UNICEF, the world’s leading organization working for the rights of children, seeks a Special Representative for its Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Under general supervision by the Regional Director, you will be responsible for overall development, formulation, conception and management of UNICEF programmes. Other responsibilities include:
• Representing the Executive Director in all aspects of UNICEF in the area. Collaborates as part of the UNCT in this regard.
• The formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the UNICEF programmes, including humanitarian response.
• UNICEF's advocacy with the government and other partners for the enhancement of the survival, protection, development and participation of children and women.
• Office management of the UNICEF country office.
• Participating in organizational and institutional initiatives to strengthen UN Coherence. Ensuring that joint programming (including joint programmes) and common services are achieved to the extent possible.
Area Profile:
• Middle income setting.
• Highly "visible" in international arena, with presence of all major media outlets.
• Humanitarian response related to violence and conflict, in complex geo-political context.
• Middle size office, with a number of international and national staff.
• High security concerns.
• This area has high security concerns – Jerusalem (Low), West Bank (Moderate) and Gaza (Substantial and non-family duty station), with limited mobility in country. Movement of national staff is severely restricted with military control at checkpoints and crossings causing significant delays and security concerns.Successful candidate must have patience and perseverance to cope with and lead national staff living and working in a restrictive and highly sensitive environment, and international staff in Gaza living and working in a non-family environment. The main Office is located in East Jerusalem.
Profile of the Successful Candidate:
Previous experience as a Representative with excellent people skills and knowledge of humanitarian affairs. You should have the capacity to work at senior level, manage a medium to large office in a middle/high income setting and excel in complex political settings. In particular, the individual must have:
• Excellent representational and communication skills with judgment and capacity to ensure both "soft diplomacy" and advocacy in a humanitarian context with rights violations. Combined political savvy, tact and assertiveness to face unexpected challenges due to a sensitive, unstable and unpredictable political environment.
• Capacity to manage relations and strategize with counterparts requiring sound professional knowledge of UNICEF issues/priorities.
• Proven ability to negotiate with diverse and influential actors including non-state actors.
• Sound programmatic knowledge of developments and humanitarian contexts to provide visibility for UNICEF programmes and achieve results for children, with focus on equity and gender issues.
• Excellent networking, partnership, fundraising and capacity building skills; with strong team spirit to provide leadership for children with key stakeholders and the United Nations Country Team.
In addition, you should be dynamic, with solid managerial, operational and team building skills and the capacity to lead and motivate a diverse team of international and national staff in an unstable/insecure and protracted humanitarian crisis.A strong background and knowledge of risk and security assessments as well as emergency preparedness is required.
Qualification and Competencies:
• Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, International Relations, Government, Public Administration, Public Policy, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or other relevant disciplines.
• Twelve to thirteen years of relevant professional work experience. Previous experience as a Representative required. Experience in programme management, building strategic alliances and partnerships, and resource mobilization. International and developing country work experience and field work experience. Background/familiarity with emergency and humanitarian response.
• Fluency in English.
• Competencies: Core - Communication, Drive for Result, Working With People; Functional - Formulating Strategies and Concepts, Analyzing , Relating and Networking, Deciding and Initiating Action, Persuading and Influencing, Leading and Supervising
If you have got experience of working in a similar capacity and want to make an active and lasting contribution to build a better world for children, please submit a cover letter, CV and a signed P11 form to recruit.ssr@unicef.org by 17 September 2012.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
