Associate Donor Relations Officer at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

29 Sep, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

01 Jul, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Resource Mobilization, Donor Reporting, Donor Relations, Humanitarian Financing, Strategic Communication, Networking, Drafting and Documentation, Reporting Skills, Partnership Management, Fundraising, Risk Management, Interagency Coordination

Industry

International Affairs

Description

Deadline for Applications July 18, 2026 Hardship Level H (no hardship) Family Type Family Residential location (if applicable) Grade PR2 Staff Member / Affiliate Type Junior Professional Officer Reason Regular > Regular Assignment Target Start Date 2026-07-01 Standard Job Description Associate Donor Relations Officer Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Associate Donor Relations Officer is part of a team that maintains proactive dialogue with governmental donors or UN agencies and organizations, as well as with the regional and local donors aiming at building relationships, raise awareness and mobilize political and financial support for UNHCR's work and priorities. The incumbent's primary role is pursuing opportunities for donor engagement, strengthening partnerships, sustaining support and fundraising opportunities. Due to the specific nature of these responsibilities, Donor Relations Officer posts are based only in Geneva Headquarters, major donor capitals or Regional Bureaux, s/he with also provide support to counterparts in Field Operations. S/he is supervised by the Senior Donor Relations Officer and receives guidance from Public Partnerships and Financing Service (PPFS) Chief of Sections and from the Head of Service. S/he may receive indirect guidance from other units within PPFS, Divisions in Headquarters or Regional Bureaux. 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 - Assist in maintaining close dialogue with, and providing information to, donor governments on UNHCR operations and financial requirements, including in response to donor governments' ad hoc requests for information. - Keep abreast of UNHCR's operations worldwide, with a specific focus on high-profile and emergency situations, to be able to serve donors' information needs on all aspects of UNHCR's work. - Assist in identifying and accessing new donors and funding sources as per PPFS strategy. - Assist in drafting internal and external correspondence, including briefing notes for HC, Head of PPFS to support them in negotiations and follow up of contributions with donors. - Assist in implementing and reviewing actions and strategies, and maintaining donor profiles and plans. - Monitor recording and track engagement of contributions and take necessary actions to satisfy donor requirements. - Help prepare submissions - in collaboration with respective Bureau, Divisions and UNHCR Offices - for specific funding from donors or provide other information donors may require in determining their financial/political support to UNHCR. - As needed, help Bureaux/Regional Offices/Country Operations with input for their fundraising strategies, in line with DER/PPFS strategic directions. - Arrange meetings for donors and, where applicable, organize annual bilateral consultations with donor governments. - Prepare reports using UNHCR information management systems (COMPASS, Cloud ERP, Power BI - Results Data Portal and Wordkay, data portal, funding updates, etc.) as necessary in a timely and efficient manner. - Provide editorial support and facilitate the finalization of fundraising publications produced by PPFS or the Bureaux, including appeals and other reports. - Provide support and guidance to the Field on engagement in the Refugee Response Plans and Humanitarian Response Plans. - Provide guidance and advice on UNHCR's involvement at the IASC on humanitarian financing. - Perform regional focal point duties as required, including compiling funding-related TPs and background notes on the region for senior management missions and meetings with donors; review funding updates. - 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 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 International Relations; Political Science; Social Sciences; Journalism; Communication; Public Policy; or other relevant field. Certificates and/or Licenses Not specified Relevant Job Experience Essential Experience in external engagement with donors, UN agencies, partners, governments. Professional work experience in field operations. Knowledge of UNHCR's operational arrangements, its relief programmes, the funding needs and priorities. Desirable UNHCR fund- raising and programme management experience. Good research, policy and report writing skills. Experience in managing donor relations. Understanding of the workings of major donor perspectives, requirements and standards. Functional Skills MG-Resource Mobilization Techniques and Guidelines ER-Donor Reporting and Related Tracking Systems ER-Donor Relations - Humanitarian Financing *CO-Strategic Communication SO-Networking *CO-Drafting and Documentation CO-Reporting skills (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. Desired Candidate Profile This job is advertised in the framework of the JPO Programme and reserved exclusively for candidates with Canadian nationality. OPERATIONAL CONTEXT The Global Public Partnerships and Financing Service (GPS) leads UNHCR’s overall engagement with public sector donors, in close coordination with the organization’s regional entities and country offices, and actively engaging with interagency platforms. The Service’s work is structured around portfolios covering both humanitarian and non-humanitarian funding streams, encompassing fundraising, contribution management, reporting, funding analysis, and income management and recording. The Service is led by a Head of Service, under the overall supervision of the Director of the Division of External Relations, and works closely with—and provides guidance to—UNHCR teams worldwide. The Associate Donor Relations Officer will be part of the team managing funding from UN sources, including UN interagency pooled funds, one of UNHCR’s top donors globally. The incumbent will report to the Senior Donor Relations Officer. DESIRED CANDIDATE PROFILE The incumbent should be strategy-focused and client-oriented, with strong attention to detail. Excellent drafting skills in English are essential, with French or Spanish an asset. Proven communication abilities to convey complex issues to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. S/he should be a self-starter with strong people management skills and a passion for teamwork, demonstrating a can-do attitude. The ability to adapt to different portfolios showing political and cultural awareness is a must. The incumbent should ideally have prior experience working in the field, with refugees and/or in a humanitarian context. Experience in interagency works would be an advantage. TERMS OF REFERENCE Focal point for reporting (pooled funds): - Ensure compliance of UNHCR contractual obligations for donor reporting (pooled funds). - Develop a rapport with Bureaux and operations donor reporting focal points (pooled funds). - Ensure systems are in place in regional bureaux to track status and foster timely submissions of donor reports. - Ensure UNHCR filing systems including online platforms are up to date. - Provide guidance and support Bureaux and operations as required. Contribute to delivering on visibility (pooled funds): - Participate in annual meetings with OCHA counterparts on donor visibility. - Support the development of an annual donor visibility plan for pooled funding sources. Monitor implementation. - Liaise with Bureaux’ focal points and relevant operations as required. - Liaise with GPS Donor Visibility Focal Point regularly to ensure operations’ visibility efforts are relayed by UNHCR main channels and communicated to pooled funds secretariat accordingly. - Ensure visibility outputs are filed for future reference and reporting purposes. Contribution management support: - Provide support as needed throughout the fundraising process (proposal development, allocation negotiations, recording of income in UNHCR systems etc.) - Conduct first review of donor proposals submitted by the field for donor focal points’ (DFP) clearance. - Support DFP on agreement internal clearance process as required. - Support DFP in organizing quarterly pooled funds contribution management meetings with Bureaux and ensure follow up as required. - Support the field implement interagency accountability requirements as required. Support in developing resources for the field: - Develop Donor Factsheets for major pooled funding sources. - Develop Guidelines for operations on contribution management for major pooled funds (submission, implementation, reporting, visibility). - Contribute to internal and external communications on the impact of pooled funds. Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level): , , Desired languages , , 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: Living and Working Conditions: Additional Qualifications Skills CO-Drafting and Documentation, CO-Reporting skills, CO-Strategic Communication, ER-Donor Relations - Humanitarian Financing, ER-Donor Reporting and Related Tracking Systems, MG-Resource Mobilization Techniques and Guidelines, SO-Networking Education Bachelor of Arts: Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts: Economics, Bachelor of Arts: International Relations, Bachelor of Arts: Management, Bachelor of Arts: Social Science Certifications Work Experience 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, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration UNHCR Salary Calculator https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales Compendium Additional Information Functional clearance This position doesn't require a functional clearance Important notice: Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training). Read about how to avoid scams and fraudulent job offers. Please note that applications are only accepted via the UNHCR online recruitment platform. CVs and/or application requests sent via email will not be answered, reviewed nor considered. For external applicants: We would like to call your attention on the eligibility of International Professional (P) category: According to our Recruitment and Assignments Policy, P staff members will not normally serve in the country of their nationality, and the first regular appointment in the P category must be outside the staff member's country of nationality. In practical terms this means that you are not eligible to apply for International Professional vacancies advertised in the country where you are national of. In case of technical difficulties when applying, external applicants (not current UNHCR workforce members) can write to recruitmentcase@unhcr.org. For former UNHCR Colleagues: Former UNHCR employees who are on mandatory break-in service or have separated from UNHCR after 1 October 2022 should create an account through this platform. Once you fill in your basic personal information (employee ID, birth date, name, email address), Workday will identify you as prior personnel and merge your employee account with your external applicant account. The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, takes the lead in protecting people forced to flee wars and persecution around the world, providing life-saving aid including shelter, food and water to ensure their basic safety, rights and dignity. With 18,879 women and men working in 137 countries, we work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of 89.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Our dedicated and professional staff work around the clock in roles including legal protection, community services, public affairs, health and more. Despite the challenges they can face, our staff are proud to work for UNHCR and determined to make a positive impact. Why a career with UNHCR? Our dedicated staff work to protect and assist people fleeing conflict and persecution at a time when global forced displacement is at a record high. Our colleagues bring a wide range of specialized skills, including expertise in legal protection, administration, community services, public affairs, health and other disciplines. Disability inclusion If you are a person with a disability and you expect you may face challenges during the recruitment process, you can indicate it in your application form. There are options to select any health conditions you may have and outline any necessary adjustments related to disabilities during the recruitment phases. Providing this information is optional. It will be treated as strictly confidential and used only for the purpose of finding out how to better assist you during the recruitment process. Adjustments for candidates with disabilities will be provided as best as possible and as needed upon request. All candidates will be assessed based on meeting the requirements for each vacancy in relation to experience, skills, and education.

Responsibilities

The Associate Donor Relations Officer maintains dialogue with governmental and UN donors to mobilize financial and political support for UNHCR. Key duties include managing donor reporting for pooled funds, drafting briefing notes, and supporting fundraising strategies in field operations.