Field Protection Officer and Team Leader, Operations Support Officer

  • Senior-level, Full-time staff position
  • Posted on 3 December 2014

Job Description

UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY

FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST

UNRWA

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. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. For its international team, UNRWA is seeking to employ a qualified:

Field Protection Officer and Team Leader, Operations Support Officer

Vacancy Announcement Number

14-FO-LB-63

Grade

P-4

Deadline for Applications

3 January 2015

(17 December 2014 for internal applicants)

Duty Station

Beirut, Lebanon

The incumbent of this post is responsible for managing and co-ordinating UNRWA Lebanon’s efforts to integrate the principles and practice of protection into its programmes and operations. This is a professional position in the humanitarian field, requiring a thorough understanding of the programmatic aspects of protection, as well as the skills to translate them into practice for the benefit of Palestine refugees in Lebanon Field. The Director of UNRWA Affairs, Lebanon (DUA/L) is responsible for the overall management of the Operations Support Officer (OSO) Programme and the Team Leader, OSO Programme is responsible for the day-to-day management of the programme and its staff.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

  • Ensure the efficacy of the Agency’s humanitarian programmes in terms of impact on the population and delivery on core protection principles; this is primarily achieved through supervision of the Operations Support Programme including monitoring and reporting on the living conditions of Palestine refugees, their access to humanitarian services and their welfare and protection;
  • Oversee the daily management of the programme in accordance with the established objectives including conducting regular briefings for Operations Support Officers (OSOs) to review the events of the preceding period; plan and control the execution of all operations described in the programme mandate and establish long term operational objectives under the supervision of the Director of UNRWA Affairs, Lebanon;
  • Conduct overall operational coordination with other departments in the Lebanon Field Office (LFO) through LFO’s Front Office, and with external authorities and other agencies in direct relation to operational issues, as may be advised by DUA/L; identify Field specific protection concerns and ensure that protection is factored into planning and programme delivery;
  • Prepare and forward to his/her supervisor all reports related to OSO operations, including a weekly/monthly summary of OSOs’ activities, specific incidents or operational issues researched or investigated by OSOs and Installation Inspection Forms. A central element of these duties involves analysis of protection incidents, patterns and trends and provision of internal guidance - disseminated as guided by the DUA/L for protection related issues;
  • Oversee resource allocation; establish and maintain operational guidelines and issues instructions to his/her team members; be responsible for administrative duties related to the assigned staff and for all logistics related to the programme;
  • Monitor closely legislative, political and operational developments, notably in relation to the development of law and policy in the area of refugees’ protection with a specific focus on socioeconomic rights of refugees.

Professional Knowledge and Experience

  • Advanced university degree from an accredited educational institution in law, political or social sciences or related field;
  • At least eight years of supervisory experience in international organizations, preferably in the humanitarian sector;
  • Excellent command of spoken and written English.

Competencies

  • Excellent interpersonal skills, mature, independent, disciplined, loyal, self-confident and self-assured;
  • Excellent communication, negotiation skills and demonstrated ability to handle sensitive situations diplomatically;
  • Decisive but flexible, able to assess and analyse situations quickly, objectively and prudently;
  • Ability to build an enabling work environment, coordinate team work and motivate team members;
  • Politically aware while remaining impartial and discreet at all times;
  • Knowledge of and exposure to a range of human rights issues to include approaches and techniques to address sensitive problems.

Desirable Qualifications

  • Experience in applying knowledge of public international law, particularly of international refugee law, international humanitarian law and international human rights law;
  • Practical experience in ways of implementing operational protection principles within a human development framework;
  • Knowledge and understanding of the Palestine refugees situation in the political context of the Middle East and specifically Lebanon;
  • Previous coordination experience with relevant UN agencies, NGOs, civil society and legislative bodies;
  • Working knowledge of Arabic and French.

Conditions of Service

UNRWA offers an attractive compensation package including annual salary starting at $72,605 net tax free with dependants or $67,611 single, plus post adjustment of 55.2% (subject to change without notice). Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include education grant, dependency allowance, home leave, pension fund, health insurance and 6 weeks of annual leave. All UNRWA duty stations (with the exception of Gaza and Syria) are family duty stations. Initial contract is for one year, with the possibility of further extensions subject to the availability of funds and the continuing need for the post.

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. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. 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.

UNRWA does not charge a fee at any stage in the recruitment process (application, testing, interviewing, etc.). The United Nations does not concern itself with information related to bank accounts.

General Information

UNRWA encourages applications from qualified women.

UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.

UNRWA is a United Nations organization whose staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality. This includes respect for human rights, for diversity, and for non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. UNRWA staff are expected to uphold these values at all times, both at work and outside. 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.

On appointment, all individuals will be asked to sign a self attestation, confirming that they have not committed, been convicted of, or prosecuted for, any criminal offence and that they have not been involved, by act or omission, in the commission of any violation of international human rights law or international humanitarian law.

About the Organization

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.
UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services,
camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions

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