Representative in Washington, D.C.

The Representative in Washington, D.C. serves as the High Commissioner’s senior representative in the United States, providing strategic vision, managerial leadership, and oversight to ensure UNHCR’s effective performance. The role involves leading advocacy, fundraising, and partnership development to generate political and financial support for refugee protection and humanitarian action across the US government, civil society, philanthropy, and private sector.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic vision, managerial leadership and oversight to ensure UNHCR’s effective performance in the United States.
• Lead efforts to develop and sustain a robust network of support across the United States, engaging stakeholders from government, civil society, philanthropy, and the private sector.
• Translate the High Commissioner’s organizational objectives and policies into effective advocacy, visibility and programmatic campaigns to generate broad political and financial support.
• Conduct situational and political analysis and develop coherent, consistent and effective responses to challenges in the political climate.
• Serve as a member of the senior leadership team of the High Commissioner, contributing to global strategy and decision-making.
• Ensure adequate direction, technical support and guidance to the Washington DC office.
• Create effective networks, relationships, partnerships, and synergies with governments, NGOs, civil society, persons of concern and other key partners.
• Drive advocacy and fundraising initiatives leveraging strategic partnerships and outreach.
• Maintain and deepen relationships across the US ecosystem including government, civil society, private sector, philanthropy, media and other stakeholders.
• Build and sustain coalitions to generate support for UNHCR priorities.
• Lead an integrated team combining political analysis, strategic communications, donor engagement, partnership development and evidence-based advocacy.
• Provide strategic advisory support to UNHCR country offices worldwide on engagement with US donors and compliance with funding requirements.
• Implement a results-oriented approach engaging a multi-functional team to deliver advocacy, partnership, communications, protection, resource mobilization and operational support.
• Align office workplans with regional and global strategic priorities.
• Ensure UNHCR engagement in UN common programming and planning activities in the US.
• Assess risks to operation objectives and integrate risk management in operational plans.
• Establish and maintain knowledge-management frameworks for stakeholder and donor relationship continuity.
• Undertake missions to operational contexts to strengthen US stakeholder engagement and resource mobilization.
• Ensure office structure and capabilities align with strategic demands of US partnership.
• Direct and oversee US resource mobilization strategy and donor engagement.
• Ensure effective and efficient management of resources within UNHCR rules and procedures.
• Manage local administrative mechanisms and compliance with HR policies.
• Recruit, assign and manage local staff in accordance with UN rules and procedures.
• Ensure learning needs of workforce are identified and addressed.
• Exercise managerial oversight, conduct performance appraisals and coaching.
• Collaborate with security entities to ensure staff protection and compliance with security rules.
• Represent UNHCR in UNCT/Humanitarian Country Team and other inter-agency fora.
• Decide on country strategy, priorities and approve protection strategy.
• Enforce compliance with UNHCR global policies and standards.
• Negotiate and sign local agreements with partners.
• Authorize payments and modify operational projects within approved budgets.
• Lead risk assessments and integrate risk management principles in decision-making.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Requirements

• For D2 - 18 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 17 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 16 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree
• Field(s) of Education: Business Administration; International Relations; Political Science; Social Science; Human Resources Management; International Law; or other relevant field.
• Proven ability to lead high-level representation, political advocacy, strategic communications, partnership development and negotiation in complex and politically sensitive contexts.
• Demonstrated capacity to engage senior government, legislative, diplomatic, inter-agency, private sector, philanthropic, media and civil society stakeholders.
• Strong political judgement and ability to navigate fast changing and highly charged environments while preserving institutional credibility, humanitarian principles and operational independence.
• Ability to lead strategic planning, change processes, results-based management, risk management, evidence-based advocacy and organizational positioning.
• Proven capacity to translate strategic objectives into practical plans, establish priorities, monitor implementation and adjust course as required.
• Ability to lead and empower a multidisciplinary team under pressure and to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of US political, legislative, budgetary and foreign assistance processes, including congressional dynamics, humanitarian funding mechanisms, resettlement policy, private philanthropy and the broader public debate on asylum, migration, refugee protection and multilateral cooperation (desirable).
• Experience in donor relations, strategic communications, crisis communications or resource mobilization in a major donor or politically complex environment would be an asset.

Skills

• High-Level Representation
• Policy Advocacy
• Strategic Communications
• Partnership Development
• Negotiation in political contexts
• Engagement with government stakeholders
• Engagement with diplomatic stakeholders
• Engagement with inter-agency stakeholders
• Engagement with private sector stakeholders
• Engagement with philanthropic stakeholders
• Engagement with media stakeholders
• Engagement with civil society stakeholders
• Political Judgment
• Strategic Planning
• Change Management
• Result-Based Management
• Risk Management
• Evidence-based Advocacy
• Organizational Positioning
• Implementation Monitoring
• Team leadership under pressure
• Stakeholder Relationships
• Knowledge of US political processes
• Knowledge of US legislative processes
• Knowledge of US budgetary processes
• Knowledge of US foreign assistance processes
• Donor Relations
• Crisis Communication
• Resource Mobilization

Languages

English