PLJ Programme Associate

UNICEF is the leading United Nations agency on child rights (www.unicef.org) and works in 190 countries around the world. UNICEF’s Global Strategy focuses on supporting child survival and development, basic education, child protection and policy advocacy, and WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene). In countries affected by crises, UNICEF leads humanitarian efforts to help children and women living in challenging circumstances and provides support to help them to survive and to maximise their development potential. 

Jordan hosts the world’s largest Palestinian refugee population, with over 2.4 million people registered with UNRWA, including around 24 per cent children. While many Palestinians live under similar conditions as other Jordanians, those in camps face higher poverty rates, with nearly 31 per cent living in poverty. Most Palestinian refugees in Jordan hold Jordanian nationality, except for approximately 180,000 ‘ex-Gazan’ refugees and over 20,000 Palestine refugees from Syria (PRS), who face higher unemployment and socio-economic challenges due to legal restrictions on employment. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these issues, creating barriers to employment and contributing to material deprivation. Violence and insecurity are prevalent in the camps, with concerns about child marriage, bullying, and the stigma surrounding disabilities. The prevalence of stunting among Palestinian children under the age of 5 is also a challenge, standing at 23.8 per cent. Additionally, a quarter of Palestinian refugee camp households lack access to safe water, posing significant health risks.

UNICEF addresses these challenges and needs through its Palestinians Living in Jordan (PLJ) programme. The overall goal of the PLJ programme is to transform the lives of Palestinian children by progressively fulfilling their basic rights to survival, care, child and social protection, and participation, their right to reach their full potential, and their right to live in protective, equitable and inclusive societies. Under the PLJ programme, UNICEF supports comprehensive health care for Palestinian children and families, particularly adolescent girls, and advocates for early identification and referral of children with disabilities. In collaboration with UN agencies, government partners, and other stakeholders, UNICEF also prioritizes quality and inclusive education for vulnerable children and empowers Palestinian adolescents through participation, volunteerism, and enhancing livelihood opportunities focused on social innovation and entrepreneurship. Additionally, UNICEF works to enhance the capacity of case workers and social workers to address domestic and gender-based violence. UNICEF also provides access to safe drinking water and sanitation and works to improve WASH services in all Palestinian camps. Through its social protection and policy interventions, UNICEF provides integrated services to Palestinian children and youth under the Makani programme, acting as a cash-plus programme to the Jordanian safety net and the UNICEF-supported child cash programme. 

Under the supervision of the Deputy Representative-Programme, the PLJ Programme Officer is expected to fulfil the following responsibilities: 

Key functions and accountabilities:  

• Coordinate efforts with programme sections and externally with UNRWA, the Department of Palestinian Affairs (DPA), and other stakeholders on the work related to the Palestinians Living in Jordan (PLJ) programme. 

• Coordinate the revision of the PLJ work plan ensuring continuous improvement, adaptation, and responsiveness to the needs of the targeted communities. 

• Prepare programme updates and briefing documents as requested. 

• Support programme sections in assessing the impact of programme implementation through regular field monitoring visits and follow-up meetings with partners and stakeholders. 

• Contribute to reporting on the PLJ programme by liaising with relevant sections, consolidating data and information, and reviewing inputs. 

• Ensure the funding expenditure plan aligns with the programme work plan and donor commitments. 

Key duties and tasks:  

• Collaborate with relevant sections to identify gaps in programmes targeting Palestinians living in Jordan, and lead coordination efforts to review the programme work plan to address these gaps, ensuring continuous improvement and responsiveness to community needs. 

• Provide input on strategic shifts in programme implementation through regular monitoring visits, coordination and follow-up meetings, and the design and implementation of improvement plans if needed. 

• Organize, facilitate, and attend cross-sectoral meetings to ensure effective internal and external coordination related to the PLJ programme. 

• Organize, coordinate, and facilitate meetings with programme sections, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to assess current PLJ programmes and identify necessary interventions. 

• Collect and combine data from programme sections to develop briefing reports and documents summarizing programme progress, challenges, and achievements to ensure comprehensive updates upon request. 

• Keep an organized record of all updates and briefing documents for future reference and reporting purposes. 

• Address any questions or requests for additional information from stakeholders regarding the PLJ programme. 

• Conduct frequent field visits to monitor and assess the implementation and impact of PLJ programme activities and interventions. 

• Ensure the timely submission of internal and donor reports based on the consolidation and review of cross-sectoral inputs. 

• Facilitate and monitor the allocation and disbursement of the PLJ programme funds to ensure proper coordination and liquidation in line with the programme work plan and donor commitments. 

• Other duties as agreed upon

• A high school diploma is required. A first level degree / Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as International Relations, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Public Administration, or a related discipline will be an asset and may compensate for some of the required years of experience.

• A minimum of 6 years of experience in programme coordination, project management, or a similar role, within international organizations or NGOs.

• A minimum of 2 years of experience in working with UN agencies, government departments, or other stakeholders involved in humanitarian or development programmes.

• Experience in working in refugee camps is an asset. 

• Fluency in Both English and Arabic is required.

1. Contract type: ICA
2. Contract level: Local ICA Support, level 6
3. Contract duration: 11 months with a possibility of extension

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.