External Relations Officer

A (least hardship)

FamilyFamily

PR3

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

July 11 2025

External Relations Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
Direct supervision is normally exercised by a Senior 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 UNHCRs 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 forcibly displaced and stateless persons).
- Assist in the articulation of all issues pertaining to the needs of the forcibly displaced and stateless persons 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 UNHCRs global funding situation and mobilize additional funds to implement special projects aimed at enhancing the quality of protection for forcibly displaced and stateless persons 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 UNHCRs 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.

- 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.

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.

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.

Under the overall supervision of the External Engagement Coordinator the External Relations team in the Bureau is comprised of one Senior External Relations Officer one External Relations Officer one Reporting Officer one Associate Reporting Officer and one Assistant Communications Officer. The External Engagement Unit does not cover Communications which is managed by a dedicated Comms Unit in RB MENA.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior External Relations Officer the External Relations Officer will work as part of a dynamic and flexible team. Given the significant recent budget cuts affecting UNHCR RB MENA cost-saving measures were recently put in place with an overarching goal of maintaining operational effectiveness. Due to significant operational changes in the region the inter-agency coordination needs will remain substantial in the coming years particularly in relation to the 3RP including with regards to return and inside Syria coordination as well as potential new emergencies requiring inter-agency support within the MENA region. At the same time competition is likely to increase over the upcoming months due to the need to strengthen fundraising vis--vis other agencies which will likely lead to more earmarked funding requiring additional reporting and donor relation capacity. In this context of increasing needs and budget cuts an integration of ER and IA functions under the External Engagement pillar will ensure a multi-skilled agile team which can effectively engage donors interagency partners and external stakeholders while optimizing resources and saving costs.

The External Relations Officer is expected to be pivotal in this regard. He/She should have an excellent command of English sound judgment and very strong and precise drafting and presentation skills to assist in the preparation of high-quality outputs and transform inputs from multiple sources into tailored content for internal and external dissemination. These include UNHCR products such as briefing notes and talking points as well as a broad range of reporting and inter-agency products tailored to different audiences
To succeed in this position the incumbent must have the capacity to develop key advocacy and fundraising messages for external actors both for UNHCR fundraising and from an inter-agency perspective. Very strong organizational and planning skills are essential as well as analytical and critical thinking skills to be able to deliver timely provision of information on the needs and situation of the people UNHCR serves to all relevant stakeholders and through leadership of the 3RP.

The ideal candidate must have experience in inter-agency stakeholder management in humanitarian or development contexts including experience in facilitating inter-agency meetings workshops and planning processes. Experience of working with the Refugee Coordination Model (RCM) is required as well as experience of IDP cluster coordination or UNSDCF processes is considered an asset. At the same time the candidate should have experience in donor relations and reporting in relation to UNHCR fundraising. In this sense the candidate will have the ability to double-hat between inter-agency and UNHCR donor relations functions and would need to have experience in both. The incumbent should be able to work with minimum supervision and under pressure be able to multi-task and have great attention to detail.
Experience in the MENA region/ Syria situation is highly desirable.

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station please visit this link:

of Position:

The MENA Regional Bureau covers multiple operations as well as several large-scale and complex emergency situations. Within this context the Bureau sustains regular engagement with a variety of external stakeholders including governments embassies media academia UN agencies and other international organizations NGOs the private sector and persons of concern. The Bureau is also responsible for co-leading at the regional-level the interagency Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) in response to the Syria crisis - a USD 4.6 billion appeal covering 4 countries and over 200 partners.

By the end of May over 500000 Syrians have returned from countries neighboring Syria since the fall of the Assad Government in early December 2024 with many more waiting to see how the situation unfolds to make a decision. Inside Syria some 1.5 million IDPs have also returned to their places of origin. In the best-case scenario up to 2 million IDPs and up to 1 million Syrian refugees will return from neighboring countries by the end of 2025.

This scenario is contingent on continuous progress towards effective governance and a political transition inside Syria with mechanisms in place to guarantee returnees rights security and stability as well as significant economic investment by the international community. Meanwhile interagency preparedness planning for refugee return to Syria is underway through established refugee return coordination groups within the 3RP coordination framework.

The complex population movements both internally within Syria and from neighboring countries will continue to require a comprehensive response from a regional angle. Some 5 million refugees currently remain in neighboring countries such as Lebanon Jordan Trkiye Iraq and Egypt. As part of the 3RP response advocacy is crucial to maintain protection space assistance and services for Syrian refugees residing in host countries.

Furthermore the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran risks further deterioration and another regional emergency situation including possible population movements to neighboring countries. The fragility of the region remains a key risk element which requires constant attention to news and developments political acumen diplomatic knowledge and adaptability to respond to new emergency situations.

As the demand for operational inter-agency coordination and leadership is likely to increase including related to displacement and return trends of refugees and IDPs UNHCR will continue to dedicate significant resources to maintaining and enhancing strategic and operational coordination. At the same time this position will have to cover some UNHCR donor relations functions including dissemination of information on UNHCRs global funding situation and mobilization of additional funds; production of accurate and timely funding overviews and reports; identifying funding opportunities; drafting proposals; and supporting country operations.

The role requires a high level of flexibility dedication and energy given the fluid and complex operational contexts. Experience in the MENA region would be an advantage.

Living and Working Conditions:

Jordan has a total population of 9.4 million people. Amman houses 42% of Jordans population 4.008 million making it the populous city in the country. Amman is categorized as (A) duty station. Several International airlines operate daily flights from Amman (Queen Alia International Airport). The local currency is the Jordanian Dinar and the exchange rate is fixed and equivalent to ( 1 JOD0.71 USD) Money traders and good local banking system are available.

Jordan is visa free for UNLP holders; however appointed staff must obtain a residency permit. Residency permits and other local protocol remain a challenge due to governmental procedures subject to frequent changes. The process of obtaining residency in Jordan may vary depending on nationality of applicant type of contract offered and its length.

Staff members assigned to Amman are residing in private accommodation. Rent in Amman can vary depending on the size of the property itself number of bedrooms and the area of Amman in which it is located. Renting a 3-bedroom apartment can range fromUSD per month.

Food and other commodities are widely available in the local shops and markets.

Amman tends to have a Mediterranean climate; summers are mildly hot winter usually starts around the end of November and continues until mid-March there is occasional snowfall.

The medium for teaching in international schools is English however there are a few French language schools as well. There is a plethora of institutions for children of all ages from pre-school to high school as well universities.

The majority of international educational institutions are in Amman.

Amman is the home to many top-end hospitals and clinics. Due to Jordanian healthcares international appeal nearly all doctors and many support staff speak English. Healthcare here is also very accessible and affordable.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

CO-Drafting and Documentation ER-Inter-Agency External Relations IT-Computer Literacy IT-Web Content Management

Education

Bachelor of Arts: International Relations Bachelor of Arts: Journalism Bachelor of Arts: Political Science Bachelor of Arts: Social Science

Certifications

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability Analytical thinking Client & results orientation Commitment to continuous learning Communication Empowering & building trust Innovation & creativity Judgement & decision making Managing performance Managing resource Organizational awareness Political awareness Teamwork & collaboration

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Additional Information

This position doesnt require a functional clearance