JOB DESCRIPTION

C

Family

Family

NOA

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2025-08-01

July 27, 2025

Assistant Programme Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
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.

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.

– 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 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.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified

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.

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
PG-UNHCR’s Programmes
PG-Results-Based Management
PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate)
PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards)
(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.

The ideal candidate will have a background in international development, public policy, economics, or social sciences, with demonstrated experience or interest in partnership management, programme implementation, and coordination within humanitarian or development contexts.
Familiarity with UNHCR’s programme cycle, including the Implementing Partnership Management Framework (IPMF), and inter-agency coordination processes is a strong asset. The candidate should demonstrate strong organizational, communication, and analytical skills, and the ability to manage complex processes with transparency and strategic alignment.
A collaborative mindset, political and cultural sensitivity, and the ability to interpret operational risks and propose pragmatic solutions are critical. The role requires fluency in French, and experience in the DRC or a similar context is highly desirable.
Proficiency in UNHCR’s digital tools—including CLOUD ERP (Oracle), COMPASS, PROM, and ACONEX—is strongly preferred, along with a commitment to continuous learning and the application of new systems and practices.
The candidate should also demonstrate a commitment to personal development through targeted training in strategic planning, leadership, and programme cycle management (e.g., PLAN-GET-SHOW), with the ability to translate learning into improved programme delivery and partnership outcomes.

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French

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to face one of the most complex and protracted humanitarian crises globally, driven by overlapping challenges of conflict, forced displacement, food insecurity, and limited access to basic services. UNHCR supports the Government of the DRC in addressing the needs of refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities, in alignment with protection and durable solutions priorities.

The Kinshasa office plays a central role in strategic coordination, oversight, and programmatic support to UNHCR’s field operations. Within this framework, the Assistant Programme Officer (Partner Management) contributes to the effective implementation of UNHCR’s programme through rigorous partnership management and strategic oversight.

Partnership Management

The incumbent will lead and coordinate key processes related to the selection, management, and performance monitoring of implementing partners, in accordance with UNHCR’s policy on partnership. This includes supporting the timely processing of partner advances, guiding sub-offices on the application of the partnership framework, and facilitating regular performance reviews with multifunctional teams (MFTs). The role also involves maintaining comprehensive dashboards and records to inform high-level decision-making and ensure compliance with UNHCR standards.

As Secretary of the Implementing Partnership Management Committee (IPMC), the incumbent will manage the full cycle of partner selection, from planning and publishing calls for Expression of Interest (EOI) to coordinating transparent evaluation processes and issuing notifications. The Assistant Programme Officer will ensure that all steps adhere to policy guidelines and that partnership decisions are strategically aligned with the Protection and Solutions Strategy (2027 – 2031) and the Multi-Year Multi Partner Plan (MYMP 2027–2031).

The incumbent will also provide operational support to the management of affiliated personnel costs (UNVs and UNOPS) to guarantee continuity in programme delivery. This includes coordination with HR, processing of requisitions and purchase orders, and timely payment of related invoices. Capacity-building support for UNHCR staff and partners is an essential component of the role, with an emphasis on enhancing programmatic effectiveness, accountability, and compliance.

The position calls for a proactive and solutions-oriented approach to strengthen programme delivery, enhance accountability, and reinforce the humanitarian-development-peace nexus in the DRC. The Assistant Programme Officer will work closely with sector specialists, protection colleagues, supply, administration, and external relations teams, as well as government counterparts, UN agencies, and NGO partners.

Given Kinshasa’s strategic positioning, the incumbent will also contribute to national-level planning exercises, partner performance tracking, resource management, and reporting linked to national development frameworks and SDG alignment.

Living and Working Conditions:

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the biggest operation of the Regional Bureau for Southern, and one of the oldest on the whole continent. DRC continues to host over 538,009 refugees countrywide since the beginning of the year (including 216,451 Rwandan refugees, 172,809 CAR refugees, 45,336 Burundian refugees and 102,044 South Sudanese refugees). DRC also continues to host over 4 million IDPs mainly located in the Kasai provinces, and Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tanganyika provinces due to inter-tribal conflict, militants illegal activities amongst others.

In line with the 2020-2025 UNHCR DRC Protection Strategy, UNHCR ‘s operations focus on facilitating durable solutions, including local integration and empowerment; providing multi-sectoral assistance to refugees both in camps and for those living with the host community (including on sites, in accordance with an approach of ¿alternatives to camps ¿); building self-reliance by supporting livelihood opportunities for refugees and host communities; protection monitoring, prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and search for durable solutions for Internally Displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees; capacity-building vis-à-vis the DRC authorities; providing emergency response.

UNHCR articulates its work in 2 sub offices with several field offices, besides the main office in Kinshasa.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards), PG-Results-Based Management, PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate), PG-UNHCR”s Programmes

Bachelor of Arts: Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts: Economics, Bachelor of Arts: Law, Bachelor of Arts: Social Science

Certifications

Competencies

Accountability, Change capability & adaptability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Additional Information

This position doesn”t require a functional clearance