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

C

Family

PR3

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

External Relations Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
Direct supervision is normally exercised by a Senior External Relations Officer of Representative who provides guidance on the applicable procedures. Advice may also be provided by relevant functional units at HQ. The incumbent may supervise some support staff. External contacts are predominantly with Partners, media, government embassies and other international organizations 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 in the planning of a consultative process with UNHCR colleagues (Programme, Protection, etc.) with external actors and partners, so as to develop and implement protection and assistance strategy, with clearly articulated objectives, timelines and outputs.
- Assist the implementation of a communications strategy that generates support for UNHCR s operations from external partners (e.g. the general public, governments, partners, the media, academia and forcibly displaced and stateless persons).
- Assist in the articulation of all issues pertaining to the needs of the forcibly displaced and stateless persons and the strategies in place to respond to their needs.
- Inform the UNHCR Country Team on the UNHCR priorities so as to ensure that they are given adequate weight in the publications and documentation of the UN Country Team.
- Assist in the dialogue with donors and embassies and provide accurate information by organizing regular briefings, bilateral meetings and missions. Prepare reports as appropriate.
- In accordance with the operational context and in close cooperation with headquarters, propose new and non-traditional funding sources, as appropriate, including private sector and humanitarian pooled/basket funds (e.g. Central Emergency Response Fund, Human Security Fund).
- Through a consultative process with headquarters, disseminate information on UNHCR's global funding situation and mobilize additional funds to implement special projects aimed at enhancing the quality of protection for forcibly displaced and stateless persons in the country operation.
- Participate on behalf of the Representative and other supervisors in inter-agency cooperation and communication strategies, initiatives and tools.
- Support senior management in representing UNHCR in the UN Country Team and other UN coordination fora.
- Support, and participate in, local UN integrated missions, Inter-Agency Standing Committee, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Cluster communication strategies and initiatives.
- 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.
- Assist in the coordination of the drafting of, situation reports, briefing notes, background material, talking points, fact sheets, press releases and articles.
- Assist in the development of targeted communications strategies and media packages for situations and/or activities that require focused attention.
- 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 and organizing regular briefings and visits to country operations.
- On behalf of the Representative, approve fundraising messages.
- On behalf of the Representative, approve any relevant expenditure for the implementation of fundraising activities.
- Propose which donors to approach and which operations or activities to prioritize for special fundraising appeals.
- Implement all aspects of a communications strategy.
- Approve budgets and expenditures for communications activities.
- Clear external relations/communication products and tools as appropriate.
- Represent UNHCR on behalf of senior management in fund-raising 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 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
Political Sciences, Social Sciences, International Relations, Journalism,

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
Good knowledge of UNHCR operations both at Headquarters and in the Field.
Fund-raising and programming/programme management experience.
Experience of working with social media.

Functional Skills
IT-Web Content Management
IT-Computer Literacy
CO-Drafting and Documentation
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.

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. Prior experience mobilizing diverse donor portfolios, with a strong track record in humanitarian, development, and private sector fundraising.
2. The position includes spokesperson responsibilities; therefore, experience in providing interviews to national and international media is required, ideally in both English and French.
3. Demonstrated strong teamwork skills and the ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, both in person and through virtual modalities.
4. Working in complex, large-scale operations with demonstrated ability to navigate highly competitive and constrained funding environments, sustain donor confidence, and secure flexible, multi-year resources
5. In the complex and politically sensitive context of the DRC, the incumbent must be able to strategically position the operation with a broad range of donors and partners, aligning resource mobilization efforts with protection priorities, operational realities, and access constraints. S/he is expected to strengthen partnerships and resource mobilization with development actors and international financial institutions, fostering complementarity across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus and supporting longer-term solutions.
6. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply to this position.

French

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

DRC is the third largest country in Africa and Kinshasa is a city with a population estimated at 18 million inhabitants. UN international personnel in Kinshasa are only allowed to reside within an established Residential Security Perimeter in which accommodation is expensive, but available. Ensuring housing has a regular supply of electricity (through a generator) and water is critical when identifying a place to live as these services are not consistently supplied through the city. A variety of restaurants and supermarkets are available, but consumer items are generally very expensive (as everything is imported). International schools are available in both French and English at primary and secondary level.

The unit of currency is the Congolese Franc, but the US dollar is the other preferred currency. Credit cards are usually accepted in major hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets in Kinshasa.

In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili; French and Lingala are the most widely spoken in Kinshasa.

Kinshasa is currently a security Level 2 duty station, with the security threats staff may face originating predominately from crime and civil unrest. Criminal activities include street and house robbery, vehicle-related crimes such as break-ins and carjacking. UN personnel are not specifically targeted, but criminals focus attacks on those perceived to have money and valuables. UN personnel must also be aware of the danger from driving in Kinshasa. Large traffic jams are a daily occurrence in the capital and road traffic accidents are the most common security incident for the UN in Kinshasa.

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

The External Relations Officer reports to the Representative. The position is based in Kinshasa and works in close collaboration with the Deputy Representative, Heads of Office, the Programme team, and multifunctional teams across the operation. The role supervises three positions in Kinshasa and provides functional oversight to at least six external relations staff in Sub and Field Offices.

The position serves as the primary focal point for the implementation of the operation’s resource mobilization strategy, which requires securing significant project-based contributions ranging from USD 60 to 100 million annually. The United States and the European Union remain the largest contributors to the DRC operation; therefore, the position requires demonstrated experience in successfully engaging with these partners. Additional experience working with Gulf Cooperation Council donors is desirable. The position requires an ability to develop innovative and creative approaches to engaging non-traditional donors, including private sector partners. The role also supports fundraising and advocacy efforts related to UNHCR’s leadership of the Protection and Shelter Clusters, and familiarity with the development of Humanitarian Response Plans is considered an advantage.

The incumbent plays an important role in ensuring that project-based funding—representing over 80 per cent of the DRC budget—is effectively recorded, tracked, and transferred to programme and technical teams for implementation. A solid understanding of UNHCR programme tools and requirements is therefore desirable.

Under delegated authority from the Representative, the incumbent acts as a spokesperson for the office and leads the implementation of the communications strategy, in close coordination with the Regional Bureau and the Global Communications team. Proven experience in delivering press briefings is required, while familiarity with UN press forums such as the Palais des Nations and the Noon Briefing is an asset. Disinformation is a tool of the conflict in Eastern DRC, so experience in crisis communication is required. Experience using social media platforms, particularly X and Facebook, is essential, along with a strategic understanding of their use for humanitarian diplomacy.

Working closely with the Deputy Representative, the incumbent also plays a backup representational role, participating in key coordination fora such as the Humanitarian Country Team and other UN meetings, as well as in engagements with the diplomatic community. The position further supports strengthened engagement with development actors, including the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and similar institutions.

As a core member of the Executive Office, the incumbent collaborates closely with the Representative’s team on the preparation of strategic engagements and high-level missions with government counterparts, donors, and other partners. The role also includes preparing weekly written socio-political analyses for the Senior Executive Team. Given UNHCR’s role in the Washington and Doha peace process, prior experience in policy analysis and/or advocacy for durable solutions for internally displaced persons and refugees is highly desirable.

Finally, the role requires the ability to operate effectively in a dynamic, demanding, and high-pressure environment, with the flexibility to work extended hours when necessary to meet deadlines. The position requires demonstrated strong leadership skills, with the capacity to motivate, guide, and inspire a high-performing team across a complex and geographically dispersed operation.

Living and Working Conditions:

Kinshasa serves as the Representation Office and strategic coordination hub for the DRC operation. It is a large and dynamic metropolitan city offering comparatively better infrastructure and services than many other locations within the country. International schools, private health facilities, banking services and telecommunications infrastructure are available. Kinshasa also offers relatively good international connectivity and access to commercial services.

However, living costs in Kinshasa remain comparatively high, particularly regarding accommodation, transportation, schooling and imported goods. Traffic congestion can significantly affect mobility and infrastructure limitations may periodically result in interruptions to electricity, water and communication services.

While security conditions in Kinshasa remain relatively stable compared with Eastern DRC, staff are expected to maintain heightened security awareness and comply with all security procedures. The position also requires frequent travel to field locations where working and living conditions may be considerably more difficult.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

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, Empowering & building trust, Innovation & creativity, Judgement & decision making, 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