Senior Strategic Engagement Advisor - Geneva

Org. Setting and ReportingUNRWA, 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 Senior Strategic Engagement Advisor reports to the Director, UNRWA Liaison Office, Geneva. The incumbent acts as the Head of the Secretariat of the Advisory Commission on UNRWA (AdCom), tasked with advising and assisting the Commissioner-General of UNRWA in carrying out the Agency’s mandate, and supports UNRWA Senior Management’s strategic engagement with the AdCom and its subsidiary entities. The incumbent also provides strategic advice to the Director of the UNRWA Liaison Office in Geneva, the Executive Office, HQ Departments and Field Offices on engagement with Permanent Missions, the UN ecosystem and the media landscape based in Geneva, on a broad range of strategic, political, policy, programmatic and operational matters. ResponsibilitiesAs Head of the Secretariat of the UN General Assembly Advisory Commission on UNRWA (AdCom): - Oversees substantive preparations for the meetings of the AdCom, including its sub-committees and subsidiary entities/working groups, in close coordination with the Chairs/Vice-Chairs; supports AdCom members in negotiating bi-annual recommendations to the UNRWA Commissioner-General. - Maintains contacts with AdCom members’ representatives in Geneva and in UNRWA areas of operations, ensuring transparent discussions and promoting consensus in support of UNRWA’s mandate and operations. - Manages staff supporting the Secretariat, ensuring high standard of work quality and communications. Leading the support for UNRWA Senior Management’s Engagement with the Advisory Commission: - Provides advice to the Director of the Liaison Office and the Executive Office on the strategic direction of UNRWA’s engagement with the Advisory Commission and supports UNRWA leadership and senior management in preparing for their participation in AdCom, subcommittee and subsidiary entities’ meetings. - Ensures the Agency’s strategic issues are included for consideration in AdCom related meetings; oversees production of Agency’s documentation for the AdCom and its entities and coordinates follow-up and reporting on AdCom recommendations. Supporting the Agency’s Engagement with UN Entities and Coordination mechanisms in Geneva: - In coordination and consultation with relevant Headquarters Departments and Field Offices, supports and advances strategic positioning of UNRWA within the UN ecosystem in Geneva on strategic and policy related humanitarian, development and human rights matters and establishes the Agency as a centre of expertise on key policy issues of relevance to its mandate. - Monitors key trends and developments in Geneva, ensuring the Agency’s alignment with UN system-wide initiatives and engages with relevant stakeholders including UN Agencies and non-governmental organisations. - Leads or coordinates UNRWA’s participation in policy discussions and inter-agency processes, and drafts, in close coordination with relevant Headquarters Departments and Field Offices, high-quality policy and other papers. Supporting UNRWA’s Engagement with the broader ecosystem in Geneva: - Fosters political and financial support to the Agency through direct engagement with Member States’ Permanent Missions in Geneva, under the guidance of the Director of the Liaison Office and in coordination with the Executive Office, the External Relations and Communications Department and UNRWA Representative Offices; - Support planning, preparation and organisation of UNRWA official visits to Geneva; prepares high quality tailored documents, papers, and talking points for Geneva-based engagements. - Collaborates with UNRWA’s Communication Division on strategic communication efforts in Geneva. Oversees administrative and financial matters related to the functioning of the Liaison Office in Geneva and deputises for the Director when required. CompetenciesUN Core Values of lntegrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Default managerial competencies may apply. Coping with Pressure and Setbacks Engaging and Nurturing Deciding and Initiating Action Creating and Maintaining Impact and Partnership Analyzing Formulating Strategies and Concepts Persuading and Influencing EducationAn advanced university degree (Masters’ or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in political science, international relations, international economics, law, public administration, or a related field is required. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceAt least ten years of progressively responsible professional experience in political, international relations, law, development management, conflict resolution or related area is required. At least five years of international experience in political outreach, analysis, advice and reporting while supporting or working closely with senior leadership and management functions is required. Experience in or familiarity with field duty stations, especially in conflict or post-conflict environment is required. Experience in coordination of interdisciplinary teams and, proven track of engagement with the UN ecosystem is required. Unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System, a candidate for an international post must have at least 2 continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and outside the country(s) of which the candidate is a national or holds citizenship, a passport or a national identity number is required. Familiarity with the United Nations system and practices is desirable. 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. Working knowledge of written and spoken French is desired. LanguagesExcellent command of written and spoken English is required. Working knowledge of written and spoken French is desirable. AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special NoticeThis is a UN Regular Budget post. Type of Contract and duration: 2 years, with the possibility of further extension. 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. Advertisements published in English will only accept applications in English, other language submissions will not be considered. 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 ConsiderationsStaff 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 FeeTHE 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.