA duty stations with five-day working week.
• Pension: Provident Fund contribution (15.2% of basic salary paid by the Agency)
• Other conditions of service and benefits may apply.
Other Information
The incumbent may be required to travel in the Agency’s area of operations.
This vacancy notice is open to internal and external candidates. Only candidates residing in Gaza Strip, and within commuting distance of the duty station with authorization to work in the duty station at the time of application are eligible to apply. The Agency will not assume responsibility or accountability to support or facilitate the issuance of work permit in Gaza Strip, and without a valid work permit, the appointment may be rescinded.
Preference will be given to registered Palestine refugees and candidates assisting the Agency to meet its commitment to gender parity. UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.
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.
Only applications that have been fully completed in UNRWA’s online e-recruitment system inspira will be considered and no late applications will be accepted. The PHP should be completed with full relevant work experience under the experience tabs as per the requirements in the Job Opening. All acquired university degrees must also be stated, if applicable. Applicants applying to positions for Grades 12 to 20 must submit a cover letter/motivational statement in order to be considered. Additionally, providing incorrect or misleading information on an application will result in the immediate disqualification of a candidate.
For UNRWA internal staff, they are required to specify and include their current UNRWA grade level. To do so applicants should select under “Category” RLG, scroll down to see all categories, then select their local grade.
Equivalency:
Equivalency may apply for this post.
NB: Work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination.
Advertisements published only in English will only accept applications in English, and Arabic submissions will not be considered.
The Agency may disqualify applicants whose name appears on the UN Sanctions List or a UN database of staff separated for reason of misconduct or of staff who separated whilst misconduct processes were pending.
UNRWA shares investigation and misconduct information with other UN Agencies, and past and prospective employers, about staff members who have been separated for misconduct, or who have separated whilst an investigation and/or disciplinary process for misconduct is underway; and such persons may be prohibited from employment with the United Nations.
The Agency will immediately disqualify applicants who are ineligible for any reason in accordance with the Agency regulatory framework.
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/
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.