Hardship LevelA (least hardship)
Family TypeFamily
Family TypeFamily
Residential location (if applicable)
GradeGS5
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeGeneral Service
ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment
Target Start Date2025-09-01
Deadline for ApplicationsAugust 11, 2025
Standard Job Description
Senior Inter-Agency Coordination Assistant
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Inter-Agency Coordination Assistant normally reports to a higher grade local or international Inter-Agency position. The incumbent will provide administrative and organisational support to the Inter-Agency Unit and will liaise with other UN Agencies, NGOs and other partners of UNHCR as well as other units in the operation as necessary. S/he may be tasked to draft meeting minutes and reports.
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 secretarial support to the Inter-Agency unit and sector working groups, including drafting and reviewing meeting minutes, keeping recipients' list updated, drafting support materials for meetings, organize and provide logistic support including transportation and translation support, disseminate relevant information to an external audience, etc.
- Support the sector coordinators in drafting guidelines, strategies and other documents.
- Participate in relevant meetings or events at national level as requested and provide relevant verbal and written feedback on issues of relevance for inter-agency and inter-sector processes.
- Liaise with partners as requested.
- Participate in field level meetings as required and update the sector coordinator on discussions and relevant developments.
- Support the Inter-Agency Coordinators in ensuring good communication between the working groups in the field and the national working groups through regular contacts with the field.
- Support the coordinators in mapping and other exercises, in cooperation with the information management colleagues.
- Liaise with the information management colleagues for sector updates, checking consistency, providing documents to be posted etc.
- Support the sector coordinators in the review and extraction of the reporting of sector partners on activity info.
- Translate relevant documents, articles, legal texts as required.
- Support other Inter-Agency functions, including: collecting and disseminating weekly schedules and work plans, organize and maintain IA calendar and other coordination tools, support outreach to partners on issues such as financial tracking, follow up with field offices on weekly distribution schedules and attend IA meetings and/or specific working groups where relevant (including minute taking), etc.
- Draft reports for clearance by the supervisor.
- Organise coordination meetings.
- Gather and analyse information from UNHCR, partners and media.
- 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
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For 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
Knowledge of UNHCR and interagency policies, standards, programmes and humanitarian operations in operational context.
Desirable
Experience in humanitarian coordination (including but not limited to interagency coordination) is an asset. Emergency response experience is an asset.
Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
DM-Database Design & Development
CO-Drafting and Documentation
(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 This is a national position offered under a Fixed-term contract for an initial period of 1 year. Candidates applying to the position must be nationals of Panama or non-Panamanian residing in the country with a valid work and residency permit attached to the application. Candidates must comply with all eligibility requirements for employment in line with the prevailing legislative prerequisites in the country.
The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application.
Levels of language knowledge: A1-beginner, A2-elementary, B1-lower intermediate, B2-upper intermediate, C1-advanced/proficient, C2-fluent
Candidates may be required to sit for a written test.
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on United Nations salaries, allowances and benefits, visit the International Civil Service Commission web portal at http://icsc.un.org as well as https://careers.un.org/payandbenefits?language=en
The UNHCR Multi-Country Office (MCO) in Panama oversees operations in Panama, Nicaragua, Belize, and the Eastern and Southern Caribbean. This diverse region presents a complex operational environment characterized by forced displacement of refugees and asylum seekers, internal displacement due to violence and climate change, statelessness, and varying levels of institutional capacity in unique multilingual and cultural settings. In this context, inter-agency coordination is essential to ensure a coherent and effective response among UN agencies, government counterparts, civil society, and regional bodies.
The Senior Inter-Agency Coordination Assistant supports the MCO’s efforts to strengthen collaboration within the UN system and with external stakeholders. Working under the supervision of the Senior Operations Officer, the incumbent plays a key role in organizing coordination meetings, maintaining information-sharing platforms, and supporting joint planning and reporting processes. The position requires a proactive, detail-oriented individual with strong communication skills and a solid understanding of humanitarian coordination mechanisms.
Key Competencies & Experience:
- Solid experience in supporting inter-agency coordination, preferably within the UN system or humanitarian/development organizations.
- Familiarity with regional coordination mechanisms and multi-stakeholder engagement in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Strong organizational and communication skills to support coordination meetings, prepare briefing materials, and maintain information flows between UNHCR and partners.
- Ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and contribute to joint planning, reporting, and advocacy efforts.
- Proven ability to work in a multicultural environment and manage competing priorities under tight deadlines.
Education & Technical Skills:
- Degree in International Relations, Political Science, Social Sciences, or related fields is desirable.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint; experience with data visualization or coordination platforms is an asset.
- Knowledge of UNHCR’s coordination tools (e.g., ActivityInfo, UN Partner Portal, 3/4W matrices), disaster management, and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) is desirable.
Languages:
- Mandatory: Fluency in English and Spanish
- Desirable: Working knowledge of French and/or Dutch
Required competencies:
- Accountability
- Communication
- Organizational Awareness
- Teamwork & Collaboration
- Commitment to Continuous Learning
- Client & Result Orientation
- Analytical Thinking
- Planning and Organizing
- Stakeholder Management
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level): English
,Spanish
,
Desired languagesFrench
,Dutch
,
Operational context
Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:
Nature of Position:
Living and Working Conditions:
Additional Qualifications
SkillsCO-Drafting and Documentation, DM-Database Design & Development, IT-Computer Literacy
Education
Certifications
Work Experience
CompetenciesAccountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration
UNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Compendium
Additional Information
Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance