Ombudsman

Org. Setting and ReportingUNRWA 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. The incumbent of this post acts in an autonomous way, reporting administratively to the Commissioner-General. ResponsibilitiesWithin the framework of informal mechanisms, provides support to all UNRWA staff, at all duty stations, by reviewing, examining and analysing conflicts or perceived conflicts raised by UNRWA staff members; proposes alternatives for resolutions while maintaining confidentiality. Builds outreach and conflict management competence for Headquarters and Field Offices by developing staff awareness and providing training and coaching on how to prevent and manage conflicts effectively, fostering a respectful and harmonious workplace at UNRWA. Provides mediation services and assists parties in working towards the resolution of a conflict, with the parties themselves remaining in control of the final decision or resolution. Initiate action on concerns identified through his or her direct observation and analysis. Identifies, analyzes and reports to the Commissioner-General of UNRWA on broad systemic issues and provides feedback on policies, procedures, practices, and behaviors with a view to enabling a respectful and harmonious workplace. Issues and provides regular reports on the activities of the Office of the Ombudsman to the Commissioner-General of UNRWA. Coordinates with the UN Ombudsman and Mediation Services (UNOMS) on relevant substantive matters. CompetenciesUN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Deciding and Initiating Action. Persuading and Influencing. Analyzing. Delivering Results. Demonstrating Self-Awareness. EducationAdvanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in public administration, dispute resolution, human resources management, human relations, law, management, organizational development, counseling or other related area. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceAt least ten years of progressively responsible and relevant professional experience, with proven track-record in dispute resolution, human resources management, law, or related field is required. Candidates are required to make a declaration as to whether they have any current or past affiliations with non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, political organizations, military, or have/are engaged in activities or have made any public statements, that could be seen to impact their neutrality, objectivity or independence in the performance of their duties for the UN / UNRWA. Any declaration will not necessarily disqualify candidates from consideration for this post. 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. Atleast least five years at the international level with the UN, private sector, governmental or international organizations is required. Experience with informal dispute resolution in the workplace is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. Arabic is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).