Assistant External Relations Officer

ABOUT THE COMPANY

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, is mandated to protect and assist men, women and children forced to flee their homes due to violence, conflict or persecution. UNHCR is dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced and stateless people. The Agency provides protection, shelter, food, water, medical care and other life-saving assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers around the world. The dream of most refugees is to return home. If and where possible, UNHCR helps refugees make this dream a reality. When refugees cannot go back home, we work to find solutions for them, to rebuild their lives in another country. Since its formation by the United Nations General Assembly in 1950, UNHCR has helped millions of refugees restart their lives and has received the Nobel Peace Prize twice.

JOB SUMMARY

The incumbent is closely supervised on issues concerning external relations and public information by the External Relations Officer or the Representative who gives regular guidance and advice to the incumbent. Advice and operational support may also be received from other senior staff and support units in a country office/ operation.External contacts are generally with a broad range of officials from national and international institutions, media or 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.Minimum QualificationsEducation & Professional Work ExperienceYears of Experience / Degree LevelFor P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degreeField(s) of EducationPolitical Sciences Social Sciences, International RelationsJournalism Communication or other relevant field.(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)Certificates and/or LicensesNot specifiedRelevant Job ExperienceEssentialExcellent knowledge of local institution, politics and culture.DesirableCompletion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position.Functional SkillsIT-Computer LiteracyIT-Web Content ManagementCO-Drafting and Documentation(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)Language RequirementsFor 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.Desired Candidate ProfileOperational Context:UNHCR has been providing protection and assistance to forcibly displaced and stateless people in Sudan for some 50 years. Prior to the start of the conflict in 2023, UNHCR had 17 offices in the country responsible for the implementation of its programmes across the country. Since April 2023, UNHCR has relocated its Representation Office to Port Sudan, established offices in Northern and Al-Jazirah State, is managing cross-border operations from Farchana, Chad and set up a supporting ‘Back-Office’ in Nairobi, Kenya. This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya.UNHCR works with 40 partners which include 14 international NGOs, nine national NGOs, 11 organizations led by refugees and IDPs and six government entities, namely the Commission for Refugees (COR), Forests National Corporation, State Ministry of Education, State Ministry of Health, State Ministry of Health and Social Development and Water, Environment and Sanitation Corporation.Under the inter-agency coordination framework for IDPs, UNHCR leads the Protection, Shelter/Non-Food Items and Site Management (Camp Coordination and Camp Management) Clusters in Sudan at national and sub-national level. UNHCR and the Commission for Refugees (COR) jointly lead and coordinate the refugee response in Sudan as co-chairs of the Refugee Consultation Forum (RCF). The forum brings together partners which provide protection and assistance to refugees in Sudan.Desired Candidate Profile:Under the supervision of the Senior External Relations Officer, the incumbent of this position will be responsible for the drafting of funding proposals in line with UNHCRs global and country resource mobilisation strategy. S/he should have a proven track record in fundraising in complex humanitarian situations. Experience of working with government donors in the context of Sudan is an asset. The incumbent should possess strong technical knowledge including on results-based management approaches and the preparation of budgets and logical frameworks. Experience in UNHCR’s results-based management will be considered an asset. The incumbent should be able to draft a variety of documents such as talking points and briefing notes in a clear and succinct manner for various external audiences. S/he will have to organize high-level meetings and facilitate/accompany donor missions in Sudan, as needed.S/he should have advanced skills in organisation, attention to detail and have the ability to prioritize multiple tasks. An understanding of the inter-agency coordination structure in which the UN operates in Sudan are desirable. Experience in communications and social media engagement are similarly desirable to cover communications functions, if required. The incumbent may need to represent the Agency with professionalism and integrity and occasionally lead the team in the absence of his/her supervisor.Strong skills in MS Office applications are required in addition to strong analytical skills. A proven record of inter-personal and communication skills including the ability to foster team spirit are essential qualities to establish relationships with staff, many of whom are working remotely. Fluency in English is essential and working knowledge of Arabic desirable.The incumbent of the post has currently no supervisory functions, however, should possess managerial skills and competencies with a view to further develop leadership skills.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Assist the management in dealing with 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 in planning and organizing communications strategy that generates support for UNHCR s operations from external partners (e.g. the general public, governments, partners, the media, academia and persons of concern).Assist in the dialogue with donors and embassies and provide accurate information by organizing regular briefings, bilateral meetings and missions.Assist the management in disseminating information on UNHCR¿s global funding situation and mobilize additional funds to implement special projects aimed at enhancing the quality of protection for persons of concern.Participate when requested in the 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.Assist in the drafting of situation reports, briefing notes, background material, talking points, fact sheets, press releases and articles.Assist in planning and organizing advertisements, exhibitions, training seminars, conferences, meetings, social events and other activities to promote a better understanding of UNHCR¿s activities and accomplishments by the general public and/or organized groups.Support the management of media relations by, inter alia, drafting responses to direct queries, draft press releases and organizing regular briefings and visits to country operations.Organize press briefings for external parties as required.Organize the distribution of UNHCR publications and the provision of materials to various institutions and individuals.Produce reports for donor agencies as required.Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).Perform other related duties as required.

REQUIRED SKILLS

Written communication, Decision making, Ability to coordinate, Communication, Interpersonal communication

REQUIRED EDUCATION

Bachelor's degree