Management Support Officer job at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Management Support Officer plays a key role in coordinating and overseeing the effective delivery of management support services across functional areas including human resources, finance, supply chain, administration and programme. The incumbent ensures alignment of operational practices with corporate standards, supports risk-informed decision-making, and enhances cross-functional integration to facilitate the delivery of programmatic results.

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

Human Resources

• Coordinate and oversee workforce planning, recruitment processes, and onboarding activities.
• Provide guidance to field offices on application of HR policies, staff entitlements, and contract administration.
• Support implementation of performance management processes and staff development initiatives.
• Collaborate with people management focal points on compliance with staff rules, diversity and inclusion, and succession planning.

Financial Management

• Contribute to the preparation, monitoring, and revision of office and operational budgets.
• Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting aligned with donor and organizational requirements.
• Analyze financial trends to support evidence-based decisions and identify cost optimization opportunities.
• Coordinate with Finance focal points to ensure audit readiness and internal control compliance.

Supply Chain and Procurement

• Oversee procurement planning and ensure adherence to procurement procedures and standards.
• Monitor supply chain activities including vendor performance, asset management, and delivery of goods and services.
• Support implementation of enterprise resource planning tools and inventory tracking systems.

Administrative and Office Management

• Supervise administrative services including office facilities, travel management, vehicle fleet, staff accommodation/facilities and records.
• Support implementation of digital tools and IT solutions that enhance operational efficiency.
• Ensure consistency of support services across sub-units and field locations.

Programme

• Lead programme planning, implementation, and monitoring across sectors, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and donor expectations.
• Provide quality assurance on implementation, reporting, and partner performance.
• Coordinate the development of multi-partner project plans, budgets, and results frameworks.
• Provide expert technical advice and policy guidance to field offices and partners on programme design and delivery, including CBIs.
• Ensure compliance with organizational standards, financial rules, and donor agreements, and oversee the application of programme policies and procedures.

Risk Management

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 P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Business Administration Finance Human Resources Supply Chain Management or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Not specified.

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Relevant experience in multi-functional management support roles in international, governmental, or non-profit organizations.

Desirable

Supervisory experience is an asset. Experience with Workday ERP, Oracle Cloud across multiple modules (People Management, Finance, Procurement) in a UN or international organization context.

Functional Skills

• CO-Cross-cultural communication
• FI-General Financial Management
• HR-Performance management methodologies and practices
• SC-Supply Chain planning and strategy development
• MG-Stakeholder Management
• MG-Change Management
• DM-Data governance, quality assurance and preservation

(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.

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

• Accountability
• Communication
• Organizational Awareness
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

• Empowering & Building Trust
• Judgement & Decision Making
• Managing Performance
• Managing Resource

Cross-Functional Competencies

• Technological Awareness
• Analytical Thinking
• Change Capability & Adaptability

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.

• Coordinate and oversee workforce planning, recruitment processes, and onboarding activities.
• Provide guidance to field offices on application of HR policies, staff entitlements, and contract administration.
• Support implementation of performance management processes and staff development initiatives.
• Collaborate with people management focal points on compliance with staff rules, diversity and inclusion, and succession planning.
• Contribute to the preparation, monitoring, and revision of office and operational budgets.
• Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting aligned with donor and organizational requirements.
• Analyze financial trends to support evidence-based decisions and identify cost optimization opportunities.
• Coordinate with Finance focal points to ensure audit readiness and internal control compliance.
• Oversee procurement planning and ensure adherence to procurement procedures and standards.
• Monitor supply chain activities including vendor performance, asset management, and delivery of goods and services.
• Support implementation of enterprise resource planning tools and inventory tracking systems.
• Supervise administrative services including office facilities, travel management, vehicle fleet, staff accommodation/facilities and records.
• Support implementation of digital tools and IT solutions that enhance operational efficiency.
• Ensure consistency of support services across sub-units and field locations.
• Lead programme planning, implementation, and monitoring across sectors, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and donor expectations.
• Provide quality assurance on implementation, reporting, and partner performance.
• Coordinate the development of multi-partner project plans, budgets, and results frameworks.
• Provide expert technical advice and policy guidance to field offices and partners on programme design and delivery, including CBIs.
• Ensure compliance with organizational standards, financial rules, and donor agreements, and oversee the application of programme policies and procedures.
• 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.

• CO-Cross-cultural communication
• FI-General Financial Management
• HR-Performance management methodologies and practices
• SC-Supply Chain planning and strategy development
• MG-Stakeholder Management
• MG-Change Management
• DM-Data governance, quality assurance and preservation

• 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree
• Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain Management or other relevant field.
• Relevant experience in multi-functional management support roles in international, governmental, or non-profit organizations.
• Supervisory experience is an asset.
• Experience with Workday ERP, Oracle Cloud across multiple modules (People Management, Finance, Procurement) in a UN or international organization context.