Overview
The External Relations Officer role focuses on managing external relations, donor engagement, and project management within a refugee context. The purpose is to generate support for UNHCR operations from external partners and ensure effective communication regarding the needs of displaced persons.
Key Responsibilities
- Assist in planning consultative processes with external actors and partners to develop and implement protection and assistance strategies.
- Assist in the implementation of a communications strategy to generate support for UNHCR operations.
- Assist in articulating issues pertaining to the needs of displaced and stateless persons and response strategies.
- Inform the UNHCR Country Team on UNHCR priorities for UN Country Team publications.
- Assist in dialogue with donors and embassies, providing accurate information through briefings, meetings, and missions.
- Prepare reports as appropriate.
- Propose new and non-traditional funding sources.
- Disseminate information on UNHCR's global funding situation and mobilize funds for special projects.
- Participate in inter-agency cooperation and communication strategies.
- 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.
- Assist in managing information flows within country operations.
- Consolidate information on UNHCR's country operations and identify messages for campaigns and appeals.
- Assist in the drafting of situation reports, briefing notes, background material, talking points, fact sheets, and press releases.
- Assist in developing targeted communications strategies and media packages.
- Propose events and initiatives to promote UNHCR's work.
- Support the management of media relations.
- Approve fundraising messages and relevant expenditures for fundraising activities.
- Propose donors to approach and operations/activities to prioritize for fundraising appeals.
- Implement all aspects of a communications strategy.
- Approve budgets and expenditures for communications activities.
- Clear external relations/communication products and tools.
- Represent UNHCR in fund-raising and communication priorities in inter-agency initiatives.
- Support identification and management of risks and opportunities impacting the area of responsibility.
- Perform other related duties as required.
Required Experience
- Strong background in humanitarian operations, with field experience.
- Proven experience in donor relations and grant management, including preparing high quality donor reports, organizing donor missions and briefings, and supporting fundraising efforts.
- Demonstrated project management experience, especially managing tightly earmarked funds, experience in work related to programming and budgeting, and tracking progress using MEAL systems.
- Skilled in drafting and communication, able to produce situation reports, talking points, factsheets, and background/advocacy materials.
- Strong communication skills for donor messaging and donor visibility.
- Strong analytical and political awareness.
- Experience coordinating information flows across diverse internal teams.
- Experience in humanitarian operations, especially in field environments; strong knowledge of institutional and political contexts.
- Strong experience in fundraising, donor engagement and management of grants.
- Experience in project management in light of an increasing number of tightly earmarked funds.
- Good command of UNHCR’s programming system.
- Asset: knowledge of UNHCR operations, experience with social media and digital communications. Experience with M&E/ MEAL systems.
Qualifications
- Undergraduate degree; or Graduate degree; or Doctorate degree.
- Field(s) of Education: Political Sciences, Social Sciences, International Relations, Journalism, or other relevant field.
