UNHCR – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

TERMS OF REFERENCE Chiffre Nr. 2024-1-09

JUNIOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICER PROGRAMME (JPO)

1.         GENERAL INFORMATION

Title: JPO, Associate External Relations Officer

Sectors of Assignment/Office: Governance Service, Executive Office at UNHCR HQ

Organization: UNHCR – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Country and Duty Station: Geneva, Switzerland

Duration of assignment: 2 years with possibility of extension for another year. The extension of appointment is subject to yearly review concerning priorities, availability of funds, and satisfactory performance.

Please note that for participants of the JPO Programme two years work experience are mandatory!. Relevant work experience can be counted. In order to assess the eligibility of the candidates, we review the relevant experience acquired after obtaining the first university degree (usually bachelor’s degree).

2.         Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

Direct supervision is normally exercised by a (Snr) External Relations Officer or Representative who provides guidance on the applicable procedures. Advice may also be provided by relevant functional units at HQ. External contacts are with a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including inter alia, government, media, embassies, donors, UN agencies, NGOs and other national and international organizations, as well as general public on matters of importance to the Organization.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

3.         Duties

• Stay abreast of the challenges posed by the political context, the UN and humanitarian reform, and institutional developments in the area of forced displacement and humanitarian operations.
• Assist the implementation of a communications strategy that generates support for UNHCR’s operations from external partners (e.g. the general public, governments, partners, media, academia, NGOs, private sector and persons of concern).
• Assist in the dialogue with donors and embassies and provide relevant information on UNHCR operations and financial requirements by organizing regular briefings, bilateral meetings and missions and responding to donors’ requests for information on ad hoc basis.
• Through a consultative process with headquarters, disseminate information on UNHCR’s global funding situation and mobilize additional funds to implement programmes and projects aimed at enhancing the quality of protection for persons of concern in the country operation.
• Assist in the coordination of the drafting of, situation reports, briefing notes, background material, talking points, fact sheets, press releases and articles.
• Draft narrative and financial reports on contributions in compliance with specific donor requirements.
• Monitor earmarking level of funding for UNHCR Country operation and ensure appropriate visibility for donor contributions in compliance with UNHCR guidelines and specific donor requirements.
• Participate on behalf of the Representative and other supervisors in inter-agency cooperation and communication strategies, initiatives and tools.
• Assist in the management of information flows within the country operations by identifying priority matters, securing, analyzing and disseminating documentation and information to support country operations and corporate communication processes and priorities.
• Consolidate information on UNHCR’s country operations and identify appropriate messages for campaigns and appeals.
• Propose events and initiatives (e.g. commercial, cultural, political and sports) to promote the work of UNHCR and take action as appropriate.
• Support the management of media relations by, inter alia, responding to direct queries, publishing press releases, handling interview requests and organizing regular briefings and visits to country operations.
• Promote visibility of UNHCR’s work and advocate for support for the people of concern through providing inputs for social media and other web content.
• Organize missions to the field and press briefings for external parties as required.
• Implement all aspects of a communications strategy.
• Represent UNHCR on behalf of senior management in fundraising and communication priorities in inter-agency initiatives and fora.
• Perform other related duties as required.

4.         MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Professional Work Experience:

Master’s Degree in Political Sciences, Social Sciences, International Relations, Journalism, Communications or other relevant field.

Work Experience

Minimum of 2 years of experience

Relevant job experience:

Essential

Experience in humanitarian operations in a field environment. Excellent knowledge of local institution, politics and culture.

Desirable

Fund-raising and programming/programme management experience. Experience of working with social media.

Functional Skills:

• FR-Fundraising (incl. operations, programmes)
• PG-Programme Management (project formulation, programme cycles and reporting standards)
• MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation*
• IT-Web Content Management
• IT-Computer Literacy
• MS-Translation
• ER-Communications/media/digital/social media communication/ monitoring/analysis/presentation*

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

The level of English should be proficient (UN proficiency exam or C2 level).

Working knowledge of French (B2 level or C1) and knowledge of an additional UN language (Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and/or Russian) would be an asset.

5.         Competency Requirements

Core Competencies

• Accountability
• Communication
• Organizational Awareness
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

• Empowering and Building Trust
• Managing Performance
• Managing Resources

Cross-Functional Competencies

• Analytical Thinking
• Innovation and Creativity
• Political Awareness

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

Bitte senden Sie Ihre JPO-Bewerbung direkt an das Büro Führungskräfte zu Internationalen Organisationen (BFIO) unter Angabe der Chiffre Nr. 2024-1-09 auf dem Bewerbungsbogen

Alle Informationen finden Sie unter www.bfio.de