Ethics Officer

Org. Setting and ReportingUNRWA, the largest United Nations operation in the Middle East with over 30,000 staff working across five areas of operation, is looking for highly committed personnel wishing to make a change. 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 Ethics Officer reports to Chief, Ethics Office, P-5. ResponsibilitiesContributes substantively to developing and improving policies, directives, guidelines, procedures and other internal documents to support an appropriate ethical framework; reviews and provides input on policies, standards, guidance, and practices relevant to supporting a culture of ethics and compliance; supports the development of and drafts the annual Ethics Office strategy and work plan; proactively suggests activities in line with overall strategy, objectives and corresponding budget proposals; keeps abreast of new developments and best practices in ethics to ensure continual enhancement of related UNRWA policies, programmes, and training initiatives. In coordination with the Chief, Ethics Office and in collaboration with the relevant Departments and Fields , contributes substantively to designing, developing and delivering training and outreach to increase awareness on ethical issues; drafts outreach materials such as brochures, posters and regular messages for publication; updates the Ethics Office Intranet Page and the external web page to reflect new developments in Ethics policies, training programmes and activities; manages the Ethics Focal Points Network by providing advice, guidance, support, preparing for monthly meetings and keeping records. In direct coordination with Chief, Ethics Office, provides support in administering and proposing amendments/ revisions to the annual conflict of interest disclosure for international staff (United Nations Financial Disclosure Programme (UNFDP)) in accordance with rules and procedures established by the Agency and the UN system; provides assistance to the Area Staff Declaration of Interest Programme (ASDIP) as necessary. Provides confidential ethics advice and guidance to management and individual personnel on ethical issues, including but not limited to workplace issues, conflicts of interests, gifts and honors, and outside employment and activities; supports the Case Management System by recording and analyzing trends and recommending measures to improve the system. Coordinates with Chief, Ethics Office on and conducts prima facie assessments of retaliation cases in accordance with the Agency’s Whistleblower Protection Policy, and in coordination with the Ethics Officer, drafts PaR assessments and recommends temporary protective measures as applicable. Supports the development of key ethics risk indicators and ensures effective risk management practices which encompass the identification, mitigation and monitoring of risks relating to the work of the Ethics Office; supports the Chief, Ethics Office with the work of the Research Review Board (RRB), Women Advisory Forum, Organizational Culture Change, and other initiatives; supports the work plan of the Sexual Misconduct Taskforce Coordinator in relation to developing awareness-raising tools and campaigns and ensures streamlining those with other Ethics-related training and materials. Drafts the Ethics Office annual report, quarterly reports and briefing notes containing recommendations on possible actions to promote adherence to high ethical standards in all aspects of the organization’s functioning. Participates in relevant inter-agency United Nations and other international fora and discussions. 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. Default managerial competencies may apply. Functional Competencies Analyzing Creating and Innovating Formulating Strategies and Concepts Relating and Networking Planning and Organizing EducationAdvanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in law, international law, public administration, human resources management, behavioral sciences, with a focus on ethics or a related field. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceAt least five years of progressively responsible and relevant experience in areas relevant to the management of ethics issues and integrity training, such as law, corporate compliance, employee relations and staff misconduct and investigation is required. Unless already serving as an international staff member in the UN Common System, a candidate for an international post must have a minimum of two continuous years of relevant international experience outside UNRWA, and outside the country(s) of which the candidate is a national or holds citizenship, a passport or a national identity number is required. Candidates are required to make a declaration as to whether they have any current or past affiliations with non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, political organisations, military, or have/are engaged in activities or have made any public statements, that could be seen to impact their neutrality, objectivity or independence in the performance of their duties for the UN / UNRWA. Any declaration will not necessarily disqualify candidates from consideration for this post. Familiarity with the UN system, rules, regulations and standards of conduct is desired. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. Arabic is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).