Jordan Associate Legal Officer (UNRWA Dispute Tribunal)

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:

Associate Legal Officer (UNRWA Dispute Tribunal)

Vacancy Announcement Number 11-HQ-AM-65 Grade P-2 Deadline for Applications 15 January 2012 Duty Station Headquarters (Amman)

The incumbent of this post provides substantive and technical legal support to the Registrar and the Judge of the UNRWA Dispute Tribunal in the discharge of their functions in accordance with the Statute, Rules of Procedure and any Practice Directions of the UNRWA Dispute Tribunal. In accordance with the Statute, Rules of Procedure and Practice Directions of the UNRWA Dispute Tribunal and the established Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent will:

Primary Duties and Responsibilities • Assist and provide advice to the Judge by providing legal research, analysis and summaries of appeals submitted to the UNRWA Dispute Tribunal, as required, and legal analysis of the UNRWA Dispute Tribunal’s procedures as well as assisting in the preparation of orders, judgments and reasons for judgment, taking account of past precedents, including United Nations Appeals Tribunal and United Nations Administrative Tribunal jurisprudence, as appropriate; • Assist the Registrar in providing substantive, technical and administrative support in respect of the functioning of the Registry and the UNRWA Dispute Tribunal; • Assist the Registrar in analyzing implications of emerging issues in and affecting the Registry and to develop strategies and measures to address them; • Provide advice to the Registrar on legal and judicial developments in the UN system, in particular in the administration of internal justice; • Assist the Registrar in maintaining the UNRWA Dispute Tribunal’s case law and jurisprudence database.

Professional Knowledge and Experience • University degree in Law preferably with a focus on Administrative Law; • Four years’ experience as a practicing Lawyer or as a Legal Adviser in a public or business organization or institution, including experience in administrative law or related field; • Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English.

Competencies • Excellent interpersonal skills, mature, independent, disciplined, loyal, self-confident and self-assured; • Strong communication and negotiation skills with demonstrated ability to handle sensitive situations diplomatically; • Excellent legal research and writing skills; • Ability to work under pressure and within a team; • Flexible and able to assess and analyse situations quickly, objectively, and prudently;
• Ability to establish priorities and to plan work assignments.

Desirable Qualifications • Advanced degree in Law; • Experience in applying knowledge of international administrative law and staff rules relevant to UNRWA or other United Nations common system agencies.

Equivalency When the minimum requirements are not fully met, the Human Resources Department may substitute part of the unmet requirements 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 $49,756 net tax free with dependants or $46,669 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, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted.

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:

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, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted.