Liaison Associate

Liaison Associate- North- Gaza- SC L6

ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT

WFP Palestine is operating in areas where military armed actors and other stakeholders are present and influence our access to beneficiaries, and beneficiaries access to our services.  This has resulted in the unavoidable sharing of space between those entities and the humanitarian community – an intensely kinetic conflict environment, with heavy restrictions on humanitarian access, most acute in Gaza and increasingly across the West Bank (WB).  The current WFP operations in Gaza – and, to a lesser extent the WB – are scaling up throughout 2024, with a corresponding uplift also required in WFP’s Access capacity.

The liaison Associate for the North of Gaza is charged with supporting the Access unit on the resolution of humanitarian access challenges and ensuring that WFP’s humanitarian space is respected and kept free from interference by military/armed actors and other relevant stakeholders. 

The Access Liaison Associate for the North is based in Gaza City and reports directly to the Access Head of Unit (HMIO) in Gaza. He/she will also be working closely with the different WFP Units in Gaza field office (security, program, Site Maintenance & Engineering Projects (SMEP), administration).

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive):

• Provides real-time operational support to negotiation and/or engage in negotiations with relevant parties on behalf of WFP.
• Identify proxy negotiators and influencers of key stakeholders.
• Gathers and analyses information on emerging humanitarian, societal and political issues, trends and developments in order to identify and anticipate their impact on WFP operations.
• Support the HMI team in identifying, maintaining and engaging a network of stakeholders from civil society, traditional social structures and any other relevant fora.
• Contribute to contextual understanding, mapping and tracking of actors and access-related trends, dynamics and the impact of access restrictions/constraints on the humanitarian situation and WFP's response in Gaza.
• Support the Access team in translating/communicating key access messages to stakeholders.
• Other duties and tasks as required by the Access team. 

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STANDARD MINIMUM ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:

- Education:

Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area. Highly desirable to have A bachelor’s degree in the related functional area.

Language:

Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and Arabic.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

- Experience:

• Minimum of 6 years of relevant professional experience as liaison Associate or community engagement.
• Experience in liaising with authorities, military/armed actors, and other stakeholders.

- Technical Skills:

Familiarity with humanitarian principles, security protocols, and operating procedures in politically sensitive and unstable environments.

- Key Competencies:

• Flexibility and adaptation to the field situation and the evolution of Access team needs.
• Problem-Solving and Information Processing: Ability to identify access challenges, process and relay information accurately and quickly, in high-pressure environments.
• Negotiation and Communication: Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate and establish effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.

- Personal Attributes:

• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
• Resilience and the ability to work under pressure, especially in challenging and potentially hazardous environments.
• Ability to remain calm, collected and focused on mission objectives and deliverables.
• High level of integrity and adherence to humanitarian principles.
• High level of neutrality and ability to negotiate with antagonizing actors.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).

• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language

• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter

• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time

• Please contact us at [email protected] in case you face any challenges with submitting your application

• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.