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Job Vacancies United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
UNRWA is the United Nations agency responsible for responding to the humanitarian and development requirements of a population of some 4.7 million Palestine refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. UNRWA is committed to assisting Palestine refugees in maintaining a decent standard of living, acquiring appropriate knowledge and skills, enjoying the fullest possible extent of human rights, and leading long and healthy lives. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East. Most UNRWA staff are refugees themselves, working directly to benefit their communities – as teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers



Position: Head, UNRWA Representative Office, Washington, DC, P-5
Closing Date: Saturday, 05 February 2011
Location: United States of America (the) – Washington, Dc

Working under the direct supervision of the Commissioner-General, the incumbent is responsible for ensuring optimum strategic management of UNRWA’s relations with Washington DC-based US government and non-governmental entities, and, facilitating and advancing relations with other partners elsewhere in the USA.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities
* Represent the interests of UNRWA vis-à-vis Washington DC-based US government and non-governmental entities, with particular reference to the US Congress and the US State Department and the National Security Council. This requires active and regular engagement with relevant members of Congress and Congressional staffers to advance understanding of UNRWA’s role in the context of the regional issues of the Middle East, the Agency’s operations and the situation of Palestine refugees in the five fields and globally. Clarifies UNRWA’s mission, positions, programmes, initiatives and institutional practices, including in the area of neutrality, and explain the evolving challenges UNRWA faces;
* Establish institutional relationships with relevant Washington DC-based US government and non-governmental entities and agencies, maintaining and managing these relationships in the interests of Palestine refugees and UNRWA;
* Monitor on a daily basis relevant developments in the US Congressional agenda, with a view to formulating and leading the implementation of an outreach and advocacy strategy dedicated to optimizing UNRWA’s relations with Congress and other Washington DC-based governmental and non-governmental agencies;
* In close cooperation with the Spokesperson and the Director, External Relations and Communication, and in close consultation with relevant colleagues, formulate and lead in the implementation of a media and communications strategy dedicated to addressing the US audience, including disseminating information to media as well as civil society and non-governmental entities and timely responses to queries from media and other entities;
* In close consultation with relevant UNRWA colleagues, lead and coordinate the drafting, preparation and presentation of materials required for briefings to Congress, Congressional staffers, the media and other governmental and non-governmental agencies in the Washington, DC or broader US setting.;
* Represent UNRWA at public engagements in the Washington, DC and Congressional arena as well as elsewhere in the US, and prepare and present statements on the Agency’s behalf;
* Under the direction of the Director, External Relations and Communications, and working in tandem with the Director, Representative Office in New York, build and sustain partnerships with international organisations headquartered in the US, the private sector, national and local non-profit institutions, and high value individuals, amongst others. Maintain awareness and support, including organizing or attending special events;
* Under the direction of the Director, External Relations and Communications, support the implementation of UNRWA’s resource mobilization and strategic communications frameworks;
* Manage UNRWA’s Representative Office in Washington, DC.

Professional Knowledge and Experience
* Advanced university degree in political science, public administration, business administration, or a related field;
* At least 10 years experience in political or administrative affairs utilizing professional skills relevant to the responsibilities of H/ROWASH, of which at least 8 years should have been in a senior capacity. Experience in advocacy and outreach with Washington, DC-based US government or non-governmental agencies or entities is essential.

Competencies
* Positive attitude and strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills, such as required for successful outreach, advocacy and effective management of partner relations in the specific Washington, DC-setting, including in the context of adversarial positions taken by a variety of entities;
* Proven ability to exercise the initiative and resourcefulness necessary for simultaneously addressing a variety of stakeholder needs, pursuing multiple tasks and achieving positive outcomes;
* Sound appreciation of regional context and strong general understanding of US foreign policy as it relates to the Middle East, as well as genuine commitment to advocacy for humanitarian positions that underpin UNRWA’s mission;
* Excellent communication skills in spoken and written English, including demonstrated ability in public speaking, the ability to draft/edit a variety of texts, and the ability to articulate positions in a clear and concise style;
* Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with senior officials and staffers in the Washington, DC context, as well as internally and with people of diverse backgrounds, culture and nationalities;
* Sound judgment on political, media and diplomatic matters, including on high profile issues of international policy that affect the Middle East, UNRWA and Palestine refugees;
* The ability to handle media relations competently and effectively;
* Professional discretion and rigorous respect for confidentiality.

Desirable Qualifications
* Successful working experience of advocacy and outreach in the Washington DC arena, particularly in the context of the US Congress and non-governmental agencies in the Washington, DC area;
* Knowledge of written or spoken Arabic;
* Knowledge of Middle East context and Palestine refugee issues.

Additional Information
The incumbent will occasionally travel to UNRWA’s area of operations.

Conditions of Service
UNRWA offers an attractive compensation package including annual salary starting at $86,791 net tax free with dependants or $80,629 single, plus post adjustment of 40.7%. Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include education grant, dependency allowance, home leave, pension fund, health insurance and 6 weeks annual leave. All UNRWA duty stations (with the exception of Gaza) are family duty stations.

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, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted.

Reference Code: RW_8D69M6-37