Job Description

Deadline for Applications

November 1, 2025

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Family

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

CONTR Local Entry and Mid-Level Support

Target Start Date

2025-11-10

Terms of Reference

GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
In 2022, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, launched its first Global Sport Strategy, More than a Game. The strategy outlines how, through working with the sport eco-system, UNHCR can improve lives and opportunities for the people that the organization serves. As part of the roll-out of this strategy, UNHCR is developing new partnerships with the sport industry and beyond to increase humanitarian assistance and provide safe, organized Sport for Protection activities. To this end, UNHCR is rolling-out multi-year sport for protection initiatives in select UNHCR sport strategy priority countries. The dual investment in humanitarian assistance and sport and play based programmes aims to ensure better outcomes for displaced and host communities supporting them to better thrive, not just survive.

Each of the proposed sport for protection initiatives is designed by UNHCR country operations, in collaboration with the communities and local partners to compliment and add value to their existing humanitarian programming. Each initiative has a dedicated theory of change, which articulates how sport can effectively contribute to one of three Sport for Protection outcomes: improved social inclusion, improved social cohesion or improved psychosocial wellbeing. UNHCR country operations will closely monitor the contribution of the sport activities to these outcome areas, guided by dedicated monitoring frameworks with the aim of generating learning and identifying promising practices.

CONTRACT DURATION: Six (6) months
CONTRACT ARRANGEMENT: Home-based (remote), full-time, 100%
CONTRACT TYPE: Individual Contractor (UNHCR)

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The selected candidate will act as a project coordinator. The project coordinator role will sit within UNHCR’s Sport Coordination Team in the Partnership and Coordination Section (PCS) in the Division of External Relations (DER), Geneva, Switzerland, reporting to the head of the Partnership and Coordination Service.

The project coordinator will play an essential role in the overall coordination of the multi-country initiative liaising with country, regional and global UNHCR teams. They will perform a range of tasks as outlined below and others to be identified on a needs basis throughout the project period.

Project coordination
 Act as the project liaison with internal stakeholders at the regional and global level, throughout the project period.
 Support coordination of the project implementation across participating UNHCR country operations.
Project support and backstopping
 Act as the focal point for UNHCR country operations on questions related to project implementation.
 Support country operations with the project monitoring and reporting processes to the required standard.
 Where necessary, provide input on the development of technical guidance documents in collaboration with other actors.
Project monitoring and reporting
 Liaise with relevant stakeholders internally and externally on the development and use of monitoring frameworks and tools, where necessary.
 Conduct support/monitoring missions to project country locations during the project period.
 Support the identification of promising practices and promote learning across the country operations.
 Collate information from country operations in support of donor reporting processes.
Donor relations, visibility, communications
 Support the UNHCR donor relationship lead with donor management as required.
 Support coordination of donor visits and in-country events with relevant internal and external stakeholders.
 Liaise with and support relationship lead and communications colleagues on visibility and storytelling.
Other tasks
 Support the identification of additional opportunities for the project to benefit refugees throughout the project period in coordination with project lead and other project staff.
 Any additional tasks identified during the project period.

Qualifications:
Education: Master’s degree with minimum of 4 years of relevant work experience.
Language: Fluency in English. Knowledge of another UN language is an asset although not essential.
Key skills:
 Strong English language communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively convey and adapt messages to diverse audiences.
 Ability to work flexibly across teams and time zones and manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
 Cultural competency and ability to work effectively in a diverse, multicultural environment without prejudice.
 Demonstrated knowledge of sport and play-based programming in the development and/ or humanitarian sectors.
 Proven ability to synthesise information for the purpose of donor focussed project/ programme reporting.
 Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Microsoft 365, including PowerPoint and SharePoint as well as ability to adapt to other tools as required

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
 Master's degree in science, social science, international relations, sport for development or other relevant field or the equivalent numbers of years’ experience.
 Experience working for an international organization or in a multicultural work environment.
 Proven experience in project and/or programme management
 Proven experience in project monitoring and reporting.
 Proven experience of liaising and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.
 Experience in preparing presentations and/or synthesising other information and data for sharing internally and externally.
 A detail-oriented approach to project and programme management.
 Strong English language communication skills (both written and verbal).

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE:

 A working knowledge of another UN language is desirable.
 Experience of working within the UN system is a considerable advantage as is previous experience of working or collaborating with UNHCR country operations.
 Experience of supporting the implementation of sport and play-based programming in the humanitarian sector (Sport for protection).

MONITORING AND PROGRESS CONTROLS:
14. Monitoring and Progress Controls
The final product (e.g., survey completed, data collected, workshop conducted, research documents produced specify):
 5 country level sport for protection initiatives coordinated.
 Monitoring framework, reporting templates and associated tools developed and disseminated to appropriate teams.
 Annual activity plans developed in collaboration with the 5 priority countries.
 In person monitoring missions where possible/necessary
 Supported coordination of internal and external communications, branding and PR activities with the relevant UNHCR leads.
 Identified promising practices from project implementation and promising practices report finalized.
 Supported the donor monitoring and reporting with and for the 5 priority countries.
 Any additional deliverables jointly agreed on between UNHCR and the Donor.