Local Access and Liaison Officer (Gaza)

The UNOPS Middle East Region (MR) provides strategic leadership, performance oversight, and support to UNOPS operations across Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and the State of Palestine. MR is responsible for positioning UNOPS as a key development partner in the region through high-level engagement with regional bodies, UN coordination mechanisms, development banks, donors, and intergovernmental organisations. By fostering strategic partnerships and promoting operational excellence, the region supports country teams in delivering sustainable solutions to complex development, peace, and humanitarian challenges

UNOPS supports both humanitarian response and early recovery in Gaza. Currently, UNOPS support in Gaza focuses on key humanitarian enablers, including on access, via the Security Council-mandated UN 2720 Mechanism and the Access Support Unit (ASU), humanitarian fuel and energy, and mine action. Operations are envisaged to continue in the coming period with a focus in line with the UNOPS mandate: (i) infrastructure construction and rehabilitation, (ii) procurement and (iii) project management.

The UNOPS Jerusalem office opened in 2006 and now has sub-offices in East Jerusalem, Ramallah and Jericho. The portfolio includes infrastructure, procurement, human resources, capacity building, access coordination and security projects for partners and beneficiaries throughout the occupied Palestinian territory.

Reporting directly to the ASU Coordinator and close collaboration with OCHA Access/CMCord lead in Gaza the Local Access and Liaison officer will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following functions and responsibilities: 

Providing technical support to ASU beneficiaries:

• Support UN agencies, INGOs and diplomatic missions in obtaining coordination/permits with the relevant authorities to enter Gaza.

• Lead the processing and coordination of Humanitarian Team Rotations.

• Follow up on access incidents involving the UN, INGO and Diplomatic staff upon advice of the ASU Coordinator and serve as a focal-point for incidents at Gaza crossings.

• Respond to and ensure logging of access incidents at crossings particularly to Gaza but also in the rest of Palestine/Israel via the ASU 24/7 hotline.

• Providing training, alongside OCHA, to UN/INGO staff on access issues and humanitarian negotiations;

• Assist in negotiations with relevant interlocutors for the movement of UN, INGO and diplomatic mission personnel in coordination with OCHA.

Support to access coordination mechanism:

• Participate in the Access Working Group Gaza and, identifying priorities and addressing issues raised. Represent ASU in these meetings.

• Provide access briefings to UN/INGOs, including in UNDSS SSAFE training on humanitarian team rotations

• Represent ASU in AIDA and other coordination meetings with international/national NGOs in Gaza.

• Represent ASU in relevant Gaza forums such as the Security cell, JHOC and other relevant meetings.  

Support ASU liaison with local stakeholders 

• In collaboration with OCHA and ASU coordination, strengthen and maintain relationships with stakeholders in the NGO and UN in Gaza to better respond to access restrictions, including assisting ASU Coordinator in developing appropriate liaison mechanism(s) for UN and INGOs. 

Provide information, analysis and reporting:

• Regular participation in UN and (I)NGO forums in Gaza and Gaza-based workshops and conferences which provide a platform for more efficient

• In the face of increasing requests for information, expand and administer the data collection base related to access and movement.

Emergency Response

• Assist in the evacuation of dual nationals during an emergency.

• Assist in the negotiation, coordination, and support for the entry and exit of emergency equipment and staff, before, during and after an emergency.

Office and other Support

• Provide administrative support for the missions of ASU Jerusalem in Gaza.

• Provide interpretation and translation, including for ASU Coordinator’s meetings with stakeholders, if needed.

• Any other access and administrative duties as required.

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Successful and timely completion of the tasks outlined in the previous paragraph. 

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Political or Social Science, International Relations, or other relevant discipline or related fields with 2 years of relevant experience.

Desired

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields is preferred and can be combined with 0 years of experience

Required

• Relevant experience working in complex security and emergencies and exposure to humanitarian access requirements. 

• Negotiation experience is required, preferably on humanitarian access;

• Holding a national Palestinian driving license is essential;

Desired

• Previous experience working for the United Nations or International Organization is desirable;

• Relevant work experience gained while serving in the development and humanitarian fields is desirable.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click 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.