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

D

Family

PR2

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

Associate Programme Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Associate Programme Officer may be based in HQ, field/regional bureau, typically reporting to and be guided by the Program officer and may supervise a small team of local staff. He/she 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 Associate Programme Officer will provide programmatic guidance and support with regard to the implementation of protection and solutions strategies within available resources. S/he will coordinate with the other sections/units to ensure harmonized programmatic approaches at all levels and throughout the UNHCR Operations Management Cycle. The incumbent will work in line with the overall UNHCR directions which crucially require working with partners, including with forcibly displaced and stateless persons, 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), and 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 forcibly displaced and stateless persons 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.
- Support the revision and analysis of plans, mid-year and year-end reports of UNHCR office(s) in the Area of Responsibility AoR), ensure quality assurance and compliance with established policies, guidelines, procedures and standards.
- Assist in the provision of overall direction to broaden partnerships with key stakeholders in order to maximize the protection and solutions response for forcibly displaced and stateless persons.
- Provide support to ensure a consistent 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 across the region, 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.
- Oversee 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
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
Economics; Business Administration; Social Sciences; or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Programme Management
Certification Programme in Programme Management (CP-PM)
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Demonstrated experience in programme management including familiarization with the OMC and sound knowledge of 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
MG-Project Management
PG-Results-Based Management
PG-UNHCR's Programmes
PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate)
(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.

Essential Attributes:
• Demonstrated programme experience in mixed humanitarian-development operations, including support to planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting.
• Solid experience with cash-based interventions (CBI), including design, implementation, financial and operational monitoring, risk management, coordination.
• Proven experience working with tightly earmarked funding, including alignment between donor requirements, operational priorities, partnership arrangements and delivery capacity.
• Strong practical experience in programme monitoring and analysis, including the use of results, budget, risk and implementation data to inform operational decisions and corrective action.

Desirable Attributes:
• Experience contributing to UNSDCF, joint UN planning, joint programming or inter-agency reporting processes.
• Experience supporting risk management, partnership risk review, audit follow-up, post-distribution monitoring or internal control processes.
• Experience in operations pursuing inclusion, social protection linkages, financial inclusion or transition from direct assistance to national systems.

French

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Arabic

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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

UNHCR Mauritania has a Representation in Nouakchott overseeing a Field Unit in Nouadhibou as well as a Sub Office in Bassikounou, along with a Field Unit in Nema opened in 2023. The total refugee population in Mauritania exceeds 115,000, the highest on record, and is concentrated in the border region with Mali, Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. The majority of refugees in Mauritania are from Mali.

When conflict erupted in Mali in 2012, UNHCR and the Government of Mauritania established the refugee camp of Mbera near the Malian border in Hodh Chargui region (next to Bassikounou). Today, this region hosts more than 100,000 refugees, the majority in camp, although UNHCR registered for the first time 8,400 out-of-camp Malian refugees in 2022. Malians benefit from prima facie refugee status in Hodh Chargui whereas UNHCR conducts mandate refugee status determination in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou for all nationalities, including Malians.

Due to prevailing insecurity throughout Mali, there are limited prospects for large-scale return of Malian refugees in the immediate future, and growing risks of mass displacement from Mali into Mauritania in 2024. Preparedness measures and a yearly contingency plan are being put in place in the event of a large-scale refugee influx focusing increasingly on an out-of-camp response given Mbera camp’s limited capacity to host more refugees. Meanwhile, UNHCR and partners have oriented programmes towards enhancing the resilience of refugees and host communities, and fostering peaceful coexistence, including through climate action. The Government of Mauritania has, at the same time, committed to a generous policy of inclusion, enabling refugees to access healthcare, education and employment on par with nationals. This policy of inclusion is supported in turn by the World Bank’s refugee and host community sub-window (IDA 18) and corresponding multiyear projects for social protection, health, urbanization, and WASH. Alongside the World Bank, UNHCR works side by side with other development partners such as GIZ and the International Labour Office. The overall response to refugees in Hodh Chargui, including within the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, is assured through the refugee coordination mechanism, activated in 2012 and led by UNHCR.

The incumbent will work under the supervision of the Deputy Representative within the Programme team in Nouakchott and will work closely with CBI staff in MENA Bureau as well as in HQ.

Living and Working Conditions

Mauritania is a stable country security-wise but is impacted by the overall unstable regional security environment. Living conditions for international staff are generally acceptable, with a reasonable amount of houses and apartments available, often with nice gardens and pools. Educational facilities exist but are limited, and staff with school-age children are advised to enquire first on the available schooling. The main nuisances in Nouakchott are the warm weather year-round, the dust (Nouakchott being a city built in the desert) and the habits of drivers. Medical facilities are limited and staff requiring medication should bring such medication with them. Recreational facilities are very limited and the consumption of alcohol in restaurants and other public places is prohibited and not available. Bank facilities and cash points (ATM) are available.
Willingness and ability to undertake missions to Bassikounou (E duty station) is an operational requirement.
Nouakchott is currently security level 2. Guards are provided to all international staff, and UNDSS carries out an assessment of security features of the residences of international staff.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

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

Certifications

CP-PM Certification Programme for Programme Management - UNHCR, Programme Management - Other

Annual Budget OL in Operation/Office, Number of Persons of Concern Served, Number of Workforce in Operation/Work Setting, Workforce to Supervise, Working with Persons of Concern: Asylum Seekers, Working with Persons of Concern: Internally Displaced Persons, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned Refugees

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Managing resource, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational 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