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Standard Job Description
Assistant Programme Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Assistant Programme Officer may be based in HQ, field/regional bureau, and would normally receive guidance from more senior programme staff in the operation/bureau/division and may supervise a small team of local staff. The incumbent 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 Assistant Programme Officer will support the provision of programmatic guidance and support with regard to the implementation of protection and solutions strategies within available resources. The incumbent will play a role in coordinating with the other sections/units 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 persons of concern, 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
- Support in assessing and analysing the needs of persons of concern in a participatory manner, using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective as basis for planning
- Provide support 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,
- Assist the planning process in compliance with planning parameters outlined in the Programme Manual and the planning instructions
- Contribute to the review and analyse of plans, mid-year and year-end reports of UNHCR offices in the region, ensuring quality assurance and compliance with established policies, guidelines, procedures and standards.
- Assist with the provision of overall direction to broaden partnerships with key stakeholders in order to maximize the protection and solutions response for persons of concern.
- Contribute to the successful 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.
- Contribute to ensure consistent and coherent monitoring approaches, tools and systems within the Area of Responsibility (AoR), in line with global standards and polices.
- Actively contribute to UNHCRs programming of community of practice and continuously contribute 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
- Assist in a timely and effective follow-up of internal and external audits observations and recommendations that relate to programmatic issues.
- 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 P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree
Field(s) of Education
Economics
Business Administration
Social Sciences
or other relevant field.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified
Relevant Job Experience
Essential:
Demonstrated experience in programme management including familiarization with the OMC and sound knowledge Results Based-Management. Demonstrated experience in field operations, sound knowledge on the centrality of protection in programming, 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. Sound experience in program management training and capacity building activities.
Functional Skills
PG-UNHCR's Programmes
PG-Results-Based Management
PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate)
PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards)
(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
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:
Nature of Position:
Cameroon faces a multi-faceted humanitarian situation caused by several independent protection crises. As of October 2025 statistics, Cameroon operations count 2 million people under the UNHCR mandate and responsibility. Most live among the host communities where humanitarian assistance is limited and national development planning is constrained by resources, environmental degradation, and chronic poverty. There are almost 500,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers in Cameroon, mostly from the Central African Republic (CAR) (74%) living in the eastern façade (East, Adamawa, and North regions), RoC and from Nigeria (26%) living in the Far North region, and over 1 million internally displaced persons mostly in Northwest, Southwest, West, Far North, and Littoral. With pockets of safety returning in several areas, out 970,000 IDPs over 700,000 have returned to their areas of origin.
Since 2013 peace, stability, and development in the regions of Far North in Cameroon and Borno state in Nigeria, have been undermined by attacks by non-state armed groups and increased insecurity, resulting in large-scale displacements, increasing Nigerians seeking refuge, and an amplification of the vulnerability of local populations.
Since 2016, Cameroon has been confronted with a sociopolitical crisis in the Northwest and Southwest (NWSW) regions, with major displacements in neighboring West and Littoral regions and Nigeria. In the North, East, Adamawa, Littoral, and Centre regions, the country is accommodating refugees and asylum seekers of various nationalities, most of them, from the Central African Republic (CAR).
Floods and inter-communal tensions over resources use take place against a backdrop of conflict and insecurity fomented by non-state armed groups and population displacement. Since 2013, the Boko Haram crisis, which began in northern Nigeria, has spread to the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, displacing millions in the Lake Chad region. Cameroon's Far North region is home to some 803,500 forcibly displaced persons, including 123,000 refugees, 475,500 internally displaced persons, and 205,000 returnees. The region grapples with immense challenges, including endemic poverty, weak public services, and chronic insecurity caused by protracted armed conflicts. These historically under-served semi-arid and dry climate areas face increasing environmental degradation, further fueled by food insecurity and competition over scarce resources.
Water scarcity also makes it difficult for people to grow crops and raise livestock concurrently, increasing tensions between refugees, IDPs, host communities, and returnees, jeopardizing hopes for sustained peaceful coexistence.
In Northwest Cameroon, the tensions between Fulani pastoralists and autochthonous communities have been fueled by the war between non-state armed groups and the Government. Over 1 million are forcibly displaced in these regions because of this crisis. Similarly, in the Southwest region, attacks in bordering Nigerian states led to an influx of around 10,000 Nigerian refugees in Manyu as of September 2022. Additional development exacerbating existing inter-communal tensions between host communities and displaced people are access to land, land ownership, and the distribution of limited agricultural resources for farming.
The Littoral and West regions, hosting over 400,000 IDPs from the spillover of the Northwest and Southwest crisis, are facing challenges in providing sufficient economic opportunities and access to basic services. Competition over limited resources led to social tensions and conflicts between IDPs and host communities. Therefore, peaceful coexistence and community empowerment-related activities are needed.
The Far North, NW, and SW are predominantly young populations, with people aged 6 to 34 making up more than half of the total population. The conservative and essentially patriarchal society of the Far North does not allow them to be systematically included in decision-making, with limited space for the participation of women and young people in public and political life. Women face additional difficulties in terms of protection and socio-economic inclusion. They generally suffer from food insecurity, exacerbated in households with pregnant or breastfeeding women and children under 5 months. In addition, displaced women and girls have faced additional security and protection concerns, including lack of access to services and resources, forced marriages, sexual violence and abuse, and domestic violence.
Within this context, the Assistant Programme Officer, based in Yaounde, reports to and is guided by the Senior Programme Officer and may supervise a small team of local staff, will provide programmatic guidance and support regarding the implementation of the multi-year protection and solutions strategies within available resources. S/he will coordinate with the other sections/units to ensure harmonized programmatic approaches at all levels and throughout the UNHCR Operations Management Cycle. The incumbent will work in line with the overall UNHCR directions which crucially require working with partners, including persons with and for whom UNHCR works, governmental institutions, development institutions, and the private sector, ensuring that program management is approached as per UNHCR’s Strategic Directions, Global Strategic Priorities (GSPs), Global Compact for Refugees (GCR), and 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.
Living and Working Conditions:
Additional Qualifications
Skills
PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards), PG-Results-Based Management, PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate), PG-UNHCR's ProgrammesEducation
Certifications
Work Experience
Competencies
Accountability, Change capability & adaptability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Teamwork & collaborationUNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Additional Information
Functional clearance