External Relations Officer

Please note that this vacancy is only open to eligible staff members who have been individually notified of their eligibility to apply for positions advertised in the Accelerated Posting Compendium.

June 12 2026

A (least hardship)

Family

PR3

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

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 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.

strong experience in external relations reporting and communications (social media platforms drafting press releases media relations) preferred experience in this domain to support in communications strategy for the office.
in managing and nurturing relations with high level missions donors or diplomatic representations including preparation of briefing notes talking points and key messaging and regular information sharing.
working in diverse operational contexts including exposure to UNHCR operations in mixed movement contexts rapidly evolving situations and ability to adapt to both large scale and small-scale field operations.
experience in programme management including familiarity with the Operations Management Cycle (OMC) and Results Based Management (RBM) and ability to coordinate planning reporting monitoring and resource related processes including resource allocation mechanisms budget adjustments/realignments resource mobilization and fundraising related inputs.
coordination skills and ability to work in multidisciplinary teams supporting linkages between programme protection field external relations and other functional units.
drafting and oral skills in both English and French

Desirable attributes:
Ability to use UNHCR corporate tools such as COMPASS PROMS Cloud ERP and CashAssist;
Arabic language
Strong political acumen with experience in advocacy communication and building networks with government entities donors civil society and other stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive information and tightly earmarked donor resources including strong awareness of donor requirements and accountability.
Solid experience producing high quality deliverables across all phases of programme cycles (PLAN GET SHOW) such as multi year strategies annual implementation plans donor reports or annual results reporting.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to foster teamwork and maintain constructive relations with sensitive partners and counterparts.
Profile experience in program coordination is a strong asset.

French

Arabic

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

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

of Position:

UNHCRs operation in Tunisia works in a complex and rapidly evolving environment shaped by mixed movement dynamics growing protection needs and shifting political and public narratives. Tunisia currently hosts approximately 7800 refugees and asylumseekers primarily in urban areas. Since June 2024 access to asylum has been suspended creating significant challenges for persons in need of international protection and requiring sustained engagement with authorities partners and communities to preserve protection space and ensure continuity of essential services.

Within this context UNHCR supports national efforts to strengthen protection responses promote solutions and contribute to the broader interagency approach on mixed movements along the North AfricaMediterranean route. The operational environment can shift quickly in response to political developments regional dynamics population movements and high public interest in migrationrelated issues. Media attention and public discourse can be polarized requiring careful principled and timely communications to uphold UNHCRs mandate.

The External Relations Officer (P3) plays a central role in navigating this environment. The position leads and coordinates the operations external engagement public information donor relations and operational oversight. Working closely with programme protection and field colleagues the incumbent ensures coherent forwardlooking messaging and evidencebased external products that accurately reflect operational realities and UNHCRs protection priorities.

The role requires a high degree of political awareness strong analytical and drafting skills in both French and English and the ability to anticipate communication needs in a fastmoving context.

The incumbent will be responsible for producing highquality briefing materials talking points reports key messages and communication outputs; managing media queries and press releases; maintaining constructive relations with government counterparts donors diplomatic representations and partners; and supporting highlevel missions and visibility efforts. The position also leads planning reporting and resourcerelated processes ensuring alignment with the Operations Management Cycle (OMC) ResultsBased Management (RBM) and UNHCR corporate systems.

Living and Working Conditions:

The position is based in Tunis Tunisia with very few security restrictions. Tunisia is classified as a category A duty station and all services are available including health facilities international schools banks housing (both furnished and unfurnished apartments or houses with varying prices). Tunisia is a family duty station and is well serviced with a supermarket restaurants and recreational amenities.

The weather in Tunisia is generally warm throughout the year compared to summer temperatures are about 40C with approximately 5 days per year with temperatures of 45C and more. Otherwise it is 35-40C and temperatures may fall to 20-30C in the evenings. Inland and in the south however high temperatures at 40-45C may go on for weeks.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

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

Certifications

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

Accelerated Posting Compendium 2026 - Part B

Additional Information

This position doesnt require a functional clearance