Director, Infrastructure and Camp Improvement, D1, HQA (JO#233870)

Org. Setting and Reporting

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 personnel wishing to make a change. 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 Director, Infrastructure and Camp Improvement reports to the Deputy Commissioner-General (Operational Support).

Responsibilities

Leads on the development and implementation of ICIP strategies and policies to accelerate the Programme’s five core functions, developing work plans, budgets, and monitoring mechanisms; provides strategic advice on infrastructure and camp improvement projects; provides leadership to Programme Chiefs and specialists and is responsible for performance management of ICIP staff. Provides advice and regular reports to the Deputy Commissioner-General (Operational Support) on the planning, implementation and monitoring of camp and infrastructure initiatives, including project management of emergency responses, post-conflict interventions and the streamlining of protection measures across UNRWA installations in coordination with the protection division. Provides guidance to field technical staff on planning, coordination and implementation of projects, including technical and policy advice, ensuring that all plans and activities are aligned with the Mid-Term Strategy and Agency frameworks. Conducts and manages field visits and site management to assess service efficiency, identifies risks and implements remedial measures to ensure continuity of operations in normal and emergency conditions. Participates in meetings of the Senior Management Team; liaises with Headquarter Programmes and Field Directors on all aspects of the work of ICIP, including follow up with donors on project proposals and implementation (in close consultation with External Relations and Communications Department (ERCD) and Field Directors), and provides advice on the management of relationships with contractors. Oversees the clearance of all construction / reconstruction / rehabilitation / maintenance and other engineering projects submitted by the Fields to ensure overall consistency; provides clearance of monitoring and final reports to donors on infrastructure projects and ensures that the projects priority list is followed. Oversees the drafting and implementation of construction / infrastructure management policies and standards with a view to improve construction quality, cost efficiency and protection measures in UNRWA installations.

Competencies

UN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Default managerial competencies may apply. Formulating Strategies and Concepts Managing Complexity and Change Leading and Supervising Delivering Results Planning and Organizing Relating and Networking Entrepreneurial Thinking Political Awareness For guidance on how to prepare for competency-based interviews: https://careers.un.org/lbw/home.aspx?viewtype=AYI

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in engineering (civil/structure/infrastructure) or related discipline.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

At least fifteen years of progressively responsible and relevant professional experience in engineering, camp management and related disciplines is required. At least seven years of work experience at a senior international level is required. At least ten years of work experience with the UN or a governmental or international agency is required. Unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System, at least two continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and outside the country(s) of citizenship is required. Demonstrated leadership and coordination experience is required. Trained and familiar with protection as well as other cross-cutting issues like gender and diversity, age, disability and environment is required. Demonstrated experience in project management and working with donors is required. Good knowledge of humanitarian and protection principles and Experience in working with multicultural and diversified workforce is desirable. Knowledge of results-based management and evidence-based planning approaches, methods and tools is desirable. Good knowledge of Accountability to Affected Populations/Client Responsiveness is desirable.

Languages

Excellent command of written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Type of Contract and duration: 2 years, with the possibility of further extension. The incumbent will be required to travel frequently throughout the Agency’s area of operations in the Middle East. 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 Personal History Profile (PHP) should be completed with full work experience under the experience tabs as per the requirements in the Job Opening. 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. Join our eco-friendly organization dedicated to environment sustainability and targeting to be plastic free by 2025. Equivalency: A first level university degree in combination with additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. NB: work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination. 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

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.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST (UNRWA) DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE OR REQUEST MONEY FROM CANDIDATES AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING, ONBOARDING). UNRWA DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.