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

PR4

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

Senior Programme Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Programme Officer may be based in HQ, field/regional bureau, typically reporting to and be guided by the Chief of Section/Deputy Director/Operations Manager and may supervise a small team of local and international 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 Senior Programme Officer will provide strategic programmatic guidance and advice to senior management with regard to the implementation of country or Bureau level protection and solutions strategies within available resources. S/he will coordinate with the other sections/units within the Bureau and/or office(s) across the country/region to ensure harmonized programmatic approaches at all levels and throughout the UNHCR Operations Management Cycle. S/he 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), 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
- Oversee a coherent approach 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 guidance to office(s) 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.
- Support the planning process in compliance with planning parameters outlined in the Programme Manual and the planning instructions.
- Ensure effective and results-based resource allocation in the planning processes and cost efficiency in the delivery of outputs.
- Review and analyse plans, mid-year and year-end reports of UNHCR office(s), ensuring quality assurance and compliance with established policies, guidelines, procedures and standards.
- Support the provision overall direction to broaden partnerships with key stakeholders in order to maximize the protection and solutions response for forcibly displaced and stateless persons.
- Guide and provide directions to office(s) in operationalising new and emerging policies, strategies and partnerships, including in an inter-agency context, identifying opportunities and innovative solutions and ensuring compliance with existing standards.
- Guide office(s) in managing a consultative process 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.
- Actively contribute to UNHCRs programming of community of practice and continuously contributing to improvements of programming tools and processes.
- Identify potential gaps and problems and in cooperation with other relevant sections recommend appropriate solutions to ensure the efficient implementation of programme activities
- Develop comprehensive assistance programmes that compliment activities implemented from other operational partners.
- Oversee a timely and effective follow-up of internal and external audits observations and recommendations that relate to programmatic issues.

- Lead risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seize opportunities impacting objectives. Ensure that risk management principles are integrated in decision-making both at strategic and operational levels. Allocate resources for planned treatments with resource requirements in Strategic Plans. Ensure that risks are managed to acceptable levels and escalate, as needed. If a Risk Owner, designate the Risk Focal Point and certify that the annual risk review is completed and ensure that the risk register is updated during the year, as needed.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
For P4/NOD - 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Business Administration, Social Science, Economics,

International Relations or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Programme Management
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Demonstrated experience in developing and managing humanitarian projects and programmes including the allocation and management of resources. Sound knowledge of the UNHCR Operations Management Cycle Knowledge and practical experience on Results Based-Management. Demonstrated experience in field operations. Sound knowledge on the centrality of protection in programming. Enhanced knowledge on 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. Solid experience in training and capacity building activities.

Functional Skills
PG-Resource planning
PG-Needs Assessment and Response Analysis
PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate)
PG-UNHCR's Programmes
PG-Results-Based 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.

Essential attributes:
• Solid experience in regional or multi country coordination processes, including planning cycles, resource allocation discussions, and structured engagement with country operations through virtual, in person, and mission-based support
• Proven experience in multi-year strategic planning, including the formulation of multi-year operational plans and budgets aligned with organizational priorities
• Extensive experience in programme and project budgeting and budget analysis, including preparation of budgets for resource mobilization and donor engagement, and the ability to identify imbalances, incorrect allocations, and deviations from prioritization parameters, with strong capacity to recommend corrective actions
• Solid experience in expenditure monitoring and reporting, including analysis of implementation rates and identification of delivery bottlenecks
• Experience in partnership management processes, including delegated procurement arrangements and application of administrative instructions related to partnerships
• Working knowledge of both French and English in a professional context

Desirable attributes:

• Strong ability to provide remote technical guidance and support to both Programme and non-Programme staff at various levels of seniority
• Demonstrated experience in coordinating teams and workflows across multiple locations, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with strategic priorities
• Demonstrated ability to design and facilitate capacity building initiatives for programme and multi-functional teams, including coordination with corporate learning entities and support services
• Experience supporting the operationalization of corporate frameworks and initiatives, including humanitarian reset processes, GCR, sustainable responses, the 50by35 vision, and integrated approaches linking data, dialogue, and development
• Exposure to regional programme review mechanisms and advisory processes, including participation in annual or mid-year programme reviews
• Prior experience developing or maintaining programme management dashboards or similar monitoring tools at country or regional level.

In view of the Regional Bureau’s role for managerial oversight, technical guidance and support to operations in the region, the incumbent of the position should have strong technical capacity and experience in his/her field of expertise. S/he should be a strong team player, have strong service-orientation, flexibility and proactivity to manage arising situations and challenges. In addition, the incumbent of the position should coordinate closely with other units in the Regional Bureau, promote collaboration and diversity in a multicultural environment and contribute to a positive work environment.

The incumbent of the position will be expected to travel on missions to remote field-locations, some of which may have challenging living and working conditions as well as security constraints.

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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 West and Central Africa (RBWCA), based in Dakar, oversees UNHCR operations in eight countries with an established presence: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.

As part of a regional realignment, the Multi-Country Offices (MCOs) in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal were closed on 31 December 2025. Five standalone country offices –Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and Togo, – became fully operational on 1 October 2025 as National Offices. The Multi-Country Office (MCO) Cameroon covers Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome et Principe. The remit of the RBWCA has also expanded to include the Republic of Congo (under MCO Cameroon as of 1 October 2025), further consolidating oversight across West and Central Africa.

The Bureau is accredited to regional intergovernmental bodies, including ECOWAS and ECCAS, and engages closely with UN regional entities. With both Anglophone and Francophone countries, the region requires bilingual, context-specific engagement across diverse political and operational environments.

The West and Central Africa region is currently home to over 21.9 million forcibly displaced and stateless persons, including IDPs, refugees, asylum-seekers, and returnees. Major concentrations are found in Chad, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and the DRC, where conflict, intercommunal violence, and human rights violations continue to drive new displacement.

Humanitarian needs continue to rise due to expanding armed conflict in the Sahel, political instability, and the regional impact of the Sudan crisis, which has generated large refugee inflows into Chad and CAR. The region is also a major crossroads for mixed movements, requiring a route-based approach (RBA) along the central and western Mediterranean routes and the Sahel–North Africa axis.

While some voluntary repatriation and spontaneous returns occur, large-scale solutions remain limited. UNHCR prioritizes long-term solutions beyond return – including socio-economic inclusion, transition to national systems, and strengthened access to services – in protracted and fragile contexts.

Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) together illustrate the growing convergence between humanitarian response, national system-strengthening, and development in West and Central Africa. Chad hosts more than 1.3 million refugees and operating at the limits of humanitarian capacity, making it a defining test case for UNHCR’s shift toward inclusion in national systems, development-anchored solutions, and reduced parallel structures. CAR, meanwhile, sits at the crossroads of the Sahel, the Great Lakes, and the Sudan regional crisis, with cyclical displacement and volatile border zones continuing to strain the absorption capacity of its institutions. Through the CAR Solutions Support Platform and cross-border coordination with Chad, Cameroon, DRC, ROC, Sudan and South Sudan, UNHCR is helping shape a more predictable framework for voluntary returns, community-based reintegration, and stabilization in areas of repeated displacement, in addition to advancing on local inclusion and integration in neighbouring asylum countries. Together, Chad and CAR underline the Bureau’s strategic move toward situation-based engagement, reinforced regional cooperation, and investment in national systems as the foundation for long-term solutions.

The Sahel continues to face violence, challenges to humanitarian access, and limited essential services, while the spill over into the Coastal States has transformed the crisis into a broader regional challenge. Despite this volatility, governments have demonstrated renewed political will through the Sahel+ strategy and the Lomé Dialogue, creating opportunities for coordinated approaches to asylum, border governance, protection data, and mixed movement management. UNHCR’s situational approach in the Sahel centres on delivering life-saving emergency assistance, strengthening protection and advancing solutions, and social and economic inclusion for the forcibly displaced, supported by a route-based framework that links countries of origin, transit, and destination. The Sahel thus represents both one of the deepest protection crises in the region and a critical entry point for state-led, regionally anchored solutions that reinforce resilience, inclusion, and social cohesion.

The DRC, recent addition to the RBWCA’s remit and immediately a regional priority, represents one of the most complex additions to the Bureau’s portfolio, with nearly 6 million IDPs and over 1.2 million Congolese refugees hosted in neighbouring states (primarily Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania). The country also hosts over 510,000 refugees from the region.

UNHCR’s role in the DRC extends beyond humanitarian response to support key regional peace processes, and the Tripartite framework between DRC, Rwanda and UNHCR.

The global funding landscape is driving a shift from broad programme-based models to more projectized, donor-aligned delivery. The Bureau is adopting project-based management, with new SOPs defining roles along the project cycle, strengthened accountability and contribution-tracking, and enhanced M&E to demonstrate results.

Capacity building on project management, proposal writing, donor compliance, and risk management will be rolled out. A regional oversight mechanism, standardized templates, and regional proposal packs will support quality and alignment. Strategic prioritisation of proposals will be essential to avoid overload.

The Bureau will also diversify partnerships – including national partners, development actors, ECOWAS, and emerging donors – to reinforce sustainability and avoid overly ambitious or politically sensitive commitments, particularly in complex contexts such as the DRC.

The Senior Programme Officer works under the supervision of the Senior Programme Coordinator, collaborates with, and provides support to other colleagues in the Strategic Planning and Operations Support Section. He or She also receives and provides support to and from other sections within the Regional Bureau.

Living and Working Conditions:

It is planned that the entire United Nations system in Dakar will relocate to a common UN house in Diamniadio, approximately 40 km from the main city. Staff who choose to live in the city would face a substantial commute. Arrangements are being made for staff transportation and teleworking schedules to ensure acceptable working conditions. Candidates applying for positions based in Dakar should consider this accordingly.

As the capital of Senegal, Dakar has a population of over one million and offers reasonable medical facilities, providing both general and specialist care in line with international standards. Dakar is classified by the United Nations as an "A" family duty station, indicating access to all basic services and most recreational activities and facilities.

Living conditions are comfortable, and essential services are readily available.

While the asylum practices in West Africa are generally generous, the operational and political environments present unique challenges for the UN, and particularly for UNHCR. The region hosts a variety of political and UN coordination mechanisms, requiring significant time and effort to ensure that UNHCR remains relevant. Key structures include the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, led by a Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), the Regional UNDG, and regional offices for WFP, UNICEF, OCHA, UN Women, FAO, among others. Donors also have regional platforms in West Africa.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

CL-Programme/Project Mgmt (formulation, implementation, programme cycles and reporting), MG-People Management, PG-Programme planning at country/bureau level, SO-Critical Thinking and problem solving, TR-Coaching/mentoring, TR-Training and Capacity Building of senior leadership and management

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

Certifications

Programme Management - Other

Annual Budget OL in Operation/Office, 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 IDPs, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Stateless

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Change capability & adaptability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Leadership, Managing performance, Managing resource, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Strategic planning & visions, 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