Re-advertisement: People & Culture Manager (Humanitarian), P-4, East Jerusalem, State of Palestine, Temporary Appointment (post no. 135351)

If you are a committed, creative professional and you would like to make an active and lasting contribution to build a better and safe world for children, we would like to hear from you. The State of Palestine office is seeking a dynamic qualified candidate to join our team as a People & Culture Manager (Humanitarian) at the P-4 level based in East Jerusalem, SOP with frequent travel to Gaza.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, care

UNICEF in the State of Palestine works to uphold the rights of children to access essential services and protection, from early childhood through adolescence. Our objective is to ensure that every child in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, irrespective of background or circumstance, has an equal chance to fulfil their potential. Following the escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, UNICEF is responding at scale with Education, WASH, Nutrition, Health, Child Protection and Multi-Purpose Cash, while preparing for return to learning for children across the State of Palestine to respond to the most precent and critical needs of children, while supporting the restoration of essential services.

Under the supervision of the People & Culture Manager P4 who is also the head of the section, and in close collaboration with both Deputy Representatives, the People & Culture Manager will contribute to the overall quality oversight of the wide range of HR functions required to ensure business continuity of the daily operations of UNICEF State of Palestine office. The position will be based in East Jerusalem, with frequent mission travel to Gaza.

The post does not have direct reports, however this role may act as Deputy OIC for the People & Culture Manager P4 head of section, if and when required.

Summary of Key Functions and Accountabilities

Strategic HR

• In consultation with the People & Culture Manager/Head of Section, provides strategic HR guidance to Section Chiefs on organizational design of structures in both scale-up and scale-down scenarios for response and recovery.
• Analyze and synthesize issues and problems, and interpret established, formal guidelines to address and recommend simplified solutions or further actions required.
• Responsible for strategic HR forecasting for clients including identifying future immediate, medium and long-term HR needs, while leveraging best practices and lessons learned in humanitarian action.

Technical HR leadership

• Provide technical leadership in the realm of HR in Humanitarian Action, covering HR emergency preparedness, response, and recovery, and provide relevant guidance to the team members for compliance with principles and concepts, policies, regulations and rules as well as for soundness of judgement and conclusions.
• Implement and monitor the interpretation and application of emergency procedures, fast-track recruitment, EPP planning, and leverage best practices and lessons learned from People in Humanitarian action community.

Business Partnering

• Serve as the single point of contact for his/her client portfolio on advice pertaining to all aspects of the employment life cycle
• Work with clients to help fulfill their goals through advising on how to attract, retain and motivate staff of the highest caliber.
• Provide accurate and timely advice to clients on HR in Emergencies processes and policies, ensuring the highest level of client-orientation with an emphasis on quality, flexibility, and speed.
• Proactively advise clients on the resolution of human resources issues ensuring equitable and transparent solutions that protects both the staff and organizations interests in accordance with policies, regulations and procedures.
• Promote the organizational goals and targets for gender equity and cultural diversity.

Duty of Care

• Under the supervision of the People and Culture Manager / Head of section, work in partnership with all Staff Well Being partners including internal CO/RO Staff counsellors, as well as with external LTA services to ensure that prioritized care and resources are provided to all staff, particularly the national staff in Gaza.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education: 

An Advanced University Degree in human resource management, business management, international relations, psychology or another related field is required.

Work Experience:

• (8) years of professional experience in HR management at UNICEF, or other UN Agency is required
• Field experience working in complex high threat L3/L2 environments is required
• HR in Emergencies technical knowledge is strongly desired, which includes HR emergency preparedness and response interventions, application of emergency procedures and simplifications implementation, with focus on Duty of Care to all staff
• Strong communication skills including soft skills

Language Requirements:

English is Required. Arabic is only deemed as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people.

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

In the current evolving emergency context, this position will be based in Gaza where medical facilities have been negatively affected and individual chronic and/or serious medical conditions cannot be adequately addressed.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female are encouraged to apply.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

This is required for all posts requiring a higher education degree. “UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Temporary Assignment:

UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reduction. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.

The VA is open to all (internal and external candidates)

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.