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 Head of Policy & Compliance Monitoring Section is responsible to Chief, Central Support Services Division.

Responsibilities

Serves as a technical expert on compliance matters related to procurement, logistics, administration and contracting with responsibility for conducting compliance of these processes and systems for governance, risk management and internal controls and performs quality reviews of procurement, logistics, administration transactions for accuracy, and adherence to Procurement Manual, Administration instructions and UNRWA rules and regulations, Property Manual, and Inventory Management. Acts as a focal point for internal and external stakeholders on compliance, audit, and risk management in the Central Support Services Division (CSSD) scope of work. Is responsible for the development, assessment and effective implementation of the Agency’s standard policies, operating procedures, manuals, instructions, guidelines related to administration, logistics procurement, supply chain, fleet management and general administration services to obtain Best Value for Money for the Organization. Ensures that methodologies/tools/documentation are established to ensure standardization and streamlining of procedures to gain into efficiencies and best serve internal clients, while maintaining strict adherence to financial rules and regulations. Provides strategic guidance to leadership and operational teams on compliance-related risks and best practices. Oversees performance indicators for CSSD performance and provides monthly performance monitoring reports and determines with relevant stakeholders action plan to improve performance. Consolidates and assures quality of responses to audit observation as well as any alleged violations of the Agency’s financial rules, regulations and policies related to procurement, supply chain, fleet management and general administration services. Oversees the implementation of mitigation measures pursuant to auditors’ observations. Establishes performance compliance indicators and develops action plans with internal CSSD and Field Offices (FOs) stakeholders to strengthen governance and internal control mechanisms. Is responsible for the development and implementation of training programs in the area of procurement, supply chain, fleet management on the basis of needs assessment and skill gaps including best practices. Provides technical advice on activities related to procurement, supply chain, fleet management and general administration services to headquarters and fields staff to ensure efficient use of resources in the Agency. Develops and implements a comprehensive risk management framework to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate strategic, operational, financial, and reputational risks related to CSSD areas of work. Prepares a variety of complex compliance procurement, administration and logistics -related documents, correspondences and reports to internal and external stakeholders. Reviews and issues critical statistical reports Agency-wide for activities related to assets, procurement, supply chain, fleet management and general administration services. Ensures accuracy of reports entailing data extracted from Information Systems (ERP, e-tendering tool, UNGM, Fleetwave, Fleetlog, etc.) Conducts compliance audits, quality reviews, and risk assessments to enhance accountability in procurement, logistics, administration, and contracting. Ensures the implementation of internal reviews and audit recommendations, overseeing corrective actions and sustainable internal controls. Leads internal self-assessment exercises to assess internal controls, integrity, and operational efficiencies. Ensures the implementation of internal reviews and audit recommendations till closure and ensures that corrective actions and new measures are established to strengthen the internal controls and sustainability of the actions. Acts as focal point for all compliance, monitoring and reporting matters and reports regularly on risk, compliance and internal control to supervisor. Represents CSSD in external and internal discussions and performs other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor(s).

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. Delivering Results Managing Complexity and Change Leading and Supervising Formulating Strategies and Concepts Applying Technical Expertise Coping with Pressure and Setbacks Accountability. Managing performance. Strong managerial skills demonstrated in managing large teams with different levels and backgrounds.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in business administration, public administration, supply chain, law or a related field

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in business administration, public administration, supply chain, law or a related field is required. A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible relevant experience in procurement, contract management, supply chain, administration in the public or private sector is required. A total of 5 years of work experience directly related to first-hand experience in audit, compliance, internal controls with a strong understanding and knowledge of procurement at an international level 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. At least 5 years of work experience managing diverse teams is required. Experience in the development of policy, key performance management indicators and compliance monitoring or reporting in procurement, logistics, fleet, or administration is required. Indicate your current involvement in any outside activities, as it is required. Including but not limited to employment, independent contractor/freelance consultant, board member (corporate, academic, etc), expert group, lobby, public speaking/writing (article, book, blog, social media etc), teaching, conferences, training, press statement, voluntary work, political activity, fundraising/donation for non-UNRWA entity, running for public office, role in political party or orgs., owning business, work for gov./NGO/private company/charity, UNRWA partner/vendor, full/part-time, paid or not. A “yes” answer doesn’t necessarily lead to exclusion from future work at UNRWA, yet misrepresentation in providing accurate/complete info can lead to disqualification/termination of appointment, if hired. Experience in the development of operational systems in administration, procurement, logistics or fleet is desired. Experience in advanced use of office software packages, handling of web-based management systems and ERP systems is desired. Working experience with the United Nations or similar international organizations is desired.

Languages

Excellent command of written and spoken English.

Assessment

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

Special Notice

This is a UN Regular Budget post. Type of Contract and duration: 2 years, with the possibility of further extension. The incumbent will be required to travel in 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. All university degrees must also be stated, where applicable. UNRWA personnel must ensure adding their contract type and grade level. Given the large pool of applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further assessment. Providing incorrect or misleading information on an application form will result in the immediate disqualification of the candidate. 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, when the need arises. 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. Join our eco-friendly organization dedicated to environment sustainability and targeting to be plastic free by 2025. The Agency disqualifies 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 while a misconduct process was 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 while an investigation and/or disciplinary process for misconduct is underway; and those individuals may be prohibited from employment with the United Nations. 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 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.