Background Information – Job-specific

UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

New York Portfolio Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), and Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides services to partners’ programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint in approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism to implement project activities under the Global Programme on Prosecution, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration, United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) within UNOCT.

The military defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in 2019 triggered an urgent humanitarian, human rights, and security crisis in northeast Syria, which continues to this day. As of March 2024, thousands of individuals with alleged or actual ISIL affiliation, including foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and their family members including women and children, remain detained in overcrowded camps, prisons, or elsewhere in northeast Syria. Humanitarian and security conditions in these camps continue to deteriorate, normalizing violence and reinforcing grievances which ISIL capitalizes upon for its recruitment efforts.

In resolution 2178 (2014) and 2396 (2017) the United Nations Security Council calls upon Member States to develop comprehensive and tailored prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration strategies and protocols, in accordance with their obligations under international law, returning and relocating FTFs and their accompanying family members. This call is echoed by the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which underscores the need to take into account gender and age dimensions in the development of PRR strategies, and the importance of whole-of-government approaches, while also recognizing the role that civil society organizations and local communities can play in contributing to rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.

Since May 2021, the Government of Iraq (GoI) has started the repatriation of its nationals from Al-Hol, facilitating voluntary returns. With an estimated 23,000 Iraqi nationals, in Al-Hol, the GoI has recognized the need to accelerate repatriation processes and increase capacities to receive returnees in Jeddah 1 (J1) and communities of return. The GoI has taken a proactive and leading approach with regards to the return of its nationals, but there remain significant challenges ahead. Under the Global Framework for UN Support on Syria / Iraq Third Country National Returnees, the UN is coordinating relevant support to the GoI to address the needs of returned individuals, through human rights-based, age-appropriate and gender-responsive approaches across two pillars: the first pillar responds to the humanitarian and protection needs of returning children and adults, and the second promotes security and addresses accountability, including through the development of prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration strategies for returning adults.

The consultancy will support engagement under Pillar II of the Global Framework, particularly with respect to the work of the Security and Accountability for Adults Task Force (SAATF) of Technical Working Group for the Implementation for the Global Framework for Iraqi Returnees from Syria.

This consultancy will be home-based with travel to Iraq. The incumbent of this position will be a personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Project Manager, working closely with the UNOCT/UNCCT Head of the Global Programmed on PRR in coordination with the UNOCT Iraq Head of Office, the incumbent will be responsible for the following functions:

• Develop and deliver a detailed work plan outlining key milestones and deliverables to achieve the outlined objectives in the first two weeks of assignment.
• Conduct desk research, identify and review and assess existing training and capacity-building activities and materials used by government and non-government entities supporting the return process in Iraq, particularly focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration in J1 and areas of return.
• Engage with relevant stakeholders through bilateral meetings and interviews to assess the capacity of actors involved in rehabilitation and reintegration efforts, including civil society organizations, government officials, UN agencies, tribal and community leaders.
• Utilize existing training material identified during the desk research, such as IOM’s Engagement Protocols and ongoing UNDP initiatives on rehabilitation and reintegration, to develop a comprehensive, evidence-based, and context-specific curriculum on rehabilitation and reintegration tailored to the needs of Iraqi key stakeholders.
• Prepare a final report outlining the findings of the review, key recommendations, and proposed curriculum enhancements.
• Develop and deliver a comprehensive training program for service providers, government officials, involved in the rehabilitation and reintegration process, including civil society organizations and community leaders.

Monitoring and Progress Controls
Under the overall supervision of the Project Manager, the incumbent will work closely with the UNOCT/UNCCT Head of the Global Programme on PRR in coordination with the UNOCT Iraq Head of Office.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

*FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

*CANDIDATES WITH NO UNITED NATIONS OR UNOPS EXPERIENCE ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in political science, public policy, policy analysis, international law, international relations, international security, or other relevant field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with 2 years of additional experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Required Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in international affairs in the areas of criminal justice, transitional justice or counter-terrorism is required.

Desirable experience: (the following experience is optional candidates who do not have it are welcome to apply):

• Experience providing technical assistance in the Iraqi context is an asset.
• Experience developing and implementing capacity building programmes related to rehabilitation and reintegration in the fields of counter-terrorism and/or PCVE is desirable.
• Experience engaging with and coordinating United Nations, government, civil society, and community stakeholders is desirable.
• Experience conducting needs assessments, developing training curricula, and delivering training in areas related to disengagement from violent extremism and reintegration is desirable.

Languages:

• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Native or fluent Arabic is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of any local language is desirable.

Contract type, level, and duration

• Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)

• Contract level: IICA-2 (ICS 10)

• Contract duration: Until 31 December 2024. The contract for this position is set for a duration Until 31 December 2024, with termination upon its conclusion. Any need for services beyond this initial period will be communicated to the incumbent accordingly.

  For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
  https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Information
Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.