occupied Palestinian territory: Close Protection Officer

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

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. For its international team, UNRWA is seeking to employ a qualified:

Close Protection Officer

Vacancy Announcement Number 15-FO-GA-54
Grade G-4
Deadline for Applications 24 December 2015
(8 December 2015 for internal applicants)
Duty Station Gaza

The Close Protection Officer will report to the Close Protection Team Leader, Gaza. In accordance with the established Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent will:

Primary Duties and Responsibilities
• Close Protection (CP) Operations:
• Conduct CP operations for a Senior UN Official;
• Remain within the proximity of the Senior UN Official at all times and implement mitigating measures to preserve his/her security, safety and wellbeing;
• Remain vigilant and alert in case of threat to the Senior UN Official;
• Maintain effective and efficient security coverage for the working office and personal residence of the Senior UN Official;
• Conduct close protection operations as outlined in the UN and UNRWA close protection policies and guidelines;
• Conduct advance work and implement pre-established security arrangements;
• Contribute to pre-deployment briefings;
• Perform tasks as security driver as and when appropriate.
• Administrative and training requirements:
 Operate all close protection equipment to ensure equipment readiness;
 Assist in training session on close protection subjects to keep abreast with current tactics and techniques;
 Whenever necessary, supervise the Close Protection Team drivers in the performance of their assigned duties;
 Contribute to making determination of equipment, facility and supply needs based on operational requirements.
 Coordination of CP activities:
 Coordinate activities with relevant parties to include the Security Operations Room and other appropriate security actors as required;
 Co-ordinate with local authorities during close protection operations.

Professional Knowledge and Experience
• Completed secondary school certificate;
• At least three years of close protection and firearms experience, including experience and exposure of at least two years at the international level outside one’s home country and in a conflict or a post conflict environment;
• Possession of a valid driving license;
• Excellent command of written and spoken English.

Competencies
• Excellent knowledge of close protection tactics and techniques combined with a solid background of military, police or other security specialization;
• Ability to recognize and appropriately react to threats;
• Ability to effectively deal with stress factors when encountered in close protection operations;
• Strong writing and verbal skills;
• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve the set goals;
• Identifies the key issues in complex situation of close protection operations and demonstrated capability of rapid decision-making in emergencies (with little margin of error);
• Excellent standard of punctuality and dependability;
• Ability to develop clear goals and prioritize activities; monitors and adjusts plans and uses time efficiently;
• Strong presentation skills and an ability to deliver information as required;
• Good technical skills to understand and consolidate the varying specializations such as electronics, communications, mechanics, weapons and other sophisticated devices encountered in personal protection operations;
• Behaves in a professional manner at all times.

Desirable Qualifications
• Completion of an international, national, or commercial close protection training;
• Recent (within the last two years) successful completion of an emergency trauma bag certification or equivalent of an first-aid certification;
• High standard of physical fitness;
• UNDSS Close Protection Officer Certification (CPOC) is highly desirable (and will be expected for future advancement in this field);
• Close protection of one or more principals, static and mobile protection, close protection command post operations, close protection response techniques, conduct of close protection training;
• Training in martial arts and/or specialized security practices is an asset;
• Knowledge of Arabic;
• Current UN Certification in firearms;
• Knowledge and understanding of Middle Eastern culture.

Additional Information
The incumbent is required to be clean, neat and appropriately attired when on duty.

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.

Conditions of Service
UNRWA offers an attractive compensation package including annual salary starting at $41,544 net tax free with dependants or $39,155 single, plus post adjustment of 55.8% (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 and Syria) are family duty stations. Staff members based in Gaza are entitled to additional benefits, subject to eligibility, including expanded leave provisions, hardship pay, and R&R leave currently every 8 weeks (according to the UN classification of the duty station and subject to change without notice). While Gaza is a non-family duty station, eligible staff members may set up a second household in a nearby location to have their family nearby. Initial contract is for one year, with the possibility of further extensions subject to the availability of funds, performance 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.

The United Nations does not charge fees at any stage of the recruitment process (application, testing, interviewing, etc). The United Nations does not concern itself with information related to bank accounts.

General Information

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 and commitment to human rights, diversity, and 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.

The statutory retirement age for staff entering or re-entering service in the UN Common System after 1 January 1990 is 62 and 65 after 1 January 2014. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete a term of appointment will normally be considered.

The Agency reserves the right not to make an appointment, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description.

On appointment, all individuals will be asked to sign a self-attestation, confirming that they have not committed, been convicted of, or prosecuted for, any criminal offence and that they have not been involved, by act or omission, in the commission of any violation of international human rights law or international humanitarian law.

Date of issue: 25 November 2015 / CF

To start the application process, applicants are required to register at http://jobs.unrwa.org by creating a personal profile and completing UNRWAPersonal History Form. Please note that UNRWA only accepts degrees from accredited educational institutions. Only applications received throughhttp://jobs.unrwa.orgwill be considered. Due to the large number of applications received for UNRWA vacancies, only applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted.

The United Nations does not charge fees at any stage of the recruitment process (application, testing, interviewing, etc). The United Nations does not concern itself with information related to bank accounts.