Associate External Relations Officer

Organizational Context

UNHCR's operations in Southern Africa face challenges from increasing asylum seeker movements and mixed migratory flows, leading to backlogs in refugee status determination. UNHCR promotes accession to refugee instruments and seeks comprehensive solutions to ease pressure on host nations. The Associate External Relations Officer plays a key role in this context.

Job Purpose

The Associate External Relations Officer (NOB) is a mid-level, externally focused position responsible for cultivating and sustaining strategic relationships with a diverse range of partners, including donors, UN agencies, NGOs, media, and other key stakeholders. The primary objective is to bolster political, financial, and public support for UNHCR's operations. The role involves staying informed about the political landscape and humanitarian developments, assisting in the development and communication of UNHCR's protection and assistance strategies, and ensuring that the needs of persons of concern are effectively conveyed to external parties. This includes implementing communication strategies to garner support for UNHCR's work, organizing briefings and missions for donors and embassies, and producing high-quality reports and updates. The position also contributes to donor engagement and resource mobilization efforts, including identifying alternative funding streams, and collaborates with internal teams to align UNHCR priorities within broader UN coordination frameworks. The incumbent will travel across multiple countries to support stakeholder relationship building, acting as a crucial interface for diplomacy, advocacy, and partnership development to secure essential political goodwill, visibility, and funding for operational success.

Responsibilities

The Associate External Relations Officer will stay informed about political contexts, UN humanitarian reforms, and developments in forced displacement. They will assist in implementing communication strategies to garner support from the public, governments, media, and other partners. This includes aiding in dialogues with donors and embassies, providing information on UNHCR operations and funding needs through briefings and responding to information requests. The role involves disseminating information on UNHCR's global funding status and mobilizing additional funds for protection programs, in consultation with headquarters. Responsibilities also include coordinating the drafting of situation reports, briefing notes, and press releases, as well as preparing narrative and financial reports for donors. Monitoring funding earmarking and ensuring donor visibility are key tasks. The officer will represent UNHCR in inter-agency cooperation and communication initiatives. They will manage information flow within country operations, identifying priorities, analyzing, and disseminating documentation. Consolidating operational information and developing campaign messages will be part of the role. Proposing and executing events to promote UNHCR's work and managing media relations, including responding to queries and organizing briefings, are also included. The incumbent will support the implementation of all aspects of a communications strategy and represent UNHCR in fundraising and communication priorities within inter-agency forums. Risk management and opportunity identification within their area of responsibility are also expected, along with raising concerns to supervisors. Other related duties as required.

Work Experience

Essential experience in humanitarian operations in a field environment. Desirable experience in fundraising, programming/programme management, and working with social media.

Skills

Humanitarian operations experience Fund-raising Programme Management Drafting and Documentation Web Content Management Computer Literacy Inter-agency cooperation Media relations Reporting Communication strategy implementation Stakeholder engagement Resource mobilization

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