Professional### * Staff members will not normally serve in International Professional positions in the country of their nationality. In addition, in case of a first appointment upon recruitment, the assignment must be outside the staff member’s country of nationality.

In practical terms this means that you are not eligible to apply for International Professional vacancies advertised in the country where you are national of.

Reason

Regular > Regular AssignmentRemote work accepted

NoTarget Start Date

2024-07-01Job Posting End Date

February 14, 2024Standard Job Description

Senior External Relations Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Senior External Relations Officer normally reports to the Representative or Deputy Representative. The incumbent has direct supervisory responsibility for External Relations staff. External contacts are predominantly with partners, media, government, embassies and other international organizations in the country 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. - Through a consultative process with UNHCR colleagues (Programme, Protection, etc.) with external actors and partners, develop and implement protection and assistance strategy, with clearly articulated objectives, timelines and outputs. - Implement 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). - Articulate all issues pertaining to the needs of the populations of concern and the strategies in place to respond to their needs. - Ensure that the UNHCR priorities are given adequate weight in the documentation of the UN Country Team. - Maintain a close dialogue with and provide accurate information to donors by organizing regular briefings, bilateral meetings and donor missions. Prepare reports as appropriate. - In accordance with the operational context and in close cooperation with headquarters, access 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 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. - Manage the information flow 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. - Coordinate the drafting of, and/or draft, situation reports, briefing notes, background material, talking points, fact sheets, press releases and articles. - Develop targeted communications strategies and media packages for situations and/or activities that require focused attention. - Identify and target major events and initiatives (e.g. commercial, cultural, political and sports) to promote the work of UNHCR. - Manage media relations by, inter alia, responding to direct queries, publishing press releases and organizing regular briefings and visits to country operations. - Approve fund-raising messages. - Approve any relevant expenditure for the implementation of fund-raising activities. - Decide which donors to approach and which operations or activities to prioritize for special fundraising appeals. - Approve the communications strategy. - Approve budgets and expenditures for communications activities. - Clear external relations/communication products and tools. - Represent UNHCR fund-raising and communication priorities in inter-agency initiatives and fora.

- Lead risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seize opportunities impacting objectives. Ensure that risk management principles are integrated in decision-making both at strategic and operational levels. Allocate resources for planned treatments with resource requirements in Strategic Plans. Ensure that risks are managed to acceptable levels and escalate, as needed. If a Risk Owner, designate the Risk Focal Point and certify that the annual risk review is completed and ensure that the risk register is updated during the year, as needed. - Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications Education & Professional Work Experience Years of Experience / Degree Level For P4/NOD - 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education Political Sciences; Social Sciences; International Relations; Journalism; or other relevant field.

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 ER-Inter-Agency External Relations ER-Inter-Agency Leadership/Coordination CO-Drafting and Documentation (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 ideal candidate is expected to possess: • Sufficient protection knowledge, relevant technical and operational capacity, political sensitivity, and experience in managing inter-agency, reporting and donor relationships. • Strong negotiation skills for advocacy. • Proactive and mature attitude to address complex and dynamic situations. • Strong UNHCR experience in leading and managing inter-agency coordination, operational planning, and donor relations in complex emergencies. • Ability to work independently on assigned tasks with oversight from the supervisor. • Proven experience in developing high-quality funding submissions, information papers, and donor reports. • Previous experience in Sahel countries is an asset. • Fluency in French and English (spoken and written) is essential.Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

French,

Desired languages

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:

UNHCR's operation in Chad is managed through the Representation in Ndjamena and three Sub-Offices covering the field offices in Eastern, Southern, and the Lake regions of Chad. The majority of refugees have been living in a protracted refugee situation for nearly 20 years, with Chad surrounded by countries in crisis (Sudan, CAR, Eastern Nigeria). The recent crisis in Sudan since April 15 has led to a significant increase in the population in the East. Under the Refugee Response Plan (RRP) framework, UNHCR and partners collaborate to support national and local authorities, working together to address the needs of refugees. The inter-agency emergency response operates under the Commission for National Reception and Reintegration of Refugees (CNARR), in collaboration with ministerial authorities.

The operational response strategy in Chad is built around the vision of empowering forcibly displaced persons and their host communities, with a reinforced humanitarian-development Nexus approach.

Responsibilities:

The Senior External Relations Officer will report to the Assistant Representative (Operations) in Ndjamena. Responsibilities include supervising a section in Ndjamena composed of donor relation officer and associate reporting and external relation officers. The incumbent will advise senior management on inter-agency coordination processes, engage with stakeholders, design and implement partnership and resource mobilization strategies.

Key responsibilities:

Establish and maintain contacts with external stakeholders, including operational partners (UN agencies and NGOs), development actors, donors, and authorities.
Coordinate the Refugee Response Plan (RRRP) at the national level, reinforcing UNHCR's leadership in the sectoral response to Sudanese refugees and strengthening UNHCR's visibility in coordination mechanisms.
Manage information flows within the operation, identifying priority matters and disseminating relevant documentation and information.
Oversee the team preparing situation reports, briefing notes, background material, talking points, fact sheets, press releases, and articles, providing technical support at national and field levels.
Support the Chad operation by responding to direct queries, publishing press releases, and organizing regular briefings and visits.

Living and Working Conditions:

N'Djamena is the capital and largest city in Chad. For a large capital city, its infrastructure remains basic, although far superior to standards in other regions. The climate is hot and semi-arid, with a rainy season from June to September. UNHCR staff are free to choose where to live, subject to residential security measures. Electricity can be unreliable and international staff are provided with generators by the Office. Water supplies work in most areas, but personal supplies of food and drinking water are required. Most essential supplies can be found in local markets, although the choice can be limited compared to other centers and prices are high as most goods are imported. Banking facilities are available through local banks such as Ecobank and BCC. Health care standards can be described as basic, with staff encouraged to subscribe to International SOS Clinic Services. Serious or complicated health conditions require evacuation to other countries and dental/other specialist care may not be available. Malaria is the most common, but not the only, infectious disease prevalent in N'Djamena and most other regions of Chad. UNHAS flights are the main means of transport to and from field sites. A limited number of companies operate international flights to N'Djamena. Telecommunications services are basic and expensive, with two mobile telephone/internet operators offering 4G services and a growing number of providers installing fiber optic connections. Access to some communication and social media applications, notably WhatsApp, is currently available but has been censored for long periods and requires the use of a VPN. The UNHCR office is covered by UNHCR's own VSAT services.

Several UN agencies, INGOs and NGOs operate in N'Djamena and use the city as a hub. A French military base is located next to N'Djamena's international airport.

The RR cycle in N'Djamena is 8 weeks, as in the other duty stations, except for Baga sola and Bol, where it is 6 weeks.

The overall threat security level in Chad is designated as Moderate by the UN Security Management System in most of the country, except the Lake region, where it is at substantial level, due to higher terrorist- and armed-conflict-related threats. The level of crime is assessed to be substantial both in the Lake and Eastern regions and Moderate in N’Djamena. It is exacerbated by the closed borders with neighbouring countries which impact the already challenging economic situation. Against the backdrop of a sensitive political transition and other socioeconomic factors, demonstrations, strikes, sit-ins and road blockages often for economic, political or social reasons will continue to be reported, despite their harsh repressions by government security forces.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Relations, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Journalism, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social ScienceCertifications

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Leadership, Managing performance, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Strategic planning & visions, Teamwork & collaborationUNHCR Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales