EXTERNAL RELATIONS SPECIALIST

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from government (public) donors. Funding has however not kept pace with a growing refugee population and increased needs, which has resulted in recurrent financial deficits that threaten the ability of the Agency to provide critical services to Palestine refugees. The Department of External Relations (ERD) is responsible for raising funds for the entire Agency. UNRWA Fundraising Teams are based in Jerusalem and Amman. UNRWA is seeking a qualified junior expert to join the team in Jerusalem in mobilizing additional resources for the Agency, specifically from government donors from Asian countries, in light of substantial financial challenges.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Senior External Relation Projects Officer (SERPO) or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer will:

1. Assist in the development and maintenance of Donors portfolios, including multilateral platforms

• Monitor key political, economic, and social trends in a targeted donor countries/multilateral platforms; • Conduct research on the foreign aid system of donor countries and advise S/ERPOs on ways to integrate this knowledge into fundraising strategies; • Update key donor tools (ex. dashboards, annual country plans, intelligence reports, etc); and • Coordinate intra and inter-department dissemination of data and information relevant for fundraising and advocacy activities; • Research potential new donors;

2. Support S/ERPOs in developing and maintaining relationship with donors

• Assist S/ERPOs with drafting official correspondence as well as other outreach materials; • Provide talking points, briefing documents and presentations for senior management; • Liaise with Field Offices, Programme Departments and donors in the preparation of concept note, proposals, and reports; • Accompany CG, D/ERD, D/D/ERC, S/ERPO, etc to donor meetings and ensure timely follow-up with the donor on meeting items; • Coordinate donor visibility, including press releases; • Re-package and disseminate (and develop where required) marketing and fundraising materials (include briefs, stories, and the like) for existing and new donors; • Communicate with donors on projects and program updates, as directed by SERPOs;
• Liaise with the Finance Department and the Programme Directors to verify information and clearances of proposals for submission to donors; • Provide guidance to Field Offices and Headquarters Departments to enhance the quality of proposals and report writing; • Liaise with S/ERPOs to identify bilateral visits for the CG as well as attendance at multilateral events;

3. Assist in the rollout and tracking of the 2022-2023 Donors Engagement Strategy

a. Contribute to the implementation of ERD’s fund-raising strategy by gathering intelligence on selected donors; developing and strengthening contacts with donors at capital and local level as requested by SERPOs; exploring and undertaking resource mobilization initiatives; contributing to fund-raising documents including appeals and Department’s reports; b. Manage the donor Calendar of Events in specific areas, ensuring the document is regularly updated and circulated to key Agency actors; c. Work with S/ERPOs to develop background documents and outreach tools as needed for the strategy;

• Ability to plan and prioritize the work under tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent activities; • Positive attitude and strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills; • Proven ability to exercise initiative; • Proficiency in using computer applications, including Excel, MS word, and power point.

• At least 3 years’ experience including fundraising, project management, political analysis or a related field; • Excellent command of written and spoken English, incl. strong oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS • At least one year of international experience outside one’s home country working for an international NGO or UN agency on fundraising would be viewed favorably; • Knowledge of UN system and/or humanitarian/development assistance programs; • Command of one other official language of the United Nations.

Jerusalem is a family duty station. It is currently at UNDSS security level moderate. As is the case for UN staff and partners, the UNV will make his/her own arrangements for housing and transportation to and from work. International UN personnel rent furnished or unfurnished apartments found using agents or by word-of-mouth through colleagues. Personnel in Jerusalem and its vicinity usually use their own cars or public transportation. Internationals who want to arrive or leave the country can either enter through Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, and cross King Hussein/Allenby Bridge or Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. Travel into the West Bank is only permitted in a UN vehicle with a UN driver and no overnight stays are permitted except for at locations cleared by UNDSS. Travel into Gaza is only permitted in an armoured UN vehicle with a trained driver. Overnight stays in Gaza are strictly confined to an approved, secure hotel.

Jerusalem has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and short, wet, cool winters; temperature and rainfall vary depending on altitude and location. The Palestinian dialect is common to Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and parts of Iraq. In Jerusalem, both English and Hebrew are also common. The Israeli shekel (NIS) is the currency of the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel. The time zone is GMT +2 hours.

The health care sector is divided into public and private health services. The public health service is accessible to all. Better health services can be found at private clinics and hospitals, which are spread out mainly in larger cities. Sophisticated medical care, including for children, is available throughout Jerusalem. Primary and secondary education is available for the children of international personnel in Jerusalem, which include schools such as the Anglican International School of Jerusalem and the Lycée Français de Jerusalem. There are different mobile service providers in Palestine. Partner is the Israeli phone company used by most UN Agencies in Jerusalem. For West Bank and Gaza strip, the Palestinian company Jawwal is also available. In some areas in the West Bank and in the whole Gaza Strip, partner does not have coverage and Jawwal is necessary to ensure communication. Incoming phone calls from most of the countries in the Arab region are not possible due to the restrictions imposed by some States against Israel. Skype is the best option to communicate abroad.

Palestine has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and short, wet, cool winters; temperature and rainfall vary depending on altitude and location. The Palestinian Arabic dialect is common to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and parts of Iraq. In Ramallah, English is also common. The Israeli shekel (NIS) is the currency of the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel. Time zone is GMT +2 hours. JPOs are granted an Israeli Multiple Entry Service Visa prior to arrival, which will not allow entrance to most of the countries in the Arab region, apart from Jordan and Egypt. Some countries provide their citizens with a second passport if they work and live in Israel to be able to travel freely in the region. Please check with your Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information.

For more information about the occupied Palestinian territory humanitarian context, see: www.ochaopt.org.