The Associate External Relations Officer will report to the Senior External Relations Officer in Dhaka and will be part of a three-person strong Dhaka-based External Relations team, which works closely with the External Relations Officer in Cox’s Bazar and the Communication team in both locations. In some instances, the incumbent may be expected to work closely with the senior managers to liaise and coordinate with the government officials.
The incumbent is expected to work on and assist in various external relations activities, including preparing communication materials for external audiences, donor reports or funding briefs. The incumbent will plan and organize activities to increase UNHCR’s outreach capacity, engage with a range of external stakeholders and entities to present UNHCR’s work and liaise with the government officials.
S/he should have demonstrated experiences working closely in the areas of external and donor relations, inter-agency coordination and government liaison. S/he needs to demonstrate the capability to work in a complex multi-functional environment, including inter-agency settings. While based in Dhaka, s/he is expected to regularly travel to Cox’s Bazar, to support and coordinate with relevant actors for potential donor visits, high-visibility or important missions.
Key Competencies :
• The position requires strong analytical, drafting and communication skills.
• Strong strategic thinking, planning and prioritization skills, and an ability to carry out tasks independently with minimal supervision are required.
• Solid command of MS software (Word, PowerPoint and Excel) and data analysis skills are a must to support drafting of funding proposals and reports and other communication materials.
• Multi-tasking skills, attention to detail, and an ability to find necessary information from various sources with minimal support by others.
• Experience in external and donor relations at the UN agencies and knowledge of UNHCR programming and donors’ funding schemes are an asset.
• Strong coordination skills and an ability to work as a team.
• Good government contacts will be valued asset in performing the work.
Standard Job Description
Associate External Relations Officer 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.
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.
Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P2/NOB – 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree
Field(s) of Education
Political Sciences Social Sciences International Relations Journalism Communications or other relevant field.
(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Certificates and/or Licenses Not specified
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
CO-Drafting and Documentation
PS-Fundraising (incl. operations, programmes)
PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards)
IT-Computer Literacy
IT-Web Content Management (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
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. This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.
Required Languages
Desired Languages
Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
BA: Communication (Required), BA: International Relations (Required), BA: Journalism (Required), BA: Political Science (Required), BA: Social Science (Required)
Certifications
Work Experience
Other information
This position doesn’t require a functional clearance
How to apply
For a full job description and to apply, interested candidates are requested to visit
The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).
Closing date of receipt of applications: 18 January 2023
This is an edited version to meet LinkedIn standards. For the official job description, please visit unhcr.org/careers
