Associate External Relations Officer

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

A (least hardship)

FamilyUNOPS IICA1

2023-05-01April 3, 2023UNHCR has been accredited to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees, since 1984. It provides protection and assistance to persons of concern in both urban and camp settings.

UNHCR’s urban operation, based in Algiers, serves more than 12,000 refugees and asylum-seekers from the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. At the request of the Algerian authorities, UNHCR undertakes registration and status determination for asylum-seekers and helps them to secure durable solutions once recognized as refugees. Owing to natural and human-made crises regional and global in nature, there has been a sharp escalation in the number of individuals seeking asylum in Algiers. In 2022, these have numbered as high as 500 per month.

UNHCR’s Sub-Office in Tindouf provides protection and assistance to Saharawi refugees living n five camps in a remote location in the southwest of the country, near Algeria’s borders with Western Sahara, Mauritania and Morocco. The people UNHCR serves in Tindouf are the organization’s longest standing refugee population. For nearly 50 years the Saharawi refugees have contended with the a remote, desert landscape with frequent sandstorms and floods. These environmental difficulties have been exacerbated by water challenges, limited education and livelihoods opportunities, the COVID pandemic and, most recently, food and energy inflation, with no improvement in the prospect of durable solutions. UNHCR’s multi-year strategy 2022-2024 will be complemented soon by a Regional Refugee Response Plan setting out in a single document the work of all partners in all areas. Owing to the protracted nature of the situation and the hyper political sensitivity concerning the Saharawi refugee population, it has been difficult for UNHCR to attract and sustain attention to the operation and sufficient resources for it.
Excellent English, French or Arabic are desirable

 

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

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

BA: Communication (Required), BA: International Relations (Required), BA: Journalism (Required), BA: Political Science (Required), BA: Social Science (Required)

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance