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Jersey Overseas Aid is looking to recruit a young islander to become Jersey’s fifth United Nations Junior Professional Officer.
Based in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, this fully-paid opportunity will see a Jersey resident employed for two years as an Associate External Relations Officer by the UN’s refugee agency, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The international JPO scheme provides a unique opportunity for islanders to start an international career with the UN, and to contribute at the frontline of an ongoing humanitarian emergency.
Typically, candidates will be aged between 25 and 35 with a Bachelor’s degree and three years of relevant experience.
They must also have strong connections to Jersey through birth or residency.
International Development Minister Carolyn Labey said: “I am immensely proud that Jersey stands alongside other countries such as France, Italy, US, Australia and Canada in supporting the fantastic UN JPO programme.
“This programme allows us to support islanders who want to establish a career in the humanitarian sector.
"These dedicated individuals not only help some of the most vulnerable people in the world, and build their own skills while doing so, they also serve as ambassadors for our caring, outward-looking Island on the global stage."
Pictured: International Development Minister Carolyn Labey is also chair of the JOA Commission.
JOA joined the United Nations’ JPO scheme in 2021 and has now given four young islanders the opportunity of embarking on a career within the UN system.
The most recent is Leila Osman, who is about to start her placement in Kyiv, Ukraine in the coming days.
She said: “To have the chance to work with, and learn from, UNHCR in their efforts to provide a humanitarian response to aid displaced people in and around the war in Ukraine is an opportunity that a year ago I would never have imagined would come my way.
“My role will be based within the Kyiv office’s Reporting Team, where I will be compiling publications on what’s happening around Ukraine, where UNHCR funds are being spent, and telling the stories of those caught up in the conflict.
"It’s a role with a two-year term, where I’ll have the chance to receive some great training and hopefully learn from people with bags of experience in the field. As in any ongoing emergency, I’m expecting that the learning curve will be steep.”
Speaking of her time in Cox’s Bazar as one of Jersey’s first JPOs, Faye Coggins said: “Working as a JPO with the UNHCR Bangladesh operation has been a very rewarding experience, and a valuable learning opportunity. The Rohingya refugee response is large-scale and complex.
"Bangladesh hosts close to one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, making it one of the largest protracted refugee situations in the world. Refugees live in overcrowded settlements, exposed yearly to natural disasters such as flooding, landslides, and cyclones.
"Delivering humanitarian services in such a context is a challenging task for UNHCR and its partners. The opportunity to work and learn from colleagues with specialist expertise, and who have experience of responding to crises across the globe, has enabled me to strengthen my skills and understanding of how a humanitarian organisation operates on the ground.”
You can find out more about the JPO opportunity HERE.
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