Org. Setting and Reporting

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 5.8 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 the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. 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.

Supervisor:
The incumbent reports directly to the Field Public Information Officer. Chief, Strategic Communications Division provides technical supervision.

Supervisees:
The incumbent supervises staff as assigned.

Responsibilities
• Translates documents from Arabic to English and vice versa, as required

• Maintains regular contact with the local and international media representatives to promote better understanding and coverage of the Agency’s work, and to encourage the media to use UNRWA as a source of information on registered Palestine refugees.

• Provides ideas for coverage of Field activities; research material and drafts text in Arabic and English for Headquarters public information material, including for the Agency’s English and Arabic website and UNRWA official Facebook and Twitter accounts; supports internal communication by working on the Arabic staff portal (Field and Agency-wide) and assisting with content management.

• Provides office support and operational assistance to Field PIO in advising the Field Office Director.

• Monitors daily press and prepares daily/weekly press summaries and monthly reports; supports the Field PIO in communication to refugees and community outreach; assists in the implementation of the Agency-wide annual Communications Plan/Strategy.

• Briefs and escorts donors and VIPs to the Field and supports donor visibility requirements; interprets when required.

• Deputizes for Field PIO in his/her absence.

• Performs other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

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:
• Applying Technical Expertise
• Relating and Networking
• Following Instructions and Procedures
• Learning and Researching
• Planning and Organizing

For guidance on how to prepare for competency-based interviews: https://hr.un. org/page/prepare competency-based-interview

Education
• University degree in journalism, communications, public relations or related discipline.

Work Experience
• Five years’ experience in public information and public relations, including experience in writing publications in Arabic and English and in handling media inquiries is required.

• University degree from in journalism, communications, public relations or related discipline is required.

• Are you currently residing in Duty Station. Please specify your current location. It is required.

Languages
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken Arabic and English

Please list all languages that you know including your mother tongue and indicate your proficiency level from the drop-down list provided in the system considering the below:

If you possess a very good to excellent level of proficiency in English language, kindly indicate this as “Fluent” in your application.
If you possess a good level of proficiency in English language, kindly indicate this as “Confident” in your application.
If you possess a basic level of proficiency in English language, kindly indicate this as “Basic” in your application.

Assessment
During the assessment, the applications will be given preference based on the following desirable qualifications:

• Provided very good understanding of the context of Palestine refugees and UNRWA operations.
• Knowledge of agency operations.
• Working knowledge of any other language (other than English and Arabic).
• Possession of a valid driving license.

The shortlisted candidates will be afterward evaluated based on:
• Technical Test
• Competency-based Interview

Special Notice
Type of Contract: Fixed-Term Appointment for 3 years including 1 year probation period, with the possibility of further extension, subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory performance and continuing need.

Grade and Salary: Grade 15, Monthly Basic Salary JD 997.300 fils. Special Occupational Allowance 16.95% of basic salary.
Other Benefits: Other benefits include monthly Provident Fund contribution (15.4% of basic salary paid by the Agency), compulsory medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, and dependency allowance (if applicable).

Additional Benefits:
– 2.5 days of sick leave for each completed month of service.
– 14 weeks of Maternity Leave.
– 2 weeks paternity leave.

Department/Office: UNRWA – Communications – Jordan
Duty Station: Jordan Field Office (Amman)

Other Information:
• High degree of organizational and political awareness in the Middle East;
• Ability to draft and edit written materials and to articulate ideas in a clear and concise style
in Arabic and English;
• Ability to use a variety of computer software including PageMaker and CorelDRAW.
• The incumbent may be required to travel frequently throughout the Agency’s area of operations;
• The job is frequently performed beyond regular working hours.

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.

General Information:
•This vacancy notice is open to internal and external candidates. Only candidates residing in Jordan, 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 Jordan, and without a valid work permit, the appointment may be rescinded.

•Since the Vacancy is an Area Staff post, the Agency will not provide coverage for relocation costs.

•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.

•UNRWA encourages applications from qualified and experienced women.

•A roster may be created from the selection exercise, and that successful candidates may be appointed to the same post. In the case of multiple or recurring posts, that a roster will be created from which the candidates will be selected for appointment;

•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.

•Applicants will be disqualified when it becomes apparent that he or she provided incorrect, incomplete or misleading information on his or her personal history profile or during the recruitment process. If the applicant is also a staff member, the provision of incorrect, incomplete or misleading information in the personal history profile may also amount to misconduct. The Agency may indefinitely refuse to accept applications from an applicant who has previously provided incorrect, incomplete or misleading information on his or her personal history profile or during a recruitment process or committed plagiarism.

•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.

•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.

•Applications from UNRWA staff member who had been demoted with deferred eligibility for promotion will not be considered.

•Applications from Staff members who were recipients under the Early Voluntary Retirement or Exceptional Voluntary Separation Schemes will not be considered.

•Applications from Internal candidates serving for less than one year in their current post will not be considered.

•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 or to change the contract Modality.

•A candidate is not eligible for consideration if he or she was short-listed and found not suitable for the same post within the previous 12 months unless the post description has since been altered by 30% or more, as determined by ODCS.

•UNRWA reserves the right to proceed only with internal candidates or proceed with the candidates of an under-represented gender for any vacancy announcement when it determines that the short-list for a single post at any grade level is excessively long.