JOB DESCRIPTION

D

Non Family with Residential Location

Non Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay

Yaounde, Cameroon

PR2

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2025-07-23

August 8, 2025

Associate Field Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Associate Field Officer is normally supervised by the Senior Field Coordinator or Field Officer or Head of Sub-Office/Field Office depending on the structure of the Office. S/he may receive indirect guidance from other sections and units relevant to the country/regional programme(s). UNHCR Manual, programme and protection objectives, Operations Plans, UN and UNHCR financial/budgetary rules and regulations will guide the work of the incumbent.
The incumbent may supervise some support staff. S/he has daily contacts with staff in the various field offices and with the functional units at the Country/Regional Office. S/he also has close liaison with a range of local civilian and military authorities and counterparts in NGOs and UN agencies to discuss matters of common interest.

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
– Identify vulnerable groups or individuals who may need special attention or special arrangements and make recommendations on the needs of different groups of refugees.
– Assess protection and assistance needs of refugees and asylum-seekers in the region and monitor implementation of refugee assistance programmes.
– In co-ordination with implementing partners, handle the reception, registration and provision of assistance to forcibly displaced and stateless persons to UNHCR.
– Provide inputs for project submissions and periodic narrative and financial reports for the annual programme.
– Develop and maintain relations with local authorities ensuring smooth negotiations in all aspects of UNHCR’s mandate for the benefit of refugees.
– Monitor the security situation in the area and intervene as appropriate with the local authorities.
– Submit recommendation for protection interventions to the designated officer.
– Negotiate with local authority counterparts, partners and forcibly displaced and stateless persons.
– Approve expenditures within the DOAP.

– 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 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
Law, Political Sciences or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
UNHCR Operations Management Learning Programme
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Field experience.

Desirable
Knowledge of refugee law.
Good knowledge of UNHCR’s programmes.

Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
PG-UNHCR’s Programmes
(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 selected candidate must possess extensive experience in field operations, particularly within complex, emergency, or high-risk environments. Prior exposure to hardship duty stations is highly desirable. The role requires a high degree of autonomy, with the ability to manage responsibilities independently while demonstrating strong situational judgment.

S/he should have proven expertise in advocacy and negotiation, particularly in engaging with local authorities, communities, humanitarian and development partners. The incumbent must be able to represent the organization credibly in the field and actively contribute to coordination forums or inter-agency efforts.
In addition, the incumbent will be expected to exhibit proven ability to analyze complex situations, identify key issues and develop innovative solutions, to support the voluntary repatriation and reintegration of returning CAR refugees from neighboring countries.

Given the challenging nature of the operational context, the candidate must exhibit a proactive and mature approach, be resilient, and demonstrate the capacity to work effectively under pressure and in stressful situations.

• Team and People Management: The incumbent will be responsible for overseeing small field teams across various locations in CAR. Therefore, a demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and support staff including remotely is required. Experience in capacity building and performance monitoring, guiding field staff in implementing activities in a dynamic operational context including in protracted and emergency situations will be considered a strong asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in French (both spoken and written) is essential. A working knowledge of English is also highly desirable given the UN operational environment.
• Substantial Field Experience in Similar Functions:
The incumbent should have extensive and relevant experience in field operations management, particularly within the UN system or a comparable international humanitarian organization. A solid track record of engagement in post-conflict, emergency, or high-insecurity contexts will be considered a major advantage.

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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 last two years have seen the return and reintegration of some 200,000 IDPs and some 60,000 refugees from neighboring countries since 2017 testifying to the positive trajectory of the country under its newly adopted National Development Plan and National Strategy for Durable Solutions. In this positive leaning context, the government of CAR is strengthening efforts to find durable solutions for all remaining IDPs and for 300,000 refugees in neighboring countries up to 2028 for who voluntary repatriation is progressively being facilitated for those who chose to return to CAR.

Living and Working Conditions:

The country is landlocked and surrounded by countries with security problems (Chad, DRC, Sudan, and Cameroon). Volatile socio-political situation, social unrest, and grievance in Bangui with frequent civil servants strikes causing interruption of public services due to years of unpaid salaries. Power cuts are causing insecurity in town. The security situation across the country is still a concern as crimes (theft, abduction, armed robbery, carjacking, murder, illegal detention of weapons and illegal checkpoints/taxation, torture and sexual violence) continue throughout the country because of endemic poverty, easy access to weapons and the weak capacity or absence of judicial authorities in many areas.  However, the deployment of the FACA (Forces Armee nationals) in Bangui led to an improvement of the overall security situation. A curfew is established by the UN system from 10pm-5am. The country is totally dependent on Cameroon seaport for supplies. There are 4 airlines that operate to/from Bangui. As an example, travel time from Douala to Bangui for a truckload averages 4 days to a week due to bad roads and roadblocks.

There are very limited medical infrastructures and services do not function properly. A UN clinic provides basic medical care for UN personnel. The entire country is a High-Risk non-family duty station-D with 6 weeks R&R cycle. The entire International Professional staff and IUNVs are eligible for R&R.

A few hotels cleared by DESS are available. Private accommodations are available for expats. A few supermarkets are also available selling all sorts of goods. Vegetables and fruits are also available on the local market.

Although ATM are available ( 5 ATM in town)  and VISA is accepted in Bangui, most of the payments for example in hotels or markets are done in cash.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts: Law, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science

Certifications

Programme Management (PM) 1 – UNHCR

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Add. 2 to the Bi-Annual 2025 Compendium – Part B

Additional Information

This position doesn”t require a functional clearance