Senior External Relations Associate at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

04 Apr, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

04 Jan, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Communications, Donor Relations, Project Management, Partnership Management, Resource Mobilization, Analytical Skills, Media Relations, Advocacy, Event Management, Budget Management, Multimedia Storytelling, External Relations, Journalism, Public Affairs, Social Media Management, Liaison

Industry

International Affairs

Description

Deadline for Applications January 17, 2026 Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based) A (least hardship) Family Type (not applicable for home-based) Family Staff Member / Affiliate Type UNOPS LICA7 Target Start Date 2026-02-02 Terms of Reference The Affiliates position under UNOPS Agreement is open to Emirati nationals and candidates with valid residency in the UAE, subject to the following qualifications: • Proven experience with a UN Agency or in an international or multinational environment, particularly in areas such as communications, donor relations, project and partnership management, etc. Preferably within the UAE or across the GCC. • Knowledge of the UAE’s operational context, government entities, partners, and other relevant stakeholders. • Experience in resource mobilization and donor coordination, including drafting proposals, progress reports, and briefing documents in both English and Arabic. • Experience in communication, coordination, and liaison with external stakeholders. • Demonstrate strong analytical skills with experience in highlighting media articles and relevant local developments and providing timely, insightful briefings on such. • Ability to adapt to evolving responsibilities and perform additional duties as required. • Proficiency in English and Arabic is a requirement, both verbal and written. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a written test and a competency-based interview. Standard Job Description Senior External Relations Associate Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Senior External Relations Associate is to be a key external point of contact for the UNHCR office with media and other external organisations. The incumbent will be responsible for creating greater public (Donors, NGOs, Government, Refugees, Civil Society, etc.) awareness and understanding of refugee issues and the work of UNHCR and for amplifying the voice of refugees and other people of concern (PoC). S/he will have a pivotal role in drafting reports, updates, briefing documents, maintenance of the UNHCR local web site and social media channels and providing support to the supervisor. The Senior External Relations Associate supports activities, events, campaigns and outreach, working with partner organisations to support the protection of PoC. Essential to these efforts are coherent and consistent visual and verbal messaging and linking the substantive media elements (news) to milestone events (World Refugee Day, Nansen Refugee Award, #IBelong Campaign to end Statelessness, HCs Dialogues, and the launch of one off campaigns and events.) The overall aim is to mobilise further financial support, increase awareness and empathy for forcibly displaced people. The incumbent normally reports to a Representative, Head of Office/Section or a Senior Communication or External Relations Officer, depending on the office setup. 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 - Support UNHCR's media relations and advocacy work in the geographic and thematic area. - Monitor evolving issues concerning asylum seekers, stateless persons and refugees within the Area of Responsibility (AoR) and suggest stories and topics for media coverage. - Provide support to Senior Management in dealing with the challenges posed by the political context, the UN and humanitarian reform, and institutional developments. - Ensure that the office is kept informed of local developments which may have a political or operational impact on its activities. - Provide background briefings to local and international media. - Accompany visits of foreign delegations and the media to refugee sites, give appropriate briefings, commentaries and prepare briefing material for visitors. - Assist in the dialogue with donors and embassies and provide accurate information by organizing regular briefings, bilateral meetings and missions. - Assist Senior Management in disseminating information on UNHCR's global funding situation and mobilize additional funds to implement special projects aimed at enhancing the quality of protection for PoC. - Manage budget, when requested, including tracking expenditures and incoming donations. Ensure payments through UNHCR and prepare budget documents for partners and reports on spending. - Assist in the drafting of situation reports, briefing notes, background material, talking points, fact sheets, press releases and articles. - Assist in planning and organizing advertisements, exhibitions, training seminars, conferences, meetings, social events, campaigns and other activities to promote a better understanding of UNHCR's activities and accomplishments by the general public and/or organized groups. - Organize press briefings for external parties as required. - Reach out proactively to a broad range of external actors, including social media influencers, good will ambassadors and the private sector to build new alliances within the AoR in order to promote the protection of PoC. - Manage preparation of contracts for artists, production companies, journalist, photographers etc. - 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 G7 - 4 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher Field(s) of Education Not applicable. Certificates and/or Licenses Political or Social Sciences, International Relations, Journalism, Communication (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential) Relevant Job Experience Essential: Not specified Desirable: Experience with event management. Demonstrated ability to work against tight deadlines. Functional Skills MS-Advocacy CO-Journalism (incl. print, broadcast, photography, video ) CO-Multimedia storytelling ER-External Relations in UNHCR or other humanitarian agencies EX-Experience in an international, decentralized and/or multinational environment MG-Project Management FR-Marketing MG- Partnership Development (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. Required Languages , , Desired Languages , , Additional Qualifications Skills Education Certifications Work Experience Other information This position doesn't require a functional clearance Remote No 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 Senior External Relations Associate will serve as a key external contact for the UNHCR office, responsible for enhancing public awareness of refugee issues and UNHCR's work. This includes drafting reports, managing media relations, and supporting outreach activities.