JOB DESCRIPTION

Deadline for Applications

November 28, 2025

Hardship Level

H (no hardship)

Family Type

Family

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

GS7

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Target Start Date

2025-12-01

Standard Job Description

Senior Programme Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Programme Associate would normally receive guidance from more senior programme staff in the operation/bureau/division. The incumbent normally supervises some support staff. S/he may receive indirect guidance from other sections and units relevant to the country/region programme(s). UNHCR Manual/Programme Chapter, Operations Plans, UN and UNHCR financial/budgetary rules and regulations will guide the work of the Senior Programme Associate. S/he is expected to stay abreast of the challenges posed to the region by the operational context, the UN and humanitarian reform and institutional developments.

The incumbent is expected to have contacts within the organization and outside the duty station, as well as with partners and other stakeholders to collect information, monitor programme activities and implement administrative requirements. The incumbent is expected to work in line with the multi-functional team (MFT) approach as defined within the Program Chapter, 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 the assessment and analysis of the needs of persons of concern in the country in a participatory manner and using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective as basis for planning.
– Support Results Based management and programme capacity in light of evolving requirements, programming approaches and gaps.
– Participate in managing the development of a broad network of partners, good coordination practices and the development of partner capacities related to programme management.
– Assist in organizing and documenting the selection of partners in accordance with the policy on selection and retention of partners, ensuring due diligence to meet the requirements of projects.
– Support partnership agreements are established in a timely manner, regularly monitored and reported on in compliance with established guidelines and procedures included in the framework for implementing with partners.
– Review the implementation and performance of partnership agreements through field visits and appropriate physical monitoring if applicable, reviewing work plans, performance and financial reports.
– Support the planning process in compliance with planning parameters outlined in the Programme Manual and annual planning instructions.
– Contribute to the review and analysis of operations plans, mid-year and year-end reports, ensuring quality assurance and compliance with established policies, guidelines, procedures and standards. Generate and maintain records of implementation rate (performance progress and expenditures) on a regular basis.
– Follow up on any change in regards to alignment of results chain, verifying indicators, budget, prioritization, apportioning needed to measure programme performance, trends and target interventions, contributing to soundness of Operations Plan and enhancement of data quality.
– Assist in negotiating and drafting partnership agreements, ensuring that all components are developed in conformity with UNHCR”s financial rules and HQ instructions and guidance.
– Contribute to the development and implementation of MFT monitoring plans for activities implemented through partnerships and those under direct implementation in line with Programme Manual and programming instructions.
– Ensure compliance with issuance of audit certificates for partners in line with the Policy on Risk-Based Project Audits and follow up of internal and external audit recommendations related to programmatic issues.
– Use UNHCR”s corporate tools (e.g. Focus Client, Global Focus Insight and FOCUS Reader, MSRP) for core activities related to planning, budgeting, implementation and reporting, generating data for evidence-based programmatic decisions and analysis.
– Actively contribute to UNHCRs programming of community of practice and continuously contributing to improvements of programming tools and processes.

– 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 G7 – 4 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not specified

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Demonstrated experience in programme management, Operation Management Cycle and related processes. Knowledge and practical experience of Results Based-Management. Experience in programme management training and capacity building activities. Knowledge of MS office applications including advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, data management, etc.).

Desirable
Completion of UNHCR Learning Programmes or specific training relevant to function of the position including Programme Management Level 1, E-tutoring of PM1, Framework for Implementing with Partners Learning Programme.

Functional Skills
*IT-Computer Literacy
PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards)
PG-Results-Based Management
DM-Database Management
PG-Programme Analysis
PG-Development and monitoring of programme assessments and surveys
(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.

Desired Candidate Profile

Knowledge of Result Based Management principles accompanied with on-the-job implementation experience. Exposure to UNHCR’s field operations is an asset. Knowledge of COMPASS, Cloud ERP, PROMS, and Power BI – Results Data Portal is highly desirable. Completion of relevant training modules such as Programme / Project Management.

• Proven experience in programme management, project control, and monitoring with excellent knowledge of UNHCR policies and procedures relevant to programme management and project control.
• Demonstrated ability to track expenditures and prepare high-quality reports.
• Solid experience with UNHCR’s corporate tools, particularly COMPASS, PROMS, and CloudERP, is essential; ability to adapt to fluid operational context and contribute to change initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in managing multiple funded partnerships and large-scale budgets, with strong analytical and coordination skills.
• Prior experience of programming across a wide variety of contexts (refugee, statelessness, IDP, returnees in field and HQ operations is an advantage.
• Knowledge of French, Spanish and/or Arabic language is desirable.

The Innovation Section seeks diversity in its workforce and will consider gender and geographic diversity in the composition of its teams.

Additional information:

Candidates are expected to have the right to work in Hungary. UNHCR does not facilitate the obtaining of the visa for recruitment.

Remuneration:

In case of appointment, a competitive compensation and benefits package is offered.

Benefits:

Annual leave: UNHCR staff members holding a fixed-term appointment will accrue annual leave at the rate of 2.5 working days for each full calendar months of service (i.e. 30 working days per year).

Pension system: Staff members holding a fixed-term appointment will become participants in the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF).

Health insurance plan: locally recruited staff members in Budapest will be enrolled in the Medical Insurance Plan (MIP). The coverage is also optionally available for eligible family members.

Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a test. No late applications will be accepted. UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

English

,

,

Desired languages

,

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

The position is based in Budapest, Hungary.

Nature of Position:

The Innovation Section’s mission is to drive meaningful change by designing, testing, and scaling innovative solutions to address challenges faced by displaced communities. UNHCR Innovation implements a three-stage model: incubation, acceleration, and scale.

• Incubation: Managed through four funds — Refugee-Led Innovation, Digital Inclusion, Data Innovation, Environment & Resilience Innovation — providing seed financing and technical support to early-stage ideas.
• Acceleration: The Accelerator advances validated prototypes toward scale with tailored mentorship, networks, and visibility opportunities.
• Scale: Partnering with internal and external stakeholders to expand proven innovations across UNHCR operations and refugee-led networks.

This model supports, on average, 200 active innovation projects worldwide, requiring strong outreach, stakeholder engagement, and visual storytelling to foster cross-section coherence and maximize impact uptake. To implement its three-stage model, the Innovation section runs three programmes, namely: The Incubator, The Accelerator and the Learning programmes

In sum, the Innovation Section annually gathers ideas from refugees/forcibly displaced people and UNHCR’s workforce, applies a transparent and rigorous process to select projects with strong potential for impact. It then funds and oversees these projects through their prototyping journey, evaluates completed solutions, and assesses their potential for large-scale applications. The Section also strengthens internal capacity and skills to embed innovation across all levels of the organization.

This position is part of Programme Team with the Innovation Section and reports to the Programme Officer. The Programme Team supports on average 200 Innovation projects across more than 70 duty stations being implemented simultaneously. The Senior Programme Associate works under the direct supervision of the Programme Officer and liaises closely with programme leads in the Section as well as with Refugee led organizations, UNHCR workforce and other stakeholders, as needed.

This position encompasses a combination of programme and project control responsibilities. The portfolio entails a significant level of coordination with numerous stakeholders. The incumbent will work closely with the Programme Officer on processes related to the establishment of partnership agreements, including Innovation Partnership Agreements that are funded under the Refugee-Led Innovation Fund (RLIF) Programme, the incumbent will also contribute to undertaking financial verifications carried out in line with the reporting requirements of each UNHCR-funded partnership agreements in compliance with all relevant rules and regulations, including those that are established for specific innovation programmes. In addition, the responsibilities include coordinating with focal points / teams for projects funded by the Innovation Section and that are implemented by UNHCR Country Offices and/or other HQ entities. The incumbent will help ensure effective and efficient undertaking of regular financial monitoring and data collection at predefined intervals.

The Senior Programme Associate will also support various tasks and processes related to the direct implementation of programmes.

Living and Working Conditions:

The position is based in HQs in Budapest, which is the capital of Hungary, where adequate infrastructure, health, education, banking and recreational facilities are easily accessible. Budapest is H category Duty Station. There are no specific security concerns, notwithstanding incidental events. Personal security is generally not an issue. However, staff members should be cautious and take responsibility for their own personal and residential security.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

DM-Database Management, IT-Computer Literacy, PG-Development and monitoring of programme assessments and surveys, PG-Programme Analysis, PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards), PG-Results-Based Management

Education

Certifications

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

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Compendium

Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position doesn”t require a functional clearance