Country: occupied Palestinian territory
Closing date: 23 Jan 2019
Protection and Neutrality Team Leader, P-4
Gaza
Deadline for Applications 23 January 2019
(9 January 2019 for internal applicants)
Duration 1 year, renewable; Appointment subject to funding confirmation
Vacancy Announcement
Number
18-FO-GA-76
UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UNwide
gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified women.
UNRWA 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 highly committed professionals wishing to make a
change.
Palestine refugees in Gaza
The Gaza Strip is home to a population of approximately 1.3 million Palestine refugees out of a
population of around 1.9 million people. It has one of the highest population densities in the
world. Recurrent conflict, restrictions on the movement of people and goods, political uncertainty,
and dilapidated public infrastructure constitute the backdrop of a steadily declining socioeconomic
situation. Gaza has been the subject of not only the occupation but also the blockade over the last
ten years further reducing the possibilities for coping. UNRWA is the international organization
responsible for the Palestine refugees and delivers education, health and mental health care, relief
and social services, livelihood, microcredit and emergency assistance. UNRWA’s responsibilities
and role in Gaza are unique representing with over 12.500 staff in some 300 facilities involved in
supporting all aspects of the life of the refugees.
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.
The main responsibilities include:
Overseeing the leadership and management of the Protection Unit/Department through the
daily supervision of relevant staff and the development and implementation of annual workplans
and operational plans in order to complete agreed-upon tasks with adequate resource
mobilization, administration and logistical matters; providing mentoring of other staff at the
field office level on technical issues related to protection and neutrality as needed;
Leading the development and implementation of the protection strategy – both prevention and
response – and operational measures to address protection issues at the field level in
particular by providing technical guidance in support of programmes and other interlocutors in
accordance with the Agency’s protection policy, framework and priorities to make sure that
protection principles and standards are mainstreamed through UNRWA services through the
programme cycle and the protection needs of Palestine refugees are addressed;
Acting as the technical focal point on all matters relating to neutrality in the field office in line
with Agency policies and frameworks ensuring that the concept is widely understood within the
office and that related training and SOPs remain relevant; playing a key role in identifying
potential neutrality concerns before they become a concern by, amongst other things,
ensuring regular comprehensive installation inspections by senior programme area staff and
overseeing spot-check visits for the most serious neutrality violations;
Providing coordination on all protection matters including the facilitation of protection
coordination mechanisms and relevant working groups at the field and area level, and
representing UNRWA in external Protection Clusters and other relevant coordination fora and
with external protection partners including UNHCR, OHCHR, UNICEF and NGOs;
Providing technical guidance – in particular to programmes - on neutrality and protection
matters including general protection, gender, gender-based violence, child protection and
disability in accordance with Agency policies, frameworks, strategies and guidelines and
ensuring their implementation at the field level. This includes the translation of these
approaches through in particular supporting programmes in the development of practical fieldbased
guidelines, manuals, user-friendly tools, procedures, etc. for staff to apply in their dayto-
day work as well as capacity building, quality assurance and monitoring and assessment of
results and outcomes on protection. These field-based approaches shall build upon – and not
replace – those already developed by programmes and ensure consistency between fields;
Leading the monitoring, documentation and reporting - as required - on external protection
incidents, patterns and trends and providing analysis with the production of reports and other
products so appropriate responses are implemented either through referral internally to
UNRWA services or through advocacy (oversees data collection and other information
management systems in this regard);
Conducting advocacy based upon neutrality and protection analyses and messages with a
range of different interlocutors including private advocacy meetings, field briefings and public
advocacy and communication activities.
Conditions of service
UNRWA offers an attractive and competitive compensation package including annual salary starting
for $71,332 net tax free, plus post adjustment of 51.9% (subject to change without notice). 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 benefits available to staff working in Gaza:
Hardship allowance
Non-family service allowance
R&R leave (currently every 8 weeks)
Family visit travel
Support for settling-in of staff
members’ families in nearby locations*
* While Gaza is a non-family duty station, eligible staff members may set up a second
household in a nearby location to have their family nearby. However, Gaza remains the official
duty station with any travel outside the duty station being subject to management approval and
in accordance to office practices to ensure international staff presence in Gaza at all times.
Who we are
For almost 70 years, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) has
been working on the ground in five fields of operations in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank
and the Gaza Strip providing direct assistance and protection for some 5 million Palestine
refugees in the Middle East. UNRWA is mandated by the UN General Assembly to provide this
assistance and its mission is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human
development until there is a just and lasting solution for their plight. UNRWA restores safety,
dignity and hope to millions who have been uprooted by conflict with services encompassing
education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement,
microfinance and emergency assistance.
For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org/
To qualify for this position, you will need:
Education An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) from an
accredited educational institution in law, political or social sciences, or
related field; 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 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
A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible and relevant
experience, including the supervision and management of protection
interventions and projects as part of humanitarian operations at the field
level, including two years of relevant experience at international level
outside one’s home country;
Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of humanitarian protection
and neutrality policies and approaches;
Language(s) Excellent command of written and spoken English.
Desirable qualifications:
Working knowledge of Arabic.
You will also need to demonstrate the following 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.
Leading and Supervising
Applying Technical Expertise
Persuading and Influencing
Planning and Organizing
Excellent analysis skills
Communication skills
Negotiations 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 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: 27 December 2018/CX
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.