Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Senior Inter-Agency Coordination Officer is located in Country Operations, Multi-Country Offices, Regional Bureaux, Regional Refugee Coordinator¿s Office or in the Partnership and Coordination Service (PCS) in Headquarters. S/he plays a crucial role in ensuring UNHCR¿s approach to partnership and inter-agency processes are consistent, strategic and coherent. The main aim is to ensure that UNHCR can fulfil its role to support the Government to lead the refugee response, coordinate other actors in the initial stages of a refugee emergency and adhere to UNHCR inter agency commitments in IDP situations.

This should be done in line with UNHCRs Mandate, the Global Compact for Refugees, the IDP policy, and agreed inter- agency commitments. More specifically, s/he advises the senior management on inter-agency processes and related positioning, coordination, advocacy, information, resource allocation, fundraising, reporting, and communication with government entities, other UN agencies, NGOs, civil society actors, private sector media, other relevant actors through strong engagement in humanitarian inter- agency processes, but also with a focus on development processes as they impact on UNHCR. The overall goal of the position is to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of UNHCR¿s leadership roles and responses to situations affecting people of concern to UNHCR (refugees, IDPs, stateless persons, returnees, host communities) through an open and transparent partnership approach.

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

• Proactively lead and/or participate in inter-agency fora to ensure that UNHCR¿s Mandate and programmes are given due attention and reflected in linkage at the country level, bureaux and at the policy levels of humanitarian and development coordination systems.

• Formulate UNHCR inter-agency positions and ensure senior management endorsement for internal and external consumption and provide briefing notes, talking points and issue papers for relevant discussions in-house with partners, including UN agencies and NGOs, donors, and in inter-agency fora.

• Promote UNHCR’s policies and linkages within multilateral processes, including humanitarian and development processes as elaborated by the humanitarian working groups, the Inter -Agency Standing Committee, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), as well as in regional intergovernmental fora (IGAD, ASEAN, ECOWAS, etc) .

• Contribute or lead the effective establishment and maintenance of coordination mechanisms and tools, in line with the refugee coordination model and globally-agreed arrangements applicable in various situations (refugee-only; mixed refugee-IDPs; refugee and migrant movements), ensuring timely and effective needs assessment, appropriate planning, prioritization, implementation, reporting and evaluation, including through the development of joint appeals, regional refugee response plans, regional refugee and migrant response plans, refugee and resilience plans, comprehensive responses.

• Ensure UNHCR participates in line with current policy in inter- agency appeals for IDPs to allow access to pooled funds.

• Lead cross-functional preparation of issues and follow-up within UNHCR in the relevant substantive units and services.

• Maintain frequent formal and informal contacts with his/her counterparts in other organisations.

• Responsible for furthering understanding within UNHCR on inter- agency issues and priorities and advising staff on policy developments and reform initiatives within the humanitarian sphere, as well as the broader UN and development processes. This includes updating key staff on the developments within the Inter-Agency frameworks, UN reforms, Global Compact, as well as promoting and stimulating UNHCR’s implementation of key reforms within the humanitarian and development architecture.

• Ensure internal institutional coherence and coordination of actions pursued for a strong refugee coordination system under government leadership where possible, with accompanying planning instruments in the delivery of refugee responses.

• Where there is lack of clarity as to UNHCR¿s positions and priorities, identify where there are gaps or a lack of clarity and stimulate a process whereby policy will be clearly mapped out and agreed at the highest levels in the organisation.

• Maintain close contact with DER/PCS on emerging issues.

• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P4/NOD – 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Law, Political Science, Economics, International Relations,

Business Administration, Social Science

or other relevant field.

(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses

In future: completion of the Inter-Agency Coordination Learning Programme

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential:

• Experience of working in an inter-agency environment at field or Headquarters level.

• Experience of liaising with governments and/or the donor community.

• Thorough understanding of UNHCR’s protection mandate and core mission.

• Thorough understanding of humanitarian coordination processes and recent inter-agency developments related to the IASC and the broader UN.

Desirable:

• Inter-agency coordination role.

• Drafting joint appeal/ refugee response plan/HRP.

• Experience with another UN agency or partner.

Functional Skills

ER-Inter-Agency Coordination Mechanisms

MG¿Coordination

(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.

How to apply:

Interested candidates are requested to apply at www.unhcr.org/careers by clicking on ‚Vacancies‘ and entering job ID 25115.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).

Closing Date

Please note that the closing date for vacancies advertised in this addendum is Thursday 4 March 2021 (mid-night Geneva time).