Job Description

Please note that this vacancy is only open to eligible staff members who have been individually notified of their eligibility to apply for positions advertised in the Accelerated Posting Compendium.

June 12, 2026

A (least hardship)

Family

PR2

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

Associate External Relations Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
Direct supervision is normally exercised by a (Snr) External Relations Officer or Representative who provides guidance on the applicable procedures. Advice may also be provided by relevant functional units at HQ. External contacts are with a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including inter alia, government, media, embassies, donors, UN agencies, NGOs and other national and international organizations, as well as general public on matters of importance to the Organization.

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
- Stay abreast of the challenges posed by the political context, the UN and humanitarian reform, and institutional developments in the area of forced displacement and humanitarian operations.
- Assist the implementation of a communications strategy that generates support for UNHCR's operations from external partners (e.g. the general public, governments, partners, media, academia, NGOs, private sector and forcibly displaced and stateless persons).
- Assist in the dialogue with donors and embassies and provide relevant information on UNHCR operations and financial requirements by organizing regular briefings, bilateral meetings and missions and responding to donors¿ requests for information on ad hoc basis.
- Through a consultative process with headquarters, disseminate information on UNHCR's global funding situation and mobilize additional funds to implement programmes and projects aimed at enhancing the quality of protection for forcibly displaced and stateless persons in the country operation.
- Assist in the coordination of the drafting of, situation reports, briefing notes, background material, talking points, fact sheets, press releases and articles.
- Draft narrative and financial reports on contributions in compliance with specific donor requirements.
- Monitor earmarking level of funding for UNHCR Country operation and ensure appropriate visibility for donor contributions in compliance with UNHCR guidelines and specific donor requirements.
- Participate on behalf of the Representative and other supervisors in inter-agency cooperation and communication strategies, initiatives and tools.
- Assist in the management of information flows within the country operations by identifying priority matters, securing, analyzing and disseminating documentation and information to support country operations and corporate communication processes and priorities.
- Consolidate information on UNHCR's country operations and identify appropriate messages for campaigns and appeals.
- Propose events and initiatives (e.g. commercial, cultural, political and sports) to promote the work of UNHCR and take action as appropriate.
- Support the management of media relations by, inter alia, responding to direct queries, publishing press releases, handling interview requests and organizing regular briefings and visits to country operations.
- Promote visibility of UNHCR's work and advocate for support for the forcibly displaced and stateless persons through providing inputs for social media and other web content.
- Organize missions to the field and press briefings for external parties as required.
- Implement all aspects of a communications strategy.
- Represent UNHCR on behalf of senior management in fundraising and communication priorities in inter-agency initiatives and fora.

- 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
Political Sciences, Social Sciences, International Relations, Journalism, Communications

or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Experience in humanitarian operations in a field environment.
Excellent knowledge of local institution, politics and culture.

Desirable
Fund-raising and programming/programme management experience.
Experience of working with social media.

Functional Skills
CO-Drafting and Documentation
PS-Fundraising (incl. operations, programmes)
PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards)
IT-Computer Literacy
IT-Web Content Management
(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.

1. Demonstrated experience in humanitarian donor relations and resource mobilization, including managing grants and reporting requirements for institutional donors. Candidates should have a track record of preparing quality donor reports, funding proposals and external communications in a humanitarian or development context.
2. Substantive experience working with ECHO (European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations) or comparable institutional humanitarian donors with structured compliance, reporting and protection mainstreaming requirements. Given ECHO's particular focus on humanitarian protection standards, candidates must be able to demonstrate a solid understanding of protection principles—including GBV prevention, child protection, persons with specific needs and community-based protection—and the ability to integrate protection quality indicators into results-based reporting.
3. Experience in MEAL coordination in a multi-sectoral humanitarian or development programme, including the ability to consolidate data from multiple sources, track results against indicators, and produce evidence-based donor communications. Familiarity with UNHCR's results-based management framework is an asset.
4. Familiarity with UNHCR's mandate and programming frameworks, including an understanding of UNHCR's protection-oriented programming, planning and budgeting processes, and of the policy environment in large-scale displacement operations and the ability to represent the operation at donor discussions. Knowledge of UNHCR's route-based approach or mixed-movement programming is a strong asset.
5. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, with demonstrated ability to produce high-quality analytical documents, reports and presentations for a senior diplomatic or institutional audience.
Desirable Attributes
The following attributes are considered desirable and may be taken into account during the recommendation stage:
a) Experience managing complex or innovative funding arrangements, such as joint donor contributions, multi-year frameworks or co-financing mechanisms involving multiple governments. Candidates who have experience navigating inter-donor coordination—for example joint funding arrangements requiring shared results frameworks—would bring particular added value to this role.
b) Prior experience in a large, multi-donor UNHCR operation, with knowledge of the refugee response frameworks, EU financing architecture or the UNSDCF partnership framework.
c) Working knowledge of French, which would complement the language profile of the External Relations Unit and facilitate engagement with francophone donor counterparts and multilateral partners.
e) A background or demonstrated interest in protection, in particular in contexts involving mixed movements, voluntary return, or route-based protection programming, reflecting the operational environment and the protection-centred nature of UNHCR's external engagement in Türkiye.

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French

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

Organizational and Functional Setting

UNHCR Türkiye is one of the largest UNHCR operations globally, providing protection and solutions to approximately 2.5 million persons of concern, predominantly Syrians under Temporary Protection and International Protection applicants and status-holders. The Representation is based in Ankara at Country Office and maintains a field presence in Gaziantep, Hatay, Istanbul, Izmir, Şanlıurfa and Van.

The External Relations Unit (ERU) sits within the Representation and is responsible for resource mobilization, donor relations, reporting and visibility. The unit manages a significant and diversified donor portfolio that includes European Union institutions, traditional bilateral donors, private sector partnerships and innovative multilateral funding arrangements. The ERU works in close coordination with protection, programme, finance, supply and field units to ensure that funding is secured, implemented and reported on in accordance with donor requirements and UNHCR standards.

The Associate External Relations Officer reports to the Senior External Relations Officer/Head of Unit and operates within a small, high-output team. The incumbent serves as the focal point for a defined set of donors and funding instruments and plays a central role in the unit's analytical, reporting and outreach functions.

Operational Environment

Türkiye operates in a constrained and rapidly evolving funding landscape. The overall resource environment is expected to remain significant but increasingly shaped by a limited number of large instruments—notably the EU Facility for Refugees in Türkiye (FRiT) and its successor arrangements—and by high levels of earmarking. A growing share of resources is tied to voluntary return priorities or narrowly defined programme lines, creating pressure on core protection functions, legal aid, community-based protection and case management.

Against this backdrop, the External Relations Unit plays a critical role in diversifying the funding base, securing more flexible and multi-year resources, and countering the narrative of over-earmarking. UNHCR Türkiye is simultaneously managing a complex, large-scale voluntary return programme alongside sustained in-country protection for those who cannot yet return safely, requiring the ERU to present a coherent "basket" of solutions to a wide range of donors with differing priorities.

The operation has undergone a significant reduction in budget and staffing (from 315 to 248 posts between 2025 and 2026) and is transitioning towards a leaner, more catalytic model. This makes the ERU's donor stewardship, MEAL coordination and institutional knowledge functions even more critical to operational continuity and effective programming.

In parallel, UNHCR Türkiye co-leads the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP) with UNDP, co-chairs the UNSDCF 2026–2030 outcome on international protection and migration governance, and maintains engagement with EU institutions, IFIs, bilateral donors and private sector actors. These multiple frameworks generate significant coordination, reporting and visibility requirements that directly shape the workload of the ERU.

Nature of the Position

The Associate External Relations Officer manages a substantive donor portfolio that spans EU institutional donors, bilateral government donors and innovative funding modalities. Within this portfolio, specific instruments carry distinct and demanding requirements in terms of implementation monitoring, reporting cycles, protection mainstreaming and visibility obligations.

A significant share of the portfolio involves the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), which constitutes one of the most technically demanding donor relationships in the unit. ECHO funding in Türkiye covers critical humanitarian interventions including protection activities and community-based support. The incumbent is responsible for all aspects of ECHO grant management: partnership framework agreements, quarterly protection reporting, interim and final reporting, action document development, field visits and compliance with ECHO's visibility and protection standards. ECHO's reporting framework requires that the incumbent possesses a strong understanding of humanitarian protection principles, programme monitoring and results-based accountability, and is able to communicate programme quality and impact to a sophisticated institutional audience.

The portfolio also includes bilateral contributions, particularly some innovative multidonor modality which requires the incumbent to manage inter-donor coordination, negotiate and operationalize a shared results framework, and maintain sustained institutional engagement as annual top-up negotiations and the multi-year funding cycle proceed in parallel.

Across the donor portfolio, the incumbent is responsible for:

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL): The ERU plays a central internal coordination role in MEAL, liaising with programme and field units to ensure that results data, protection monitoring findings and partner reports are consolidated and reflected accurately in donor reports. The role requires working across multi-sectoral programmes and translating operational data into compelling, evidence-based donor communications. This function also requires close coordination with UNHCR headquarters and regional bureau colleagues on standardized reporting templates and indicators.

Route-Based Approach: The operation's programming increasingly reflects UNHCR's route-based approach, which addresses protection needs along key mixed-movement corridors. Donors—particularly European bilateral and institutional donors—are focused on the operationalization of this approach in Türkiye. The incumbent must understand the strategic rationale, programming modalities and policy dimensions of the route-based approach in order to brief donors accurately, respond to their technical questions and position UNHCR's funding proposals credibly within this framework.

Donor Outreach and Visibility: The incumbent organises and delivers regular donor briefings, field visits, situation updates and thematic analyses. Given the profile of donors managed, these engagements frequently occur at a senior diplomatic level and require polished writing, strong oral presentation skills and the ability to frame complex humanitarian protection situations for a non-specialist audience.

Resource Mobilization and Pipeline: The incumbent actively contributes to identifying and developing new funding opportunities, preparing concept notes and funding proposals, and maintaining the unit's donor outreach pipeline. This requires awareness of emerging donor priorities, knowledge of UNHCR's programming portfolio and the ability to tailor messaging to different donor contexts.

Strategic Relevance

The position is central to UNHCR Türkiye's ability to sustain, diversify and rebalance its international resource base during a period of funding contraction and increased earmarking. As outlined in the 2027–2029 Multi-Year Strategy, a key objective is to secure more flexible, multi-year funding from bilateral donors and development partners to support core protection functions and priority programmes for the most vulnerable.

The Associate External Relations Officer directly drives this agenda through the management of strategically important bilateral relationships and the development of innovative funding modalities.

The position also plays an important role in ensuring that donor engagement is grounded in protection principles and aligned with the operation's advocacy priorities—including the case for balanced funding that supports both voluntary, dignified return and robust in-country protection for those who cannot yet return. This requires the incumbent to be conversant with UNHCR's protection mandate, the operation's strategic priorities and the policy environment in Türkiye.

Living and Working Conditions:

The Türkiye UNHCR operates through its Country office in Ankara, a sub-office in Gaziantep, field units in Adana, Sanliurfa, Izmir, Van, Ankara, Agri and field office Istanbule.

Climate in Ankara: Ankara has a continental climate with cold, snowy winters due to its elevation and inland location, and hot, dry summers. Rainfall occurs mostly during the spring and fall. Because of Ankara’s high altitude and its dry summers, nightly temperatures in the summer months are pleasantly cool. July and August tend to see the highest temperatures, exceeding 30°C / 86°F. Light cotton clothing is recommended for summer and light jackets may be needed for cool summer nights. For winter, warm clothes, coats and boots are recommended

Particularly the central areas of the big cities in Turkey are not very different from any other Western city. There is a good choice of hotels in Ankara and Istanbul, but the choice is somewhat limited in many other parts of the country, except for summer resorts. The prices of hotels are subject to continuous changes due to domestic inflation and changes in the value of the Turkish Lira on foreign exchange markets.

The usual practice for renting an apartment is to consult real-estate agents or advertisements in the local English language newspaper.
Single houses with surrounding gardens are very scarce in Ankara. When available, they are generally more expensive than apartments. Therefore, most international personnel live in apartments. New arrivals are usually able to find an apartment in about a month of arrival

The main cities have a number of hospitals where well-trained specialists and surgeons in all branches of medicine can easily be found. Prescribed medicines are not always available in the hospital and may need to be purchased from a pharmacy.
Private clinics are generally well equipped and offer services of an acceptable quality. There are also private hospitals of top international standards in Ankara and Istanbul. The number of this type of hospitals is increasing day by day. Laboratory tests are available both in these hospitals and in established private laboratories.

There are only a few schools in Turkey that cater to foreign residents. These range from kindergarten through primary to high school level. Courses are in one or more foreign language although some
subjects are taught in Turkish in some schools. The American, British, French, and Pakistan Embassies sponsor their own private schools in Ankara.

The general security situation in Ankara remains calm and stable, with security level assessed as 1 (Minimal) in line with the general threat assessment. There have been no serious security incidents recorded in Ankara since 2016. The Turkish security forces are trained, well-resourced and effective. Although thefts and burglaries have been reported in Ankara from time to time, the crime rate is assessed as low and Residential Security Measures (RSMs) do not apply in Ankara. The UN is not considered as a direct target, although the situation can change rapidly due to regional and/or international developments. Civil unrest and protest demonstrations occur in parts of Ankara, against different socio-political and socio-economic issues and likely to continue in the foreseeable future. Hazard incidents including road traffic crashes, extreme weather conditions, and occasional stray dog bites remain a concern for the safety of staff. UNHCR security management is guided by the UN Common Security Management System and security advisories are shared with staff as and when required.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts: Communication, Bachelor of Arts: International Relations, Bachelor of Arts: Journalism, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Bachelor of Arts: Social Science

Certifications

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Innovation & creativity, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Accelerated Posting Compendium 2026 - Part B

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance