Senior Programme Assistant

Deadline for Applications

May 15, 2026

Hardship Level

A (least hardship)

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

GS5

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Target Start Date

2026-05-01

Standard Job Description

Senior Programme Assistant

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Programme Assistant would normally receive guidance from more senior programme staff in the operation/bureau/division. The incumbent may receive indirect guidance from other sections and units relevant to the country/region programme(s). UNHCR Manual, Operations Plans, UN and UNHCR financial/budgetary rules and regulations will guide the work of the Senior Program Assistant.
S/he is expected to have contacts within the organization and outside the duty station, as well as with partners and other stakeholders to collect information, monitor programme activities and implement administrative requirements. 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
- Provide administrative assistance and support in routine services and activities within Programme thus better able to meet the needs of persons of concern.
- Assist in organizing and documenting the selection of partners in accordance with the policy on selection and retention of partners, ensuring due diligence to meet the requirements of projects.
- Provide support to ensure partnership agreements are established in a timely manner, regularly monitored and reported on, in compliance with established guidelines and procedures included in the framework for implementing with partners.
- Guided by the MFT approach, support the development and implementation of monitoring plans for activities implemented through partnerships and those under direct implementation in line with Programme Manual and programming instructions.
- Contribute to the review and analysis of operations plans, mid-year and year-end reports, ensuring quality assurance and compliance with established policies, guidelines, procedures and standards. Generate and maintain records of implementation rate (performance progress and expenditures) on a regular basis.
- Assist in ensuring compliance with issuance of audit certificates for partners in line with the Policy on Risk-Based Project Audits.
- Use UNHCR's ERP system for core activities related to planning, budgeting, implementation and reporting, generating data for evidence-based programmatic decisions and analysis.
- Actively contribute to UNHCRs programming of community of practice and continuously contributing to improvements of programming tools and processes.

- 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
G5 - 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Demonstrated experience in Programme Management, Operation Management Cycle and related processes.
Knowledge of Results Based-Management.
Computer skills (in MS office) including advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, data management, etc)

Desirable
Completion of UNHCR Learning Programmes or specific training relevant to function of the position including Programme Management Level 1. E-tutoring of PM1, Framework for Implementing with Partners Learning Programme.
Experience in programme management training and capacity building activities.

Functional Skills
*IT-Computer Literacy
PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards)
PG-Results-Based Management
DM-Database Management
PG-Programme Analysis
(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

Relevant Job Experience

Essential
Demonstrated experience in Programme Management, Operation Management Cycle, Results Based-Management, Monitoring and Evaluation process, reporting and donors’ proposal, coordination with partner and stakeholders. Management of operational and implementing partner network. Computer skills (in MS office) including advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, data management, PowerBi, etc).

Desirable
Bachelor’s degree, analytical and effective communication skills. Knowledge of Donors priorities and financial logic. Completion of UNHCR Learning Programmes or specific training relevant to function of the position including Programme Management and Monitoring and Evaluation. Framework for Implementing with Partners Learning Programme. Experience in programme management training and capacity building activities. Use of collecting data tolls as Kobo.

The candidate should demonstrate mastery of the programme cycle using a results-based management approach, including partner management, design and monitoring of project work plans, analysis of financial and narrative reports, and budget implementation and follow-up. Proven experience in programme or project support, strong skills in planning, tracking, and reporting, high attention to detail and accuracy, and ability to manage deadlines and workload are required.

The candidate must demonstrate solid practical experience in the rigorous tracking of output, outcome, and impact-level indicators. This includes the ability to: (i) support the definition of baselines, targets, and means of verification within logical frameworks or results plans; (ii) collect, clean, consolidate, and analyse databases derived from partner monitoring, satisfaction surveys, or independent verification exercises; (iii) calculate rates of physical progress versus planned targets, identifying deviations in the achievement of expected results; (iv) apply disaggregated analysis (by sex, age, diversity) to measure change among specific population groups; and (v) translate quantitative and qualitative findings into actionable recommendations to adjust program or project implementation. Experience using dashboards (Power BI) and corporate systems (COMPASS, PROMS, Cloud ERP, OSMOSYS, etc.) for real-time monitoring of indicator performance will be highly valued.

Field(s) of Education
*International Relations, Political science, Economy, Administration and other related with the position

Certificates and/or Licenses
Project Management - monitoring and evaluation

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

English

,

Spanish

,

Desired languages

,

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

Living and Working Conditions:

 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

DM-Database Management, IT-Computer Literacy, PG-Programme Analysis, PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards), PG-Results-Based Management

Education

High school diploma (Required)

Certifications

HCR Learning Program - UNHCR

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Organizational awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

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

Compendium

Additional Information

N/A

The English version is considered original and authoritative, translation to other language(s) serve the purpose of advertisement of local positions where applicable but are not considered as official translations

N/A

Functional clearance

This position doesn't require a functional clearance