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External Relations Officer

Washington D.C.

  • Organization: UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Location: Washington D.C.
  • Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
  • Occupational Groups:
    • External Relations, Partnerships and Resource mobilization
  • Closing Date: Closed

This Job Opening is available to eligible UNHCR staff members and external applicants. National Professional Officers should be nationals of and be locally recruited within the country of their employment. US Citizenship is required for this position. External Relations Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

Direct supervision is normally exercised by a Snr External Relations Officer of Representative who provides guidance on the applicable procedures. Advice may also be provided by relevant functional units at HQ. The incumbent may supervise some support staff. External contacts are predominantly with Partners, media, government embassies and other international organizations 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 in the planning of a consultative process with UNHCR colleagues (Programme, Protection, etc.) with external actors and partners, so as to develop and implement protection and assistance strategy, with clearly articulated objectives, timelines and outputs.
- Assist the implementation of a 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 articulation of all issues pertaining to the needs of the populations of concern and the  strategies in place to respond to their needs.
- Inform the UNHCR Country Team on the UNHCR priorities so as to ensure that they are given adequate weight in the publications and documentation of the UN Country Team.
- Assist in the dialogue with donors and embassies and provide accurate information by organizing regular briefings, bilateral meetings and missions. Prepare reports as appropriate.
- In accordance with the operational context and in close cooperation with headquarters, propose new and non-traditional funding sources, as appropriate, including private sector and humanitarian pooled/basket funds (e.g. Central Emergency Response Fund, Human Security Fund).
- Through a consultative process with headquarters, disseminate 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 in the country operation.
- Participate on behalf of the Representative and other supervisors in inter-agency cooperation and communication strategies, initiatives and tools.
- Support senior management in representing UNHCR in the UN Country Team and other UN coordination fora.
- Support, and participate in, local UN integrated missions, Inter-Agency Standing Committee, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Cluster communication strategies and initiatives.
- 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.
- Assist in the coordination of the drafting of, situation reports, briefing notes, background material, talking points, fact sheets, press releases and articles.
- Assist in the development of targeted communications strategies and media packages for situations and/or activities that require focused attention.
- 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 and organizing regular briefings and visits to country operations.
- On behalf of the Representative, approve fundraising messages.
- On behalf of the Representative, approve any relevant expenditure for the implementation of fundraising activities.
- Propose which donors to approach and which operations or activities to prioritize for special fundraising appeals.
- Implement all aspects of a communications strategy.
- Approve budgets and expenditures for communications activities.
- Clear external relations/communication products and tools as appropriate.
- Represent UNHCR on behalf of senior management in fund-raising 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 P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Political Sciences, Social Sciences, International Relations,
Journalism, 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
Good knowledge of UNHCR operations both at Headquarters and in the Field.
Fund-raising and programming/programme management experience.
Experience of working with social media.

Functional Skills
IT-Web Content Management
IT-Computer Literacy
CO-Drafting and Documentation
ER-Inter-Agency External Relations
(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. Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies:
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies:
Managing Performance
Judgement and Decision Making
Empowering and Building Trust

Cross-Functional Competencies:
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Planning and Organizing
Political Awareness Please note that person interested in applying must be US national at the time of the application, selection process and hire. Only those shortlisted candidates will be contacted. CVs/Resumes will not be accepted by email. ONLY THOSE APPLICATIONS SENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM WILL BE CONSIDERED.
========================================================================================================
See below for this postion's Operational Context
======================================================================================================== Operational Context

The External Relations Officer reports to the Sr. External Relations Officer and is part of the External Relations unit in the UNHCR Multi-Country office in Washington (MCOW). The ER unit works to engage and inform U.S. government officials, the diplomatic community, civil society, and other key stakeholders about UNHCR¿s global strategic priorities and operations and the needs of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons, and to ensure continued bipartisan U.S. political and financial support for UNHCR¿s work around the globe. The ER Officer will help lead on engagement/outreach strategy development and build and maintain strong relationships with U.S. Administration officials and other key stakeholders involved in shaping U.S. funding and policies impacting refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced people, and stateless people worldwide, as well as with key civil society leaders and coalitions. The External Relations Officer will also provide timely analysis and advice regarding the U.S. political environment as well as policy and legislative developments affecting forcibly uprooted persons and the work of UNHCR.

The ER Officer works with colleagues to advance UNHCR¿s global strategic priorities and relay timely and consistent messages to U.S. policymakers, and address Executive Branch and other stakeholder interests, concerns, and requests for information. The position requires the ability to interface with government officials and other decisionmakers, and to collaborate with colleagues across the international humanitarian and development fields. The position requires strong research, writing, and analytical skills; substantial experience communicating complex policy and operational issues to diverse audiences; and extensive experience collaborating and sharing information, analysis, and recommendations across teams and functions. A demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain relationships and communications with critical internal and external constituencies and stakeholders is a must. The ER Officer must possess strong knowledge of the U.S. policymaking process, as well as an extensive network of contacts throughout the U.S. government and Washington. Strong knowledge of the global refugee and humanitarian aid landscape is required. Extensive experience working in the U.S. government, Congress, or a humanitarian organization and a proven track record in humanitarian policy/legislative advocacy or development is required. The closing date for submission of application is MONDAY, 29 AUGUST 2022 (Midnight Geneva time // 6 PM EST). No late applications will be accepted.

HOW TO APPLY:
Internal candidates: Your application must be submitted by: MSRP - Self-Service - Recruiting - Careers - USA - NAME OF THE POSITION
External candidates: Candidates must submit their application through UNHCR's official application site: www.unhcr.org/careers.html
In case of technical problems, please login with a different browser
For any technical problems encountered during the online application, please contact the Global Service Desk (hqussd@unhcr.org) prior to the deadline to allow sufficient time to resolve the issues. For any questions regarding the selection process, please contact Human Resources (usawaadm@unhcr.org)

CVs/Resumes will not be accepted by email. ONLY THOSE APPLICATIONS SENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM WILL BE CONSIDERED.

We are committed to maintaining diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity and culture.  Persons belonging to minority groups, persons with special abilities, men and women, are encouraged to apply for vacancies. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

We do not confirm receipt of applications or report on the status of the process. Only qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview and possibly a written test.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).
This vacancy is now closed.
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