Chief, Architecture and Design Division

Client of United Nation careers

• Leads the formulation of comprehensive Architecture and design policies encompassing a wide spectrum of disciplines including safety, accessibility, materials, cost efficiency and durability, ensuring alignment with UNRWA s construction, infrastructure and sustainability strategies, and humanitarian principles, to ensure that all UNRWA's facilities are housed in buildings that fit for the purpose, efficient, safe, healthy and environmentally sound.
• Oversees the Agency s Architectural and design works both at HQs and Fields, including those produced by consultants, ensuring that they meet standards, comply with the Agency's established procedures, protocol and practice; validates the adequacy of design procedures and components of buildings in terms of quality and performance and identifies areas in need of improvement or modifications; provides technical guidance and develops interventions to resolve irregularities and enhance designs and architecture works, and follows up their implementation with the relevant stakeholders.
• Leads, plans and coordinates architectural design activities across the Agency, ensuring that all design initiatives are strategically aligned with UNRWA s operational objectives and user requirements, including the development and implementation of design standards and technical criteria that promote functionality, safety, inclusivity and environmental sustainability; develops and supervises preparation of checklists for design process, preliminary approval and checking of architectural tender drawings.
• Establishes and regularly updates agency-wide design standards planning criteria, protocol and technical specifications in coordination with user departments and the design team, to ensure clarity, consistency and effective implementation; develops, and tailor, modular design solutions and detailed architectural specifications that enhance consistency, adaptability and operational efficiency across all UNRWA facilities to meet diverse programmatic needs while ensuring cost-effectiveness and ease of replication.
• Develops and enforces rigorous quality assurance and quality control measures tailored to architectural and design processes; defines and monitors performance indicators related to design functionality, safety, gender inclusivity, accessibility, and environmental impact; leads post-occupancy evaluations to assess user satisfaction and facility effectiveness following Infrastructure and Camp Improvement Programme (ICIP) interventions.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of architectural and design disciplines, materials, and regulatory frameworks; engages with international bodies concerned with building codes, fire safety, accessibility, greening, sustainability, design and architectural materials; may represent UNRWA in relevant global forums to ensure the Agency remains informed of best practices, innovations, and emerging standards in architectural design.
• Develops and drives a learning scheme to build advanced knowledge and competencies essential for the architecture and design and their application, Agency-wide; fosters deep awareness of the diverse architectural disciplines, materials in current use, and those proposed ones and their critical impact on safety, health and environment; plans and manages the implementation of staff training sessions and conducts training in his/her area of expertise, including relevant specialized software tools.

• Relating and Networking
• Leading and Supervising
• Planning and Organizing
• Applying Technical Expertise

Leadership

• Managing Complexity and Change
• Creating and Maintaining Impact and Partnership

Other Competencies not listed under Functional and Leadership

• Proven ability to exercise the initiative and resourcefulness necessary for prioritising multiple clusters / components in projects.
• Creativity and objectivity to perform studies and technical activities to arrive at the most cost-effective and reliable technical solutions.
• Demonstrate advanced technical knowledge of the civil-structural discipline with the ability to conceive, develop and implement engineering and design solutions

Advanced university degree (Master s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in architectural engineering or a relevant discipline from a recognised university.