A (least hardship)
Family
Family
Residential location (if applicable)
PR3
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
Professional
Reason
Regular > Regular Assignment
No
2023-01-27-08:00
February 16, 2023
Policy Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The role of the Policy Officer is to support the coordination and preparation of guidance, positions, strategic protection and solutions policies, and advocacy on protection and solutions matters in the region, building on comprehensive responses outlined in the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). The incumbent may be based in the Division/ Field/Regional Bureau. S/he will normally report to and be guided by a Senior Policy Officer and may supervise a small team of local staff.
The Policy Officer will provide advice and assist in drafting UNHCR positions on assigned protection and solutions issues and areas, coordinating closely within the office, as well as with other HQs Services, Regional Bureaux, field offices and operations.
The incumbent is expected to have regular contact with staff throughout the office, Bureau and operations on thematic and situational issues. S/he is responsible for staying abreast of protection and solutions developments under a number of thematic and situational issues that are relevant for the region, supporting strengthened and coordinated responses of the Bureau in the provision of related advice and implementation of external advocacy.
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
- Provide inputs to draft guidance on protection and solutions advice, strategic protection and solutions policies, and advocacy on protection matters. Reflect major global developments influencing UNHCR's work, such as the Global Compact on Refugees and UNHCR's support to applying comprehensive responses included therein.
- Contribute towards the preparation of UNHCR strategies, positions and public papers on assigned thematic and geographical areas, situations or issues.
- Gather, analyse and disseminate information on protection and solutions, political, legal, social and economic developments, including the application of comprehensive responses, which have a bearing on UNHCR's protection activities in the area to promote the adoption of protection policies and activities.
- Organize and prepare studies on key protection and solutions policy issues to inform management decision making; conduct follow-up work, including inter-agency technical review meetings to support policy development and decision-making on important issues, including UNHCR's contribution to reinforce comprehensive responses at national and regional levels.
- Assist in the preparations for high level events, including regional meetings, ExCom, Standing Committee, NGO Consultations, Protection Dialogues and others, by contributing to the preparation, drafting, and editing of various protection and solutions positions and policy papers.
- Draft inputs for oral and written briefings and background notes, talking points, reports and other documents as required.
- Coordinate appeals and reporting on UNHCR activities in the area of responsibility, and ensure quality control for important publications.
- Coordinate and harmonize cross-cutting policy issues and documents.
- In the regional bureaux, respond to queries and requests for assistance and guidance from the field, and follow-up where needed, in close coordination with other concerned focal points of the Bureau.
- Maintain a wide range of external contacts with Permanent Missions, donors, and civil society organization.
- Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications
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
Public Policy; Public Administration; Law;International Relations;Political Science;Human Rights; or other relevant field.
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Experience in policy analysis and development in international context. Demonstrated experience in drafting and editing, in particular on protection and solutions strategies, advocacy strategies, or partnership building.
Desirable
Experience in coordination of UN interventions with other actors, in a refugee or humanitarian context. Strong experience in conducting research, fact sheets, global appeals, speeches and concept papers.
Functional Skills
PO-Policy Advocacy in UNHCR;
PO-Policy Development, Evaluation, Research, Publication;
MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation;
(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.
Desired Candidate Profile
The successful candidate must demonstrate strong analytical, research and drafting skills: notably, the ability to analyze and use data to make sound judgments, the ability to articulate complex issues in a simple and convincing manner to internal and external stakeholders, and the ability to draft clear, concise documents for a variety of audiences under time pressure. This includes everything from briefing notes to options papers for the SET+ on key strategic and operational decision points in the region, as well as external advocacy with strategic partners. They should be able to apply the concepts of the GCR in their work, with up-to-date knowledge of GCR approaches.
The successful candidate will be a self-starter, creative thinker, problem-solver, and strong team player. They should have demonstrated experience in emergency and protracted operations. Field experience in Asia and the Pacific is desirable, as is experience advancing solutions to refugee, IDP, and/or statelessness situations.
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):
,
,
Operational context
Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:
To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
Nature of Position:
Under the supervision of the Senior Policy Advisor, the incumbent will work with the 6-person Policy Unit within the RBAP Protection Pillar, which provides policy support to RBAP operations across South Asia, Southwest Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific. Within the team, the Policy Officer will have both a geographic portfolio and a regional thematic portfolio. The latter may, for example, include internal displacement, protection in development action, inclusion, the GCR and GRF, and/or climate action.
Working closely with the operations, the Policy Officer will be responsible for rigorous, evidence-based analysis of countries and situations in the Asia-Pacific region and strategy development in line with the High Commissioner’s and Bureau's strategic priorities. The incumbent will work closely with counterparts in the operations as well as across the Bureau and HQ to produce policy and operational documents that position UNHCR as the leader in protection and solutions strategies, i.e., approaches that are innovative and grounded in data; consider geo-political trends; and seize opportunities presented by regional developments and the GCR. The Policy Officer is also responsible for advancing the thematic portfolio within the region, with an emphasis on operational support.
Living and Working Conditions:
Bangkok or Krung Thep (City of Angels) is Thailand`s capital and largest city. It is in the central part of the country, on the Chao Phraya River near the Gulf of Thailand. Bangkok is Thailand`s administrative, economic, and cultural center, and a major commercial and transportation Centre of Southeast Asia. Bangkok has a highly developed infrastructure, good public transport systems, high-end shopping, excellent healthcare facilities, and excellent accommodation for all budgets. Furthermore, there are many International schools based in Bangkok offering the IB and British-based syllabus although school fees in Thailand are one of the highest in the world. Traffic congestion and pollution are the downsides. Temperatures in Bangkok vary between 20 C in December and 38 C in April with the monsoon season from July to October. This does lead to severe flooding in many parts of Bangkok and the rest of the country. Careful consideration must be given to the choice of residential location due to this factor.
Whilst Thailand is classified as an A Duty station, the country is currently under the military junta, and freedom of expression has been curtailed. Weekly travel advisories are issued by UNDSS Thailand. UNDSS places no restrictions on travel within Thailand except to the Southern regions due to the ongoing insurgency and staff undergo mandatory briefings before traveling to the South. All staff travel in Thailand is recorded under the TRIP system. Thailand has one of the highest motor vehicle accident rates in the world. Road travel should be avoided at night for out-of-town travel and during the Thai New Year (April).
Additional Qualifications
Skills
BA: Human Rights (Required), BA: International Relations (Required), BA: Law (Required), BA: Political Science (Required), BA: Public Administration (Required), BA: Public Policy (Required)
Certifications
Workforce to Supervise, Working with Persons of Concern: Asylum Seekers, Working with Persons of Concern: Internally Displaced Persons, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned IDPs, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Stateless
Competencies
Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Policy research & development, Teamwork & collaboration
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Compendium
Add.2 to Bi-annual Compendium 2022 - Part B
This position doesn't require a functional clearance
