Deadline for ApplicationsJanuary 12, 2026
Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS IICA1
Target Start Date2026-01-01
Terms of ReferenceOperational Context:
Currently, the UNHCR operation in Brazil comprises the Country Office (CO) in Brasília, Sub-Office (SO) in Boa Vista, Field Offices (FO) in Pacaraima, Manaus, and São Paulo, and Field Unit (FU) in Belém. Each office has specific geographical coverage, and the operation continues to pursue decentralized operations management under the overall guidance of the Country Office. Since 2014, the number of forced displacements has grown dramatically and at a high pace, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. In this context, several countries face an unprecedented demand and, consequently, the challenge of providing responses that guarantee both adequate care with dignity and humanity, as well as the local integration of people forced to move.
Brazil maintains a generous asylum policy, particularly through the emergency response “Operação Acolhida” (a humanitarian response that includes documentation, humanitarian assistance—including shelter—and voluntary internal relocation within Brazil), which began in 2018.
The majority of refugees in Brazil have an urban profile and are formally granted access to social and economic rights such as health care, education, and work—the latter remaining the main challenge to refugees’ self-reliance. UNHCR works with partners to ensure quality protection standards for refugees and asylum seekers, providing them with comprehensive, complementary, and sustainable solutions; and promoting safe borders and emergency preparedness to better protect all people of concern.
This position closely collaborates with a number of internal and external stakeholders on fundraising initiatives; the incumbent should thus have proven experience and knowledge of partnership management, grant management and fundraising for both cash and in-kind contributions. The incumbent should also have strong capacity-building experience, performance management skills, and sound experience managing teams.
Finally, the incumbent of the position reports directly to the Deputy Representative.
Additional Strategic Responsibilities:
• Expand linkages with external relations to strengthen partnerships and resource mobilization efforts.
• Develop and maintain robust grant management and grant monitoring capacity, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and timely reporting.
• Establish a solid programme monitoring system for earmarked funds, enabling effective tracking of implementation, impact, and accountability.
Desired Candidate Profile:
The incumbent of this position is expected to have proven programme technical knowledge and multi-stakeholder management skills to support technical validation roles countrywide. The incumbent will also contribute to planning and designing operational interventions, requiring experience in multi-year strategy development and implementation as well as Results-Based Management (RBM).
It is essential that the incumbent possesses strong capacity-building experience, performance management skills, and sound experience managing teams. Experience in emergency operations and familiarity with Latin American contexts and even experience in Brazil, is desirable.
Associate Programme Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Associate Programme Officer may be based in HQ, field/regional bureau, typically reporting to and be guided by the Program officer and may supervise a small team of local staff. He/she 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 Associate Programme Officer will provide programmatic guidance and support with regard to the implementation of protection and solutions strategies within available resources. S/he will coordinate with the other sections/units to ensure harmonized programmatic approaches at all levels and throughout the UNHCR Operations Management Cycle. The incumbent will work in line with the overall UNHCR directions which crucially require working with partners, including with forcibly displaced and stateless persons, 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), and 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.
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 forcibly displaced and stateless persons 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.
- Support the revision and analysis of plans, mid-year and year-end reports of UNHCR office(s) in the Area of Responsibility AoR), ensure quality assurance and compliance with established policies, guidelines, procedures and standards.
- Assist in the provision of overall direction to broaden partnerships with key stakeholders in order to maximize the protection and solutions response for forcibly displaced and stateless persons.
- Provide support to ensure a consistent 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 across the region, 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.
- Oversee a timely and effective follow-up of internal and external audits observations and recommendations that relate to programmatic issues.
- 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
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree
Field(s) of Education
Economics; Business Administration; Social Sciences; or other relevant field.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Programme Management
Certification Programme in Programme Management (CP-PM)
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Demonstrated experience in programme management including familiarization with the OMC and sound knowledge of 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.
Desirable
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
MG-Project Management
PG-Results-Based Management
PG-UNHCR's Programmes
PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate)
(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.
,
,
,
,
SkillsMG-Project Management, PG-Results-Based Management, PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate), PG-UNHCR's Programmes
EducationBachelor of Arts: Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts: Economics, Bachelor of Arts: Law, Bachelor of Arts: Social Science
CertificationsCP-PM Certification Programme for Programme Management - UNHCR, Programme Management - Other
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance
RemoteNo