JOB DESCRIPTION

E (most hardship)

Non Family with Residential Location

Non Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay

Addis Ababa,Eth Fed Dem Rep

NOA

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2025-10-01

August 6, 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.

Proven experience in the designing and implementation of program monitoring tools.
Proven experience in the implementation and financial monitoring of project.
Capacity to lead complex programs and consultative processes involving different stakeholders
Experience in training and building capacity of UNHCR staff and staff of partner organizations working with UNHCR on program software.
They should be familiar with coordination of refugee and IDP response context, in general, UNHCR’s solutions strategy IDP, and the Nexus approach.

Language Skills:
Knowledge of French and UN working language and local language

French

,

,

,

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel.

Nature of Position:

The Lake Province is facing a prolonged humanitarian crisis fueled by armed conflict, intercommunal tensions, and the effects of climate change. The operational context of the Lake region continues to be dominated by protection incidents due to attacks by Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs), criminal acts/banditry, and sporadic inter/intra-community conflicts, particularly involving the Boudouma and Kanembou communities. These conflicts often stem from disputes over access to arable land (polders), grazing areas, and fishing zones. The effects of climate change are increasingly visible, with river and/or rain-induced flooding and rainfall deficits. The region also suffers from a precarious socio-economic situation, inadequate basic social services, unemployment, and a food crisis, among other challenges.
Despite several military operations, armed group elements remain active in the province and across the Lake Chad Basin countries. In this complex humanitarian context, UNHCR has developed a strategy aimed at durable solutions for forcibly displaced populations in the province. This strategy aligns with the Lake Province’s development program and the 2024 Nexus coordination framework. After identifying convergence zones, UNHCR is working to mobilize development and peace actors to carry out stabilization and development activities aimed at empowering the population.
Located in western Chad, the UNHCR Baga Sola area of responsibility shares a long land and lake border to the west with northern Cameroon, northeastern Nigeria (Borno State), and eastern Niger (Diffa region). It is also adjacent to Kanem Province to the north and Hadjer-Lamis Province to the east.
As of December 31, 2024, the Lake Province hosts 21,566 refugees from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and other smaller nationalities, living in the Dar Es Salam site and surrounding areas, including the town of Bol. There are also 220,610 forcibly displaced persons (DTM/IOM). The UNHCR Sub-Office in Baga Sola covers activities in 3 of the 5 departments in the province: Kaya, Mamdi, and Fouli. Forcibly displaced persons are spread across more than 200 sites identified by the authorities (source: IOM). To better target interventions, UNHCR, in collaboration with provincial authorities, has identified high-density areas and participates in multisectoral assessments to identify primary needs and develop projects aimed at achieving durable solutions.

To ensure effective implementation and coordination with authorities, UNHCR has its Sub-Office in Baga Sola (Kaya Department).
The Assistant Programme Officer will work under the Head of the Office supervision.  In this role, the incumbent must work closely with other UNHCR colleagues for direct implementation and/or with UNHCR partners and operational partners, for the planning, delivery and monitoring of achievements of all projects for forcibly displaced persons and host communities in the lake.

Living and Working Conditions:

 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

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

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Shortlisted candidates may be invited to undertake written and or oral test.

This position doesn”t require a functional clearance