External Relations Associate @ UNHCR Greece

H (no hardship)

Family

Grade

GS6

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

No

2024-04-01

March 26, 2024

External Relations Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The External Relations Associate is normally supervised by the External Relations Officer or another professional staff depending on the staffing structure of the Office. The incumbent receives regular guidance and advice from the supervisor. Advice and operational support may also be received from other senior staff and support units at the Country Office/HQ.

External contacts are generally with a broad range of officials from national and international institutions, media or general public involving the exchange of a wide range of information.

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

– Provide background briefings to local and international media.

– Keep track of evolving issues concerning persons of concern to be able to suggest stories and topics for the media to cover.

– Provide daily briefings on local developments to the Head of Office and ensure that briefing materials from other offices are available.

– Accompany visits of foreign delegations and the media to refugee sites in the region, giving appropriate briefings, commentaries and prepare briefing material for visitors.

– Establish contacts with local organisations to promote general interest and understanding of refugee issues

– Ensure that the office is kept informed of local developments which may have a political or operational impact on the office’s activities.

– May be required to compile information and SitReps received from the Field Offices and/or sections within the Office and consolidate into weekly/monthly/quarterly report.

– Advise the Head of Office of local aspects of external relations policies.

– Liaise with external partners and local organizations on behalf of UNHCR.

– Produce reports and briefings for internal and external partners.

– 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 G6 – 3 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 Sciences Social Sciences International Relations
• Journalism Communication
• (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified

Desirable
Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position.

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

In the local context, rather than managing media relations which are handled by the dedicated Communications Unit, the External Relations Associate will be working on the diverse portfolio managed by the External Relations Unit, which includes reporting, external/donor relations, inter-agency coordination and executive assistance. As such, experience in these areas is an asset. As the incumbent at times responds to high demands from internal and external counterparts, flexibility and strong team player skills are important.

S/he may also be required to deliver to multiple and, at times, competing deadlines for which the ability to manage time effectively, and to be proactive in the delivery of output are assets. To be successful in this role, the incumbent needs to have superior organizational skills, be responsible and responsive and make use of feedback constructively while consulting and seeking guidance when needed including from thematic experts in the organization.

The incumbent also needs excellent drafting and communication skills in English, to be analytical and have acute political awareness. Attention to detail, a strong understanding of evidence-based reporting and the ability to write concisely are important.

S/he should be able to work independently with a variety of stakeholders, while exercising discretion, impartiality, and neutrality as well as to manage information objectively and accurately. It is also important for the incumbent to possess high interpersonal and diplomatic skills with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential communication. UN/UNHCR experience is considered an asset.

Greek,
English

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

Currently, some 108,000 asylum-seekers and refugees are hosted in Greece. Ιn 2023, over 48,700 people arrived to the country by sea or land. UNHCR provides expert advice to the State and evidence-based information that helps inform programmes and policies for asylum-seekers and refugees. Access to international protection, identifying durable solutions and support to vulnerable asylum-seekers and refugees, such as unaccompanied children and survivors of gender-based violence, are UNHCR’s key priorities.

UNHCR also works with national and local authorities, the private sector, civil society and refugee communities to advance inclusion, develop support networks and create employability and training opportunities for refugees. The Office retains a readiness to respond to emergencies and new arrivals, with a focus on immediate support to the most vulnerable. UNHCR Greece plays a strong advocacy role since continued support is needed particularly from EU countries and EU institutions in providing immediate protection to those most at-risk through sufficient resources, ensuring capacity in the country and responsibility-sharing. UNHCR will continue to assist Greek authorities in responding to both short and long-term challenges.

The External Relations Associate reports to the External Relations Officer and is part of a five-member team which makes the External Relations (ER) unit of the Greece Operation.

External Relation is the dedicated unit within UNHCR Greece responsible for implementing the external relations strategy of the UNHCR Representation in Greece. The unit is responsible to develop and maintain relations, and/or mobilize resources from Governments, foundations and private sector donors; to facilitate interagency coordination in Greece, to fulfill internal and external reporting and provide executive support to senior management. Media relations are instead managed and handled by the dedicated Communications Unit of UNHCR Greece.

The External Relations Associate is the focal point for external and internal reporting requirements of the Greece Operation. The incumbent reviews, consolidates and drafts internal and external reports and presentations for a wide range of products targeting different audiences, such as situation and real-time updates, activity and thematic reports, flash updates, fundraising appeals and donor reports (narrative and financial).

The External Relations Associate is the working focal point for the roll-out of UNHCR’s external engagement plan with donors, Embassies and other key interlocutors in Greece, under the guidance and supervision of the External Relations Officer. The incumbent is responsible for organizing and/or delivering briefings to Governments, donor and other external partners on the latest developments in Greece and UNHCR’s work, seeking to promote an understanding on the situation, achievements and key challenges and garner support. S/he also coordinates the development and the public dissemination of periodic updates and other informational material that are relevant to the work of the External Relations unit. S/he helps develop and nurture positive working relationships with donors, the diplomatic community, and NGOs, briefs them on issues of priority for UNHCR Greece and refugees in general, and supports the planning and organization of meetings and missions to the field. As part of the executive support team, the incumbent will help prepare senior management in advance of meetings and other important events with tailored talking points, background notes, briefing material and other documents, and verifies and consolidates information from various sources and units. The incumbent works closely with different focal points within Greece, UNHCR European and other offices and HQ, as well as liaises with various counterparts externally.

Living and Working Conditions:

Additional Qualifications

• Skills

• Certifications

Communication – Other, International Relations – Other, Journalism – Other, Political Science – Other, Social Sciences – Other

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Innovation & creativity, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information