External Relations Associate

E (most hardship)Non Family with Residential LocationNon Family with Residential LocationDanger PayNairobi (CO), KenyaGS6General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular AssignmentNo2025-04-01March 2, 2025

External Relations Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The External Relations Associate is normally supervised by the External Relations Officer or another professional staff depending on the staffing structure of the Office. The incumbent receives regular guidance and advice from the supervisor. Advice and operational support may also be received from other senior staff and support units at the Country Office/HQ.
External contacts are generally with a broad range of officials from national and international institutions, media or general public involving the exchange of a wide range of information.

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
- Provide background briefings to local and international media.
- Keep track of evolving issues concerning persons of concern to be able to suggest stories and topics for the media to cover.
- Provide daily briefings on local developments to the Head of Office and ensure that briefing materials from other offices are available.
- Accompany visits of foreign delegations and the media to refugee sites in the region, giving appropriate briefings, commentaries and prepare briefing material for visitors.
- Establish contacts with local organisations to promote general interest and understanding of refugee issues
- Ensure that the office is kept informed of local developments which may have a political or operational impact on the office's activities.
- May be required to compile information and SitReps received from the Field Offices and/or sections within the Office and consolidate into weekly/monthly/quarterly report.
- Advise the Head of Office of local aspects of external relations policies.
- Liaise with external partners and local organizations on behalf of UNHCR.
- Produce reports and briefings for internal and external partners.

- 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 G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable

Certificates and/or Licenses
Political Sciences Social Sciences International Relations
Journalism Communication
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified

Desirable
Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position.

Functional Skills
IT-Web Content Management
CO-Drafting and Documentation
TI-Interpretation
IT-Computer Literacy
(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.

Nature of the position:

The External Relations Associate reports to the Head of Sub Office and keeps abreast with developments in the Sub Office area of responsibility covering four refugee camps and a large IDP population.

The incumbent should have strong drafting abilities in English and experience in producing a wide range of written documents and communication materials. This role requires a detail-oriented professional who can consolidate and analyze large amounts of information from various sources into clear, concise and compelling reports and products.

Time management and ability to work well under pressure are essential for this position. The incumbent should also exhibit strong organizational and analytical skills, with a high level of attention to detail and capacity to manage multiple work streams.

The incumbent will work in close coordination with other staff from the protection, field and technical units in Sub Office Gedaref as well as with local authorities, partners and other stakeholders. The incumbent may also be engaged for support by the external relations unit based in the Sudan country office, as required.

Desired candidate profile:

The successful candidate should have demonstrated experience in producing various communication materials and internal and external reports. The successful candidate should possess excellent written and verbal English, good writing and reporting skills and an understanding of UNHCR’s programming. Fluency in Arabic is essential for coordination with local authorities and other stakeholders. Previous experience with humanitarian/development organizations is an advantage.

Additional assets:
- Established contacts with local/national media organizations
- Previous experience in media, content production or social media
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite programs or similar digital tools such as Canva
- Previous experience with photography/videography
- Ability to assist in conducting assessments and analysis to interpret trends that will enhance opportunities for solutions, resilience and inclusion for the forcibly displaced persons as well as more sustainable approaches to refugee protection.
- Ability to seek out opportunities for the development of partnerships and networks with development actors/government on institutional arrangements related to sectors of relevance to forcibly displaced.
- Ability to research and identify potential donors across various channels (individuals, corporations, foundations), make suggestions for building relationships and preparing compelling proposals to secure assistance from funding sources

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

Living and Working Conditions:

 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

CO-Drafting and Documentation, IT-Computer Literacy, IT-Web Content Management, TI-Interpretation

Certifications

Communication - Other, International Relations - Other, Journalism - Other, Political Science - Other, Social Sciences - Other

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Innovation & creativity, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

This is a national positionThis position doesn't require a functional clearance