Head Gender Section

The Head, Gender Section reports to the Chief of Protection.

Leads and coordinates the Agency’s initiatives to develop relevant policies, strategies and operational guidance aimed at ensuring the promotion of the rights and protection of Palestine refugees women and girls, including through the UN’s women peace and security agenda (a series of UN resolutions that refer to the protection of women and girls from GBV, sexual violence and PSEA as well as women and girls’ participation in humanitarian response and peace processes). Promotes gender mainstreaming through UNRWA’s core programmes: coordinates with the Senior Protection Officer - mainstreaming to ensure that proper gender analysis aimed at identifying gender vulnerabilities and gaps is carried out within UNRWA programmes and services; provides technical advice on addressing these vulnerabilities and gaps. As related to acute crisis and emergency response, ensures that gender is considered in protection assessments, and that protection response is gender sensitive and inclusive of women and girls. Leads Agency initiatives aimed at protecting Palestine refugees from Gender-Based Violence including emergency time; works with other Gender stakeholders, including gender or GBV officers or focal points in the fields, the programmes or any other support department, to ensure response, prevention and risk-mitigation to GBV and ensures quality of Gender related processes managed by them. Develops operational guidance that ensures the equal participation and full engagement of Palestine refugees’ women and girls in the design and delivery of programmes and services; ensures that mechanisms related to accountability to affected population are gender sensitive. Supports the collection of sex, age and diversity disaggregated data; leads its analysis and makes sure it informs gender sensitive programming and gender responsive services. Builds capacity for gender sensitive emergency response; mainstreams gender and GBV into protocols and procedures for emergency response. Provides advice to the Executive leadership and other senior managers on how to achieve greater gender equality within UNRWA’s workforce.

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 Engaging and Nurturing Formulating Strategies and Concepts Applying Technical Expertise Adapting and Responding to Change Relating and Networking Deciding and Initiating Action

Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in gender studies, development studies, human rights, or any other related social or political science field.

Not available.

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible relevant professional experience in gender equality and women’s empowerment, gender mainstreaming, protection of women from GBV, and project management in emergency context is required. Unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System, a candidate for an international post must have a minimum of two 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 relevant organizations of the UN system (e.g., UN-Women; UNHCR; WFP; UNFPA) is desired. Familiarity with the work of non-UN organizations working in gender equality and women’s empowerment-related fields is desired. Knowledge and understanding of the Palestine refugee situation and the political context of the Middle East is desired. Working knowledge of Arabic is desired.

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French of Arabic is desirable.

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

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 frequently within, and occasionally outside, 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/

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.

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.