Org. Setting and ReportingUNRWA 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 5.8 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 the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference for one of the most vulnerable communities in the world, UNRWA would like to hear from you. The Senior Projects Portfolio Officer reports to the Head of the Department of Planning Strategic Project Management Office. Responsibilities- Leads in the consistent implementation of project and portfolio management methodologies in overseeing the Agency’s strategic projects portfolio to meet requirements on project governance, donor accountability, and funding diversification. - Assesses project and portfolio performance and ensures high performance by coordinating with relevant parties. This includes liaising with other stakeholders to ensure the timely submission of project assessments in the Project Assessment System (PAS), reviewing the input submitted by other parties, following up with concerned project managers / officers / focal points in UNRWA Field Offices and HQ Departments and Divisions, and extracting and analyzing data and reports to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for continuous improvement. - Leads cross-Agency coordination on high-stakes project and portfolio initiatives, including the ongoing review and implementation of the Project Procedures Manual, establishment of a donor-validated project management framework and operationalization of innovative financing modalities. - Designs and develops reports on project and portfolio performance that reflect the information senior management needs to review the same. These reports should include statistics, tables, and graphs, as necessary, that may be used in support of management reviews and technical reports. - Implements a project prioritization system to guide strategic decision-making and resource allocation. Assesses the alignment of project proposals against UNRWA’s strategic direction / priorities. Provides strategic management advice to ensure alignment of projects and portfolios with the overall UNRWA strategy. - Provides expert guidance, advice and support on project and portfolio management to a broad range of stakeholders: UNRWA senior management, project managers, officers, focal points and other concerned stakeholders. - Provides authoritative guidance to Agency staff and personnel on established processes and procedures associated with the UNRWA project management cycle. Identifies opportunities to optimize established processes and drive changes processes. - Liaises and coordinates with the Digital Impact, Technology and Innovation Department and other relevant departments to ensure the continuous improvement and optimization of project database systems and dashboards. This includes the identification and resolution of IT technical / performance issues and other obstacles, engaging in system testing and making recommendations that are both technically feasible and deliver added value to the business processes. - In coordination with project managers / officers / focal points in UNRWA Field Offices and HQ Departments and Divisions, including in the Department of Finance and the External Relations and Communications Department (ERCD), verifies the accuracy of project related information in SAP, the PAS and other databases. Plays a leading role to ensure the accuracy of data in different systems and reports. - Works closely with the Department of Finance and ERCD to resolve project-related issues including in relation to project work breakdown structures and the technical closure of grants. As required, the incumbent will also: (i) participates in coordination, staff and other meetings; and (ii) provides administrative support to the SPMO. - Enhances the communication of key project messaging, including in relation to project results and environmental sustainability efforts, through the UNRWA website, annual reports and targeted campaigns and events. CompetenciesUN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. - Analyzing - Planning and Organizing - Relating and Networking - Following Instructions and Procedures - Managing Complexity and Change - Innovating and Taking Risks EducationAdvanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in public / business administration, economics, information technology, management or a related field. Job - Specific QualificationPrince 2 or Project Management Institute certification is desirable. Work ExperienceAt least seven years of progressively responsible relevant experience in the areas of project / programme management, coordination, portfolio management and/or planning in the UN or other international development or humanitarian organizations is required. Experience with leading cross-agency initiatives is required. Experience with project tracking tools and enterprise resource planning software is required. Knowledge of database management is required. Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in public / business administration, economics, information technology, management or a related field is required. Knowledge of Power BI and/or other visualization tools is desirable. Advanced knowledge of project management software such as Jira, MS Project and/or Monday.com is required. Experience in the UN system or a comparable international organization is desirable. Are you currently residing in Duty station. Please specify your current location. It is required. Do you have any current or past affiliations with non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, political organisations, military, or have you engaged in activities or made any public statements, that could be seen to impact your neutrality, objectivity or independence in the performance of your duties for the UN / UNRWA. This is required. LanguagesExcellent command of written and spoken English and Arabic. AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by a competency-based interview. Special NoticeType of Contract: Fixed Term Appointment for three years; including one year probation period, with the possibility of further extension, subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory performance, and continuing need. Grade and Salary: Grade 17 Monthly basic salary USD 1156.60 plus special occupational allowance (SOA) of 69.90% of the basic salary (SOA may change from time to time). Other benefits: Other benefits include a monthly Provident Fund contribution (15.4% of basic salary paid by the Agency), compulsory medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, and dependency allowance (if applicable). Additional benefits: - 2 days of sick leave for each completed month of service. - 14 weeks of Maternity Leave. - 2 weeks paternity leave. This vacancy notice is open to INTERNAL CANDIDATES ONLY. Only candidates residing in Amman, and within commuting distance of the duty station with authorization to work in the duty station at the time of application are eligible to apply. The Agency will not assume responsibility or accountability to support or facilitate the issuance of work permit in Jordan, and without a valid work permit, the appointment may be rescinded. Preference will be given to registered Palestine refugees and candidates assisting the Agency to meet its commitment to gender parity. UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities. UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities. A roster may be created from the selection exercise, and successful candidates may become eligible for appointment to the same post or a similar post that becomes vacant in the future. Only applications that have been fully completed in UNRWA's online e-recruitment system inspira will be considered and no late applications will be accepted. The PHP should be completed with full relevant work experience under the experience tabs as per the requirements in the Job Opening. All acquired university degrees must also be stated, if applicable. Applicants applying to positions for Grades 12 to 20 or LDC Bands E to H must submit a cover letter/motivational statement in order to be considered. Additionally, providing incorrect or misleading information on an application will result in the immediate disqualification of a candidate. For UNRWA internal staff, they are required to specify and include their current UNRWA grade level. To do so applicants should select under \"Category\" RLG, scroll down to see all categories, then select their local grade. Equivalency: Equivalency may apply for this post. NB: Work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination. Advertisements published only in English will only accept applications in English, and Arabic submissions will not be considered. The Agency may disqualify applicants whose name appears on the UN Sanctions List, or a UN database of staff separated for reason of misconduct or of staff who separated whilst misconduct processes were pending. UNRWA shares investigation and misconduct information with other UN Agencies, and past and prospective employers, about staff members who have been separated for misconduct, or who have separated whilst an investigation and/or disciplinary process for misconduct is underway; and such persons may be prohibited from employment with the United Nations. The Agency will immediately disqualify applicants who are ineligible for any reason in accordance with the Agency regulatory framework. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. The mission of UNRWA is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under the difficult circumstances in which they live. For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org United Nations ConsiderationsStaff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her. UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups. At UNRWA, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. UNRWA Considerations UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST (UNRWA) DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE OR REQUEST MONEY FROM CANDIDATES AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING, ONBOARDING). UNRWA DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.