UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Vacancy Notice No. VA/BGDCO/FTA/2021/023

Operational Context:

The Assistant Programme Officer may be based in HQ, field/regional bureau, and would normally receive guidance from more senior programme staff in the operation/bureau/division and may supervise a small team of local staff. The incumbent may refer to UNHCR’s Programme Manual (Chapter IV), UNHCR's corporate and regional strategic priorities, operation plans and other relevant institutional rules and regulations for further guidance.

The Assistant Programme Officer will support the provision of programmatic guidance and support with regard to the implementation of protection and solutions strategies within available resources. The incumbent will play a role in coordinating with the other sections/units to ensure harmonized programmatic approaches at all levels and throughout the UNHCR Operations Management Cycle. S/he will work in line with the overall UNHCR directions which crucially require working with partners, including with persons of concern, governmental institutions, and the private sector, ensuring that programme management is approached as per UNHCR’s Strategic Directions, Global Strategic Priorities (GSPs), Global Compact for Refugees (GCR), corporate positions on SDGs.

The incumbent is expected to work in line with the multi-functional team (MFT) approach as defined within the Program Manual, ensuring the participation of relevant stakeholders in all phases of the Program Management Cycle.

The Assistant Programme Officer will work in the Programme Unit in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, which is led by the Senior Programme Officer. The incumbent will have individual responsibilities for programme management and may supervise a (small) team of national programme staff. The incumbent will work closely with other Units in the office and with NGO and government partners on a frequent basis and thus s/he should be aware of new developments in the operational context. S/he will manage her/his own responsibilities, (re)prioritize tasks, and raise important and/or urgent issues and make recommendations for the consideration of the Head of Unit. Based on new developments in the refugee camps and other operational needs, it might sometimes be required to work outside regular working hours.

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:

• Support in assessing and analysing the needs of persons of concern in a participatory manner, using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective as basis for planning.
  
• Provide support on programmatic aspects of developing multi-year protection and solutions strategies and annual plans with corresponding priorities taking into account corporate priorities.
  
• Support Results Based Management and programme capacity in light of evolving requirements, programming approaches and gaps.
  
• Assist the planning process in compliance with planning parameters outlined in the Programme Manual and the planning instructions.
  
• Contribute to the review and analyse of plans, mid-year and year-end reports of UNHCR offices in the region, ensuring quality assurance and compliance with established policies, guidelines, procedures and standards.
  
• Assist with the provision of overall direction to broaden partnerships with key stakeholders in order to maximize the protection and solutions response for persons of concern.
  
• Contribute to the successful application of the framework for implementing with partners, including the effective implementation of the policy on selection and retention of partners, management of partnership agreements, risk-based project performance monitoring, and risk-based project audits,
  among others.
  
• Contribute to ensure consistent and coherent monitoring approaches, tools and systems within the Area of Responsibility (AoR), in line with global standards and polices.
• Actively contribute to UNHCRs programming of community of practice and continuously contribute to improvements of programming tools and processes.
• Identify potential gaps and problems and in cooperation with other relevant sections recommend appropriate solutions to ensure the efficient implementation of programme activities.
• Assist in a timely and effective follow-up of internal and external audits observations and recommendations that relate to programmatic issues.
• Perform other related duties as required.
  

Essential Minimum Qualifications and Experience:

Years of Experience / Degree Level

• For P1/NOA - 1-year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

• Economics, Business Administration, Social Sciences or other relevant field.

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

• Demonstrated experience in programme management including familiarization with the OMC and sound knowledge Results Based-Management.
  
• Demonstrated experience in field operations, sound knowledge on the centrality of protection in programming, Joint Needs Assessments, and the principles of targeting.
  
• Excellent planning, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
  
• Strong analytical and adaptation skills.

Desirable

• Knowledge of UNHCR’s programme management policies, systems, and tools, including FOCUS,
  MSRP, COMPASS.
• Demonstrated experience in coordination within an inter-agency context and other actors, in a refugee or humanitarian context. Sound experience in program management training and capacity building activities.

Functional Skills

• PG-Programme Management (project formulation, programme cycles and reporting standards)
  
• PG-Results-Based Management
  
• PG-UNHCR's Programmes
  
• PG-Experience with coordinating with Implementing Partners (Government/INGO/NGO/Corporate)

Language Requirements

• For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.

Competency requirements:

Core Competencies:

• Accountability
  
• Communication
  
• Organizational Awareness
  
• Teamwork & Collaboration
  
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
  
• Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies:

• Empowering and Building Trust
  
• Judgement and Decision Making
  
• Managing Performance

Cross-Functional Competencies:

• Analytical Thinking
  
• Change Capability and Adaptability
  
• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Eligibility:

Candidates must be Bangladeshi Nationals.

Interested staff members should consult the Administrative Instruction on Recruitment and Assignment of Locally Recruited Staff (RALS, UNHCR/AI/2020/1/Rev.2). If you have questions regarding your eligibility, you may also contact the HR Unit.

In line with the RALS, the below categories of candidates are eligible to apply for internally/externally advertised vacancies.

Group 1 candidates: Current NPO staff members holding an indefinite or fixed-term appointment are eligible to apply to advertised positions in the NPO category at their personal grade and one grade below or above, as Group 1 candidates.

External candidates: All other candidates are eligible to apply to positions in the NPO category as external candidates, including GS staff members holding a university degree and fulfilling eligibility requirements, regardless of grade or length of service, who may apply to any vacant NPO position in their country of assignment for which they qualify. External candidates must meet the essential minimum requirements of the position.

Remuneration:

A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, please visit the portal of the International Civil Service Commission at: http://icsc.un.org

Submission of Applications:

Interested candidates meeting the above requirements are requested to submit their applications with fully
complete and signed Personal History Form and Supplementary Pages as well as updated factsheet
(internal candidates only) via online: UNHCR Bangladesh Job Portal www.unhcr.io/jobs.

Personal History Form not submitted in UNHCR format as well as not signed, incomplete and late applications will not be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates will be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted during the application. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

UNHCR strongly encourages qualified female applicants for this position. UNHCR seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities. UNHCR is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

UNHCR has a zero-tolerance policy against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA). SEA is unacceptable behaviour and prohibited conduct for UNHCR personnel. It constitutes acts of serious misconduct and is therefore grounds for disciplinary measures, including dismissal. Any concerns or suspicions about a possible case of SEA should be reported immediately to the Inspector General’s Office (IGO) a inspector@unhcr.org or through the online complain form at https://www.unhcr.org/php/complaints.php or by confidential fax: +41 22 739 73 80.

Refugees – who cares? We Do