Deadline for Applications
January 17, 2026
Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)
D
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
UNOPS LICA6
2026-01-01
1. General Background
Bangladesh is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol and the Government does not recognize the Rohingya as refugees, referring to them as “Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals.” The country is generously hosting nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees across 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char island. The presence of large numbers of refugees – who now represent two-thirds of the local population in Cox’s Bazar – has had important impacts on local communities, service delivery, the economy and the environment. The Government sees the continued presence of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as a threat to regional stability and considers return to Myanmar, as soon as possible, as the only viable solution. This policy approach impacts on the humanitarian operation, with the Government discouraging medium or longer-term approaches, including the development of permanent infrastructure, providing formal education or livelihoods opportunities for the refugees and the use of cash to deliver assistance.
A key part of UN and NGO efforts to respond to the funding crisis has been to identify ways to strengthen accountability, including a simplification of inter-agency coordination. In 2025, a leaner, more agile coordination structure was endorsed by partners and the Government of Bangladesh which will be launched in early 2026. In the new Rohingya Coordination Structure, the UNHCR Representative will lead a monthly Rohingya Coordination Team (RCT) meeting as the principal strategic and operational decision-making platform for the response, supported by a slimmed down Secretariat and Sector/Cross-Cutting Coordinators (formerly, the “Inter-Sector Coordination Group” (ISCG), which will be renamed the “Rohingya Coordination Platform” (RCP)) led by respective UN lead agencies. The UN Resident Coordinator, as the highest-ranking representative of the UN Development System in Bangladesh, will chair the UN Country Team (UNCT) and a newly created Humanitarian Team (HT), comprised of UN agencies and representatives of donors, NGOs, international financial institutions and other key partners to provide regular national-level consultation on, and coordination of, humanitarian assistance in Bangladesh, including natural disasters and the Rohingya response. The National Task Force (NTF), chaired by the Foreign Secretary, remains the highest policy-making body in Bangladesh on the Rohingya response, while the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) oversees camp operations coordinated at camp level by Camp-in-Charges (CICs), and the Deputy Commissioner (DC) oversees host community services.
On behalf of the newly created RCP, the Principal Coordinator will continue day-to-day coordination of the inter-sector response based in Cox’s Bazar with more than 150 UN and NGO partners.
The principal strategic, coordination and fundraising framework for the Rohingya response remains the Joint Response Plan (JRP) for 2025/26. The inter-agency response in Cox’s Bazar is dealing with multiple humanitarian challenges including a deteriorating protection environment, frequent natural disasters, and acute vulnerability due to limited livelihood opportunities, which dramatic funding cuts will inevitably exacerbate. At the same time, piloting of development approaches in the camp and district are efforts to increase self-reliance and strengthen resilience of refugees and the host communities.
The incumbent of this post will be based at the RCP Secretariat, reporting to the Policy Officer. In 2025, the Rohingya response received nearly 130 donor missions, approximately half of which were led by ISCG (now, the RCP). Given the extremely high volume of donor missions in tandem with the increasing need for proactive resource mobilisation efforts to address critical funding gaps in the response, the incumbent must be highly motivated, capable of working independently and as part of a team, and agile to keep pace with a dynamic, fast-paced operation with complex inter-agency coordination challenges and a multitude of humanitarian actors. S/he must possess the professional maturity and in-depth knowledge of the Rohingya camps to facilitate high-level field missions on a frequent basis.
In carrying out the role, the incumbent will need to develop and maintain effective working relationships with donors, inter-agency partners, as well as other key stakeholders, including development actors, media and government counterparts. The incumbent must have strong drafting and analytical skills to support the supervisor in the exchange of a wide range of information, including advocacy and operational messaging. The incumbent will also be required to support donor engagement and social media strategies to advance fundraising efforts and promote awareness of the Rohingya response.
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
- Organizing and facilitating meetings with RRRC, CiCs, and the DC Office on operational and policy priorities.
- Organizing weekly catch-up meeting for Principal Coordinator with RRRC
- Coordinating and drafting official correspondence, letters, and notes exchanged between RCP and government counterparts.
- Facilitating, negotiating, and advocating for the approval of policy documents, project clearances, and operational requests with relevant authorities.
- Supporting government-led negotiation processes by providing background analysis, drafting common messages, and
interpreting/recording discussions.
- Organizing and supporting workshops, consultations, and briefing sessions with government counterparts on thematic or sectoral priorities (e.g., site planning, fire preparedness, funding impact).
- Engaging government counterparts on issues related to the JRP, humanitarian access, and donor advocacy.
- Coordinating government participation in high-level missions, donor visits, and UN leadership visits to Cox’s Bazar and refugee camps.
- Plan and accompany visits of donors/delegates and international/local media to the Rohingya refugee camps, providing appropriate briefing materials for visitors.
- Support the drafting of high-quality background briefings to donors, delegates and media.
- Keep track of evolving issues concerning affected populations to be able to suggest stories and topics for coverage by the UN, media and other stakeholders.
- Support content development for social media and advocacy.
- Establish contacts with local organisations to promote general interest and understanding of refugee issues, and ensure that briefing materials from other offices are available as needed.
- Ensure that the office is kept informed of local developments which may have a political, reputational or operational impact on activities.
- Advise management of local aspects of external relations policies.
- Liaise with external partners and local organizations on behalf of RCP and UNHCR.
- Produce reports and briefings for internal and external partners.
- Perform other related duties as required, including serve as back-up for members of the Policy/External Relations unit, support and organize Inter-Sector and RCT meetings, and support the Principal Coordinator on administrative matters including managing schedules, calendars, agendas, and contact lists.
3. Monitoring and Progress Controls
- Not specified.
4. Qualifications and Experience
a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
- Political Sciences; Social Sciences; International Relations; Journalism; Communication; English literature.
b. Work Experience
Essential:
- Minimum 3 years’ professional experience with High School Diploma (or 2 years with Bachelor’s or higher). Minimum 3 years of experience in relevant field. Good knowledge of the UN system, NGOs and related planning and coordination practices. Knowledge of MS Office applications. Knowledge of refugee protection principles and framework. Presentation delivery and/or public speaking experience.
- Excellent writing and speaking abilities in English and Bangla, able to draft briefing/background notes, donor updates, talking points.
Desirable:
- Graduate degree (Master’s or above) in relevant field (examples: Political Sciences; Social Sciences; International Relations; Journalism; Communication; English literature).
- In-depth work experience in external relations, donor reporting, communications, public information and/or resource mobilization.
- In-depth coordination experience supporting donor missions, field visits, briefings and public information events, with advanced knowledge of the partners, programmes and services operating in the Rohingya camps.
- Relevant work experience with UNHCR or another UN agency involved in the Rohingya response.
- Proven ability to coordinate between internal units and external parties (embassies, donors, interagency partners, government counterparts).
- Proven relationship building and negotiation skills with counterparts with competing agendas and interests.
- Previous experience liaising with senior Government counterparts.
c. Key Competencies
Functional Skills
- IT-Computer Literacy
- IT-Web Content Management
- MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation
- MS-Translation
-
ER-Communications/media/digital/social media communication.
monitoring/analysis/presentation- MS-Interpretation
- Core Competencies: Accountability, Communication, Organizational Awareness, Teamwork & Collaboration, Commitment to, Continuous Learning , Client & Result Orientation
- Managerial Competencies: Empowering and Building Trust
- Cross-Functional Competencies: Analytical Thinking, Innovation and Creativity, Technological Awareness
Standard Job Description
Required Languages
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,
Desired Languages
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Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Certifications
Other information
This position doesn't require a functional clearance
Remote
No