Hardship LevelB
Family TypeFamily
Residential location (if applicable)
GradePR3
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeProfessional
ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment
Remote work acceptedNo
Target Start Date2023-06-26
Job Posting End DateJuly 13, 2023
Standard Job DescriptionExternal Relations Officer Organizational Setting and Work Relationships Direct supervision is normally exercised by a Snr 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 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 - 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 persons of concern). - Assist in the articulation of all issues pertaining to the needs of the populations of concern 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 UNHCR¿s global funding situation and mobilize additional funds to implement special projects aimed at enhancing the quality of protection for persons of concern 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 UNHCR¿s 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. - 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. (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential) 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.
Desired Candidate Profile The External Relations Officer will be responsible for supporting the Representative enhance UNHCR Zambia’s relations with a broad range of stakeholders including donors, development actors, the UNCT, private sector partners, civil society, the media, and philanthropic organizations. The External Relations Officer will assist in developing an advocacy strategy and related briefing notes, background material, fact sheets, analysis, and other materials for an external audience. The External Relations Officer will also support the office in resource mobilization and donor relations processes, including fund tracking, briefings and meetings and provide support to the Field Offices, programme and protection teams on grant writing and submissions, reporting and other resource mobilization initiatives.
The External Relations Officer in Zambia will assist to scale up the operation’s communications, public information, branding, and resource mobilization.
Excellent English language and editing skills are vital as well as previous knowledge and experience of donor engagement, resource mobilization and stakeholder engagement. The incumbent must be a strong communicator in writing and orally and skilled at adapting messaging and reporting/communications to different external audiences. Due to multiple and tight deadlines, it is important that incumbent has strong coordination skills. As the incumbent needs to coordinate proactively with UNHCR staff in the operation and with government and donor/development actors, including the UNCT, s/he should be result-oriented and have good social skills. As UNHCR reporting involves managing the operation’s social medial platforms, it is beneficial if the incumbent has experience in producing and managing visual content.
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):
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Desired languages
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Operational context
To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
Zambia hosts over 80 000 refugees, 3 348 Asylum seekers and 3 888 Former refugees (Angolan & Rwandan). The population of concern to UNHCR is a combination of protracted forced displacement for refugees and former refugees compounded by arrivals from neighboring Democratic republic of Congo (DRC) as the situation the instability and conflict there worsens.
The Government of Zambia is in the process of developing a National Refugee Policy. Zambia’s first-ever refugee policy, which is pending submission to Cabinet for approval, aims to harmonize existing laws relevant to refugee protection and solutions. Zambia has requested WB IDA-20 Window for Host Communities and Refugees (WHR) financing to advance the socio-economic inclusion of refugees. Zambia’s UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2023-27 also includes forcibly displaced communities. UNHCR Zambia is enhancing development engagement to advance the socio-economic inclusion of refugees and former refugees in Zambia.
The External Relations Officer will be responsible for supporting the Representative enhance UNHCR Zambia’s relations with a broad range of stakeholders including donors, development actors, the UNCT, private sector partners, civil society, the media, and philanthropic organizations. The External Relations Officer will assist in developing an advocacy strategy and related briefing notes, background material, fact sheets, analysis, and other materials for an external audience. The External Relations Officer will also support the office in resource mobilization and donor relations processes, including fund tracking, briefings and meetings and provide support to the Field Offices, programme and protection teams on grant writing and submissions, reporting and other resource mobilization initiatives.
The External Relations Officer in Zambia will assist to scale up the operation’s communications, public information, branding, and resource mobilization.
Lusaka is the capital city of the Republic of Zambia, a country heading towards middle-income country status. Zambia is an English-speaking country while majority of POCs (DRC & Rwanda) are French speakers. Shops are well stocked, and all basic commodities can be found, Lusaka has various supermarkets and malls around town. Imported goods tend to be available but more expensive. Health facilities, international schools, banking services are available in Lusaka. Finding accommodation meeting UN SRM standard is possible, either in stand- alone house, apartment, or town house in housing complexes. Domestic flights are costly but available. The local airline, Pro-flight and Mahogany operates flights to larger towns in the country. Zambia is a vast country and road travel can take days, given the distances and at times the road conditions. Zambia is peaceful with minimal security threats. There have been no restrictions on travel within Zambia. There have been no curfews or restricted movements within Lusaka or elsewhere. There have been no reported cases of serious incidents involving UNHCR staff members in the past. No incidents affecting UN staff members have been reported so far. Like in other duty stations, staff members are advised not to be complacent and be vigilant. International staff members are expected to have security guards from a recognized / recommended security company at their residences. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, entry screening will be conducted at all airports and all travelers entering the airport are subjected to temperature and symptom screening. All travelers coming into the country through the international airports are required to provide a negative SARS CoV-2 PCR test result. The test should have been conducted within the previous 14 days. Travelers not meeting this requirement are not allowed entry into the country. All UNHCR staff are expected to be fully vaccinated.
Additional Qualifications
Skills
EducationBachelor of Arts (BA): International Relations (Required), Bachelor of Arts (BA): Journalism (Required), Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science (Required), Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social Science (Required)
Certifications
Work Experience
CompetenciesAccountability, 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
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Additional Information
Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance