UNRWA | MICROFINANCE CAREER MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST

Vacancy Announcement Number VN/WB/043/2011/X
Deadline for Applications 30 April 2011
Duty Station Field Office - Jerusalem

1-FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
In accordance with Agency policy and procedures, the incumbent is responsible for identification of skills and competencies of human resources in the Microfinance Department to ensure that all staffing needs are forecasted and met; sets in cooperation with Chief Microfinance Operations performance criteria and works toward enhancing MD’s expertise and capacity of its staff against the set microfinance standards and performance indicators and ensures continuous improvement in the quality of staff providing MD services in the four fields of operations; develops in-house training action plan on a biennium basis for the microfinance department and comprehensive training curricula for all aspects of credit operations activities and leads training seminars and workshops to develop the professional and technical skills of the Microfinance Department staff in UNRWA four fields of operations; participates in developing approaches, procedures or techniques; is responsible for the integration of career development, training and performance management into the Microfinance Human Recourse plan and providing the necessary advice to staff members on their careers and how to reach their career goals; oversees, in coordination with Chief Fields Microfinance Programme, the implementation of the annual training plan and schedule for the in-house staff training programme; evaluates and follow-ups on training courses, programmes, materials and initiates innovations in the contents, strategies, methods and equipment of training based on a visionary future perspective to include distance learning packages as adult self-learning microfinance materials; is responsible for tracking the impact of training conducted; undertakes and/or supervises training evaluation reports for all training activities conducted in order to enhance the quality of trainers and the direct operational relevance and submits proposals for the improvement of key core competencies of MD operations’ staff; identifies potential in-house trainers and develops their capacity by providing training of trainers (TOT) and/or contracting training consultants with specialized microfinance expertise to deliver and develop the various modules of different staff training curricula; utilizes adult-education assessment techniques to appraise the quality and relevance of the training provided to staff; coordinates training activities with other microfinance training forums, including NGOs, universities and other institutions engaged in relevant microfinance training and performs such other duties as may be assigned.

2-IMPACT OF INCUMBENT’S WORK
A-Importance of decisions and proposals made by the incumbent Quality training to MD staff will be reflected positively in the overall planning, decision-making and operational self-sufficiency of the department through improving the professional competencies of MD staff and management.
B-Possible consequences of involuntary errors made by the incumbent Failure to provide valid and reliable information on career development, performance criteria, training plans, reporting and implementation will reflect negatively on the staff performance management system and the profitability of the Microfinance Department, which may result in undermining the planning process and the reputation of the services it provides

3-MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
(A) Academic and professional qualifications
-A university degree in economics, business administration, banking, development studies or other related discipline.
-Train the Trainer certification.
(B) Experience
Atleast six years experience in the application of knowledge acquired in 3 (A) above in an adult education training or microfinance operations environment.
(C)Language
Fluency in both written and spoken English and Arabic.
(D) Competencies
Excellent skills in utilizing standard computer software; representational skills including communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to conduct training courses, preferable in microfinance; competency in formulating training curriculum; Flexible attitude and ability to work in a participatory and accountable manner in a busy office that values interpersonal and team skills; ability to work independently, implement projects with colleagues and outside contractors and meet tight deadlines; proven ability to exercise the initiative and resourcefulness necessary for prioritizing multiple clusters/ components; strong analytical skills; knowledge of the microfinance environment; ability to write coherently, concisely and accurately in English.

4-DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Advanced university degree in his/her field of specialization from a recognized university.

5-CONDITIONS OF SERVICE :
UNRWA offers an attractive compensation package including gross monthly salary starting at JD 926.42 (net tax free); 15% as Special Post Occupation Allowance. The Agency also contributes 15% of basic salary as the Agency’s share of Provident Fund. Other fringe benefits may include dependency allowance for married staff, annual leave, provident fund, health insurance. Initial contract is for 1 year; the six months is considered as probationary period, and the contract is extendable for further periods depending on the performance of the incumbent.

HOW TO APPLY
-Applicants are required to create a profile and complete UN Personal History form (P11) at http://jobs.unrwa.org. Please note that only applications received through this site will be considered. Deadline for submitting applications is 30 April  2011. No applications will be considered beyond this date.
-For further information, please call 054-216-8658 during working hours (7:15am – 14:45pm) – Monday through Friday.
-Appointment to this post is subject to probationary period of one year. Upon satisfactory completion of this period, appointment will be confirmed subject to continuing need for the post.
-With their prior agreement, candidates who are approved as suitable for appointment but are not the selected candidate for this vacancy, will be placed on the Agency’s roster of pre-approved candidates for a period of up to one year, and may be considered for future vacancies in the same position. The Agency maintains the discretion to fill future vacancies for this position from the roster without re-advertising the vacancy.
-Candidates with an equivalent combination of relevant academic qualifications, professional training and progressive work experience may also be considered
-Only candidates under serious considerations will be contacted.
-UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer