Family Health Team Communications Officer

UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST UNRWA

UNRWA is the United Nations agency responsible for responding to the humanitarian and development requirements of a population of some 5 million Palestine refugees living in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. UNRWA is committed to assisting Palestine refugees in maintaining a decent standard of living, acquiring appropriate knowledge and skills, enjoying the fullest possible extent of human rights, and leading long and healthy lives. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East. Most UNRWA staff are refugees themselves, working directly to benefit their communities - as teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers. For its international team, UNRWA seeks a qualified:

Family Health Team Communications Officer

Vacancy Announcement Number 11-HQ-AM-51 Grade P-3 Deadline for Applications 2 December 2011 Duty Station HQ Amman

Under direct supervision from the Director of Health, the incumbent will assist in developing and expanding the communications component of UNRWA’s Family Health Team initiative. In accordance with the established Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent will:

Primary Duties and Responsibilities • Develop a communication strategy for UNRWA’s Family Health Team approach, with packages tailored to various audiences including UNRWA health staff, beneficiary communities, host country authorities and donors. This includes: - Conducting extensive consultations with target audiences in relevant UNRWA Fields through regular visits and communications; - Gathering information and analyzing existing UNRWA communication strategies on health at large and Family Health Team approach and other relevant health reforms in the Fields; - Coordinating and facilitating with the relevant UNRWA Health Department staff to define communication content and key messages to deliver in the communication strategy; - In close collaboration with relevant UNRWA Field Offices, conducting a formative assessment to ascertain communication approaches appropriate to various audiences. • Facilitate and coordinate with relevant UNRWA Field offices to pilot communication approaches along with the piloting of the Family Health Team (FHT) Approach. This includes frequent visits to the relevant UNRWA Fields and health centers; • Develop communications packages – which define communication tools, including printed, audio-visual and other communication materials as relevant - targeting various audiences, including patients, communities, UNRWA staff, host countries, and international partners.

Professional Knowledge and Experience • University degree in communications, social sciences or related discipline; • At least 6 years of experience in developing and implementing communication strategies; • Excellent command of written and spoken English.

Competencies • Strong interpersonal and communication skills; • Excellent writing skills; • Strong coordination and facilitation skills; • Ability to establish and maintain effective work relations in a multi-cultural environment.

Desirable Qualifications • Experience in qualitative research methods; • Experience in health care settings; • Experience in organizational change management processes; • Working knowledge of Arabic; • Work experience in the Middle East in general and the Near East in particular; • Work experience in UNRWA.

Equivalency When the minimum requirements are not fully met, the Human Resources Department may substitute part of the unmet requirements under UNRWA’s equivalency determination guidelines with a combination of relevant academic qualification, additional professional training and/or progressive relevant work experience. Note: Work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered sufficient for an equivalency determination.

Additional Information The incumbent will be required to travel in the Agency’s area of operations in the Middle East.

Conditions of Service
UNRWA offers an attractive compensation package including annual salary starting at $60,013 net tax free with dependants or $56,018 single, plus post adjustment of 42.2%. Other benefits, subject to eligibility, include education grant, dependency allowance, home leave, pension fund, health insurance and 6 weeks annual leave. All UNRWA duty stations (with the exception of Gaza) are family duty stations. Initial contract is for one year, with the possibility of further extensions subject to the availability of funds and the continuing need for the post.

How to Apply To start the application process, applicants are required to register at http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile and completing UNRWA Personal History Form. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. Only applications received through http://jobs.unrwa.org will be considered. Due to the large number of applications received for UNRWA vacancies, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted. Initial contract is for one year, with the possibility of further extensions subject to the availability of funds and the continuing need for the post.

UNRWA does not charge a fee at any stage in the recruitment process.

General Information UNRWA encourages applications from qualified and experienced women.

UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.

UNRWA is a United Nations organization whose staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, neutrality and impartiality. This includes respect for human rights, for diversity, and for non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. UNRWA staff are expected to uphold these values at all times, both at work and outside. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment.

How to apply:

To start the application process, applicants are required to register at http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile and completing UNRWA Personal History Form. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. Only applications received through http://jobs.unrwa.org will be considered. Due to the large number of applications received for UNRWA vacancies, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted. Initial contract is for one year, with the possibility of further extensions subject to the availability of funds and the continuing need for the post.