Programme Officer (Cash Transfers and Incentive Payments), NO-B, Gaza, State of Palestine, Temporary Appointment (post no. 129935)

If you are a committed, creative professional and you would like to make an active and lasting contribution to build a better and safe world for children, we would like to hear from you. The State of Palestine office is seeking a dynamic qualified candidate to join our team as a Programme Officer (Cash Transfers and Incentive Payments) at the NO-B level based in the Gaza Strip, SOP.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built, we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, hope

UNICEF in the State of Palestine (SoP) works to uphold the rights of children to access services and protection, from early childhood through to adolescence. Our objective is to ensure that every child in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, irrespective of background or circumstance, has an equal chance to fulfil their potential.

In the past years, UNICEF in the State of Palestine has achieved a high reach and engagement through its communication channels. UNICEF-SoP would like to build on this and continue engaging with our audience, who are not only seek information but are willing to have important conversations on crucial issues concerning children’s wellbeing and rights. 

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the Humanitarian Cash Specialist, the Programme Officer (Cash Transfers and Incentive Payments) would be responsible for day-to-day oversight and support to cash operations including facilitating the implementation and monitoring of cash-based programmes at the Gaza Field Office-level with particular focus on incentive payments for front-line workers.

Your key functions/accountabilities

1. Programme Management (design and implementation of cash transfers, top ups and incentive payments)

2. Programme Monitoring (including in relation to the cash transfers and incentive payments as well as market monitoring, budget monitoring, among others)

3. Partnership, Coordination and Collaboration (including with FSPs, vendors, chamber of commerce, other UN agencies, cash working group members)

4. Optimum Use of Program Funds for cash transfer programme

Programme Management (design and implementation of cash transfers, top ups and incentive payments)

– Help manage and provide technical support on programmes with cash components to ensure adequate support scale-up and delivery. Ensures risk analysis and risk mitigation are embedded into overall management of the support, in close consultation with UNICEF programme sections, Cooperating Partners, and government agencies.

– Provide guidance on cash-based transfer program design, delivery and assurance, in line with the corporate guidelines.

– Coordinates with operations to facilitate timely processing and reconciliation of cash interventions.

– Provide day-to-day oversight and support to cash operations including facilitating the implementation and monitoring of cash-based programmes at the Field Office-level.

– Contribute to Country Office and national emergency preparedness and contingency planning to respond to humanitarian crises and needs.

– Prepare the necessary budgets/ budget amendments in consultation with sections for the implementation of the proposed cash projects.

– Ensure the cash interventions integrate gender, child protection and disability considerations in line with UNICEF policy commitments and guidance.

Field Support

– Support Gaza field office in rolling out and effectively implementing programmes with direct cash payment components with focus on incentive payments.

– Provide support for cash feasibility assessments including the design of assessments to analysis of the data and write-up of the report.

Knowledge Management

– Support documentation of lessons learned on cash programming.

– Support the information and knowledge management of cash operations in SoP.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

– A university degree in Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical.

Experience:

– A minimum of 2 years of relevant professional experience. Experience in designing and implementing cash transfer programmes is required. Working with UN Agencies or INGOs on cash transfers is considered an asset.

– Experience working in a developing country is considered as a strong asset.

– Background and/or familiarity with emergency is required.

Language Requirement:

– Fluency in English and Arabic is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people.

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

This position is located in Gaza and any offer of appointment is subject to the candidate’s ability to take up the position at the duty station within a reasonable period.

In the current evolving emergency context, this position will be based in Gaza where medical facilities have been negatively affected and individual chronic and/or serious medical conditions cannot be adequately addressed.

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

This is required for all posts requiring a higher education degree. “UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

The VA is open to all (internal and external candidates)

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.