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

PR3

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

Executive Assistant

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Executive Assistant provides support to the supervisor through, among others, management of information and preparation and documentation of meetings; follow-up on actions, deadlines, commitments, maintenance of protocol procedures, and supporting communications with Country Operations, Bureaux, Divisions, and other stakeholders.

The Executive Assistant helps the supervisor to identify priority matters that need to be urgently addressed. S/he ensures full confidentiality in all aspects of the assignment.

The incumbent receives guidance from the direct supervisor, who could be the Bureau or Division Director, Representative, or any other senior manager as applicable. The incumbent also liaises with colleagues in UNHCR on matters of non-routine significance in order to prepare documents and manage the flow of information. S/he analysis information flows and makes suggestions—and implements procedures—for efficient information management.

Regular contacts with external parties, including government officials, UN agencies and other International organizations, are made to provide the supervisor’s contacts with background information on relevant topics prior to meetings, to respond to queries on behalf of the supervisor at his/her discretion, and to obtain assistance from others on matters of relevance to the office.

The Executive Assistant works closely with the senior management support team, and may supervise staff in the team. He/she also assumes a coordination role within the structure.

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

• Monitor, screen, respond to and distribute incoming communications to the supervisor to identify priority matters that need to be addressed by the supervisor and propose actions; analyse supporting documentation and summarize most relevant points for the supervisor; ensure that appropriate action is taken by responsible senior managers on matters brought to the attention of the supervisor.

• Contribute to the management and maintenance of the supervisor’s schedules, appointments, correspondence and missions with the support of the Principal Secretary if relevant. Follow up on policies and instructions presented by the supervisor. Keep the supervisor aware of relevant developments in UNHCR and of policy issues directly related to UNHCR or other matters of interest under the broader UN system.

• Assist the supervisor in the preparation of statements, situation reports, and briefing notes that represent UNHCR’s overall policies and highlight specific areas of concern. Propose and draft correspondence for the supervisor, also with regard to regular reporting to the High Commissioner. Ensure coordination and compilation of inputs to key reports and documents.

• Confer with senior managers in the Bureau, Division, or Country Operation to secure timely and authoritative information relevant to matters requiring action, decisions, or the signature of the supervisor.

• Arrange and coordinate meetings.

• Ensure that the supervisor is prepared for meetings and missions by drafting talking points, researching relevant information, and establishing internal and external contacts on the subject matters to be discussed.

• Accompany the supervisor to meetings and missions where relevant, in order to prepare notes on the discussions and minutes of meetings. Track progress on agreed issues, follow up with focal points on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken, and coordination of collection and submission of reports and requests for information.

• Ensure flow of information within the office by disseminating relevant communications to senior managers and all staff in the office as required;

• Support the supervisor in efforts to raise UNHCR's profile and cater to its concerns within the context of the broader United Nations system.

• As part of a continuous effort to improve the flow of useful information, coordinate with other services, units, etc. in UNHCR to implement systems, policies, procedures, or instruments to improve the process of executive information management.

• Work with the supervisor in developing, reviewing, and proposing new policies and practices, or adaptations to existing ones. Monitor the development and implementation of these policies and practices.

• Ensure that high-level visitors are appropriately addressed, that they receive background information as necessary, and that protocol is respected.

• 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 P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Social Sciences; Political Science; Business Administration; International Relations;

or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Not specified.

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

6 years of progressively responsible, coordination, administrative or operational experience.

Desirable

Good knowledge of the UNHCR operations in general.

Functional Skills

MG-Office Management;

MG-Management Planning;

MS-Research;

MG-Diplomacy;

CO-Strategic Communication;

CO-Drafting, Documentation;

CO-Editing;

MS-Networking;

ER-Inter-Agency External Relations;

(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

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Organizational Awareness

Teamwork & Collaboration

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

Judgement and Decision Making

Cross-Functional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

Planning and Organizing

Political Awareness

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 experience coordinating across multiple stakeholders (country operations, Bureaux, divisions, UN agencies, governments)
• Proven experience in drafting high-quality briefing materials (notes, talking points, reports)
• Demonstrated experience synthesizing high volume of complex information into actionable insights to support decision-making for Senior management.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in multi-country or regional contexts, handling high workloads and competing priorities.
• French and English at proficiency level are essential.

Desirable attributes:
• Contribute to efficient information flow across multiple operations, including high-risk and high-priority contexts.
• Experience supporting senior-level managers (Director, Representative, Deputy Director level or equivalent)
• Strong sense of protocol and representation, including managing high-level visits and meetings
• Demonstrate strong political awareness and sensitivity to regional dynamics.

French

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,

,

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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:

Working under the supervision of the Bureau Director for the West and Central Africa (WCA) region, the Executive Assistant (P3) provides executive support to the Director in overseeing operations across 14 countries with UNHCR presence (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC; Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo; ROC) and another nine where there is no presence (Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome & Principe). The Bureau is accredited to ECOWAS and ECCAS and works in close coordination with UN regional entities. The region includes both English- and French-speaking countries, requiring strong bilingual communication skills.

The WCA region is home to about 21 million forcibly displaced and stateless persons, with DRC, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Chad hosting the largest populations, primarily displaced by conflict, intercommunal violence, and persecution, and other severe human rights violations. Humanitarian needs continue to grow due to expanding insecurity in the Sahel, mixed migration movements, and political shifts in several countries. Additionally, the Sudan crisis has led to significant refugee flows into Chad and the Central African Republic. While there have been some small-scale returns, displacement trends are expected to persist through 2025 and 2026. Given the complex operational and geopolitical landscape, knowledge of the West and Central Africa context, including emerging trends in the Sahel and the complex humanitarian landscape, familiarity with regional dynamics and the broader humanitarian response, would be highly advantageous.

The Bureau operates within a challenging financial environment, with funding gaps impacting the ability to respond to escalating needs. The role requires proactive coordination to support the Director as he manages competing priorities, resource constraints, and evolving emergency situations. The incumbent must ensure timely and accurate documentation, facilitate smooth communication across teams, and contribute to effective decision-making processes.

The Bureau’s role in managerial oversight, technical guidance, and support to operations, The position requires close coordination with other units within the Bureau, fostering collaboration and promoting diversity in a multicultural environment. Clear and effective communication, both orally and in writing, in English and French is essential.

The position also entails travel to remote field locations, some of which may present challenging living and working conditions as well as security constraints. The ability to operate effectively in such environments and provide timely, structured reporting is a key requirement.

Living and Working Conditions:

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts: International Relations, 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, Planning & organizing, 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