UNRWA Legal Officer (Contracts)

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

UNRWA is the United Nations agency responsible for the protection, care and human development 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 a long and healthy life. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 29,000 staff. Most of these staff are refugees themselves, working directly to benefit their communities - as teachers, doctors, nurses or social workers. For its international team, UNRWA is seeking to employ a qualified:

Legal Officer (Contracts)

Vacancy Announcement Number 12-HQ-JR-08 Grade P-4 Deadline for Applications 01 March 2012 Duty Station HQ Jerusalem

The Legal Officer (Contracts) will be responsible to the Chief, General Legal Division for the provision of legal advice and assistance on matters arising from contracts entered into by the Agency, including without limitation those relating to the procurement of goods and services, donor financing and project agreements. The post has particular responsibility for the functioning of the Agency’s Advisory Committee on Procurement. In accordance with the established Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent will:

Primary Duties and Responsibilities • Serve as Secretary to the Advisory Committee on Procurement, including:  examining contract proposals to ensure accuracy, relevance and compliance with appropriate procedural and substantive requirements of the Agency’s procurement framework;  providing, as required, advice at meetings, and to Local Committees on Procurement, on legal questions;  recording the decisions of the Committee, ensuring that Committee decisions are properly communicated to the appropriate officials and ensuring proper maintenance of Committee records;

• Provide legal advice on matters arising from contracts, including claims and disputes; prepare legal opinions and correspondence on such matters; • Draft and assist in the negotiation of contracts for the purchase of goods, the delivery of services, the construction and maintenance of buildings, leases, etc; • Draft and interpret directives and technical instructions relating to contracting procedures, general conditions of contract, delegations of authority and form contacts; • Draft, revise and interpret funding agreements, project agreements, memoranda of understanding and implementation arrangements with donors, governmental and non-governmental organizations and implementation partners; • Represent the Department on other internal committees as directed, including, as appropriate, the Tender Opening Committee and Claims Boards; • Assist the on-going work of department colleagues in their absence or as may be required.

Professional Knowledge and Experience • Advanced university degree in law, preferably with a specialization in contract or commercial law, and admission to practice law in a recognized jurisdiction. • At least eight years' direct experience in the application of contract and commercial law in government service, the commercial/private sector or an international organization.
• Excellent command of spoken and written English.

Competencies • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others in a team environment; • A high level of written and verbal communication skills and practical writing experience in a legal context, including the ability to present information, opinions and positions in a clear and instructive manner; • Strong analytical and evaluation skills combined with good judgment, including the ability to apply legal knowledge and practice to strategic, policy and operational objectives; • Highly developed negotiation skills, with the ability to positively influence others to reach mutually beneficial outcomes.

Desirable Qualifications • Experience in the UN Common System; • Computer literate and fully skilled in Microsoft Office environment.

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 $72,467 net tax free with dependants or $67,483 single, plus post adjustment of 42.7% (subject to change without notice). 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.

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