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

H (no hardship)

Family

PR3

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

Inter-Agency Coordination Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Inter-Agency Coordination Officer is usually located in Country Operations, Multi-Country Offices, Regional Bureaux, Regional Refugee Coordinator's Office or in the Public Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Service in Headquarters S/he plays a crucial role in ensuring UNHCR's approach to partnership and inter-agency processes are consistent, strategic and coherent. The main aim is to ensure that UNHCR can fulfil its role to support the Government to lead the refugee response, coordinate other actors - including development actors at the early stages of a refugee response - and support the adherence to UNHCR inter agency commitments in IDP situations. This should be done in line with UNHCRs Mandate, the Global Compact for Refugees, the IDP policy, and agreed inter-agency commitments. More specifically, s/he advises the senior management on inter-agency processes and related positioning, coordination, advocacy, information, resource allocation, fundraising, reporting, and communication with government entities, other UN agencies, NGOs, civil society actors, private sector media, other relevant actors. This requires strong engagement in humanitarian inter-agency processes, as well as knowledge and interaction with regional entities and processes.

The IA Coordination Officer assists senior management with ensuring staff are aware of the humanitarian architecture kept informed and can act in line with ongoing development processes related to the UNDS reform and the 2030 agenda as they impact on UNHCR. The overall goal of the position is to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of UNHCR's leadership roles and responses to situations affecting forcibly displaced and stateless persons to UNHCR (refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs, stateless persons, returnees, host communities) through an open and transparent partnership approach.

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
- Advise and assist senior managers to formulate and communicate UNHCR positions on inter- agency matters, internally and externally, providing briefing notes, talking points and issue papers for relevant discussions in-house, with partners, including governmental counterparts, UN agencies and NGOs, donors, ExCom and in inter-agency fora.
- Promote UNHCR's policies and linkages within multilateral processes, including humanitarian and development processes as elaborated by the humanitarian working groups, the Inter- Agency Standing Committee, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), as well as in regional and country levels.
- Contribute to the effective establishment and maintenance of coordination mechanisms and tools, in line with the refugee coordination model and globally-agreed arrangements applicable in various situations (refugee-only; mixed refugee-IDPs; refugee and migrant movements), including through the development of joint appeals, regional refugee response plans, regional refugee and migrant response plans, refugee and resilience plans, comprehensive responses.
- Ensure these mechanisms (which may include regional coordination mechanisms, country-level multi-sector groups, refugee protection working group, information management) are inclusive and engage with all relevant stakeholders, including government counterparts, civil society (international and national NGOs) and donors.
- Where the IASC cluster system is activated, ensure senior management and country operations have the latest information on response strategies, UNHCR's inter -agency commitments and other relevant data.
- In the context of inter-agency appeals, advise senior management on established procedures and best practices.
- Maintain frequent formal and informal contacts with his/her counterparts in other organisations.
- With support from Inter-agency and Coordination Section/DER and senior management, responsible for furthering understanding within UNHCR on inter- agency issues and priorities and inform other staff on policy developments and reform initiatives within the humanitarian sphere, as well as the broader UN and development processes. This includes updating key staff on the developments within the Inter- Agency frameworks, UN reforms, Global Compact, as well as promoting and stimulating UNHCR's implementation of key reforms within the humanitarian and development architecture.
- Assist senior management and country offices to ensure internal institutional coherence and coordination of actions pursued for a strong refugee coordination system under government leadership where possible, with accompanying planning instruments in the delivery of refugee responses.
- Articulate UNHCR's priorities in the inter-agency arena, including the commitment to humanitarian principles.
- Where there is lack of clarity as to UNHCR's positions and priorities, identify the issues and bring this to senior management attention.
- Support/coordinate evaluations/reviews of coordination systems, including by other agencies.
- Maintain close contact with DER on emerging 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.

For positions in the Regional Bureaux, Multi-Country offices or RRC offices only:
- Promote within relevant country operations coordinated approaches to decision making frameworks, especially in regards to humanitarian inter agency processes, but also with a focus on development processes as they impact on UNHCR in the field.
- Operationalize UNHCR's inter-agency policies and maintain an inclusive inter-agency regional approach.
- Advise UNHCR's senior management on engagement in regional inter-agency processes, including regional Economic Commissions and regional UNSDG, as well as regional fora (ASEAN,IGAD, ECOWAS, etc).
- Establish regional coordination mechanisms and/or consultation fora for situations led by UNHCR. This should include, inter alia: support to RRC (if appointed); information-management; reporting.
- Assist the office to ensure timely preparedness activities across the region / multi-countries, including through participation and where necessary coordination of inter-agency contingency planning processes.
- Liaise with other UN agencies and other inter government agencies and fora at the regional level to find areas of cooperation, joint initiatives and where applicable negotiate joint agreements or work programmes to further protection and assistance for forcibly displaced and stateless persons.
- Where applicable, coordinate the compilation of a regional refugee response plan (in some situations, this could be a regional refugee and migrant response plan or a refugee and resilience plan), as well as its monitoring and the tracking of financial contributions.
- In close collaboration with the IM team, ensure efficient and timely circulation of information to stakeholders, including through the production of regular and up-to-date information, key messages and regional situational analysis.
- Ensure effective coordination mechanisms are in place in country operations including through field missions, to safeguard harmonized position and communication between national and regional coordination mechanisms UNHCR leads or is actively engaged in.
- Advise field operations on how to facilitate UNHCR's catalytic and convener's role in the context of the Global Compact on Refugees.
- Advise field operations on how to engage in UNDAF processes.
- Organize regional-level capacity building, as required.
- Support the organization of annual regional NGO consultations and facilitate events as required.
- Alert the HQ (DER and DEPS) on issues related to coordination arrangements interface with development and humanitarian systems.

For positions in the Public Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Service only:
- Assist in the liaison with other UN agencies and other inter government agencies and fora to find areas of cooperation, joint initiatives and where applicable negotiate joint agreements, letters and MOUs to further refugee protection and assistance as well as agreements for other forcibly displaced and stateless persons.
- Advise the Regional Bureaux, Multi-Country offices, RRC offices and Country operations on inter-agency and coordination matters.
- Compile inputs and draft reports or comments for key inter-agency processes, amongst others the Secretary General's report for ECOSOC on humanitarian coordination and UNHCR's self-report on commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit.
- Assist with UNHCR's participation in the various inter agency initiatives such as the WHS follow-up, IASC products, ECOSOC Humanitarian Segment, in cooperation with other divisions and UNHCR New York.
- Draft input and coordinate the input of others into annual reports in the area of partnership and coordination, such as the Global Appeal and Report and into Standing Committee documents.
- Carry out field support missions, as required.
- Contribute to the compilation of briefing papers, TPs, and data collection on coordination issues and UNHCR's interagency response.
- Support the organization of Annual NGO Consultations.

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
Law, Political Science, Economics,
International Relations, Business Administration, Social Science
or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
In future: completion of the IACLP
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential:
- Experience of working in an inter-agency environment at field or Headquarters level.
- Experience of liaising with governments and/or the donor community.
- Thorough understanding of UNHCR's protection mandate and core mission.
- Thorough understanding of humanitarian coordination processes and recent inter-agency developments related to the IASC and the broader UN.

Desirable:
- Inter-agency coordination role.
- Drafting joint appeal/ refugee response plan/HRP.
- Experience with another UN agency or partner.

Functional Skills
ER-Inter-Agency Coordination Mechanisms
(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 experience in Inter-Agency coordination and partnership development, including engagement with NGOs, refugee-led organizations (RLOs), academia, and other external stakeholders, with the ability to position UNHCR in a catalytic role.
• Proven knowledge of UNHCR Inter-Agency and partnership frameworks, localization approaches and the Refugee Coordination Model (RCM).
• Demonstrated understanding of global Inter-Agency landscape and dynamics, including ongoing UN reform processes and the evolving humanitarian architecture, and their implications for UNHCR’s role and positioning.
• Demonstrated experience contributing to major Inter-Agency processes and mechanisms, at regional and/or global level, including participation in relevant fora and platforms.
• Strong drafting and analytical skills, with proven ability to produce high-quality strategic documents and briefing materials in English.

Desirable attributes:
• Experience supporting engagement in major global or regional partnership and inter-agency events (e.g. Global Refugee Forum, High Commissioner’s Dialogue, GNO consultations).
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex and sensitive operational and political environments.
• Experience providing practical, solution-oriented support to field operations.
• Strong negotiation and facilitation skills, including the ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of additional UN languages.

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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:

The Regional Bureau for Europe, oversees 19 operations, including 13 country offices and 6 multi-country offices. The Bureau covers one territory and 49 countries, including 27 EU Member States, as well as EU accession countries and others with diverse political and economic contexts.

UNHCR’s engagement in the Europe region focuses on advancing protection and solutions, while supporting two major operations in Ukraine and Türkiye. The region also hosts key political and financial centres that are critical for mobilizing public and private support, and for shaping global discourse on refugee protection, international cooperation, and humanitarian action.

Within the Bureau’s External Engagement pillar, and under the supervision of the Senior External Engagement Coordinator, the Inter-Agency Coordination Officer - Multi-Stakeholders Partnership (P3) contributes to the development and implementation of partnership strategies and inter-agency coordination at regional and country levels.

The incumbent will support engagement with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the region, strengthening partnerships and promoting localization in line with UNHCR’s partnership framework. They will also build and maintain partnerships with a broad range of external stakeholders—including academia and educational institutions—to ensure UNHCR plays a catalytic role across the region.

The incumbent will support and coordinate key inter-agency processes, including the finalization and reporting of the Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for the Ukraine situation, and contribute to planning related to voluntary return in the Ukraine and Syria contexts. In addition, they will play a key role in preparing and supporting major global and regional processes and events, including the Global Refugee Forum (GRF), the High Commissioner’s Dialogue, and the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

The role also entails engaging with regional and cross-regional partners in relation to evolving situations, including developments in the Middle East, in close coordination with relevant operations and headquarters divisions.

Living and Working Conditions:

Geneva is a HQ duty station offering high standard living conditions with a relatively high cost of living.
With the exception of nationals of the European Union (EU), the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Principality of Andorra, San Martin, Singapore and Vatican, nationals from other countries are subject to the visa requirement for taking up employment. In the absence of a Swiss long stay entry visa, the Swiss mission cannot issue them a Carte de legitimation (equivalent to a work and residency permit). The same rule applies to family members who, depending on their nationalities, must enter Switzerland with a visa for family reunion purposes.

Identifying accommodation will be a priority before arriving at the duty station. Staff members assigned to Geneva have also been granted the opportunity to reside in neighbouring France on the understanding that the preconditions to acquiring a French residency permit are respected. Medical care is up to international standards. Under the Swiss Federal Health Insurance Act health insurance coverage is compulsory for all persons domiciled in Switzerland within three months of taking up residence or being born in the country. International staff members and their family members holding a Carte de legitimation or an attestation delivered by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs are exempt from this compulsory insurance provided that they are covered by another health insurance scheme (i.e. UNSMIS).

With regard to educational facilities in the Geneva area, international schools (La Grande Boissière, Châtaigneraie and Pregny) have difficulties to find places for new admissions. It is therefore advisable to make requests for admission for children as early as possible. For more information on this subject, staff can contact the Association Genevoise des écoles privées in Geneva (www.agep.ch), tel: (+41 22 735 7671).

Staff members at the grade of P-5 and above, who reside in Switzerland, enjoy diplomatic status in Switzerland and may purchase goods tax-free in Switzerland. They are also entitled to the Swiss petrol card and CD plates.

Switzerland is in general a safe place with little violent crime.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts: Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts: Economics, Bachelor of Arts: International Relations, Bachelor of Arts: Law, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Bachelor of Arts: Social Science

Certifications

Interagency Coord Learning Program - Other

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: Others of Concern, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Stateless

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Stakeholder management, 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