Senior Relations and Liaison Assistant

The Senior Relations and Liaison Assistant supports the UN-Habitat Global Knowledge and Advocacy Division by maintaining constructive relationships with host country authorities, government ministries, diplomatic missions, and UN entities. The role facilitates compliance with diplomatic protocols, coordinates stakeholder engagement, supports event organization, and assists in communication and reporting activities to advance sustainable urban development.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Head of Office in establishing and maintaining constructive, cooperative working relationships with host country authorities, government ministries, diplomatic missions, and UN Secretariat departments, agencies, funds, and programmes relevant to UN-Habitat's mandate on sustainable urbanization and human settlements.
• Facilitate UN-Habitat's compliance with Host Country Agreements, Memoranda of Understanding, and applicable diplomatic protocols; support senior management in addressing provisions relating to organizational entitlements and UN staff privileges and immunities.
• Maintain primary contacts with national, regional, and local government officials; coordinate follow-up on pending policy, regulatory, and operational matters that may affect UN-Habitat's programme delivery and host country relations.
• Collect, register, and maintain up-to-date information on government, local authority, and international developments including urban policy reforms, national housing strategies, land governance changes, and UN reform processes that may have a political or operational impact on the office's relationship with the host government.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with civil society organizations, NGOs, private sector partners, educational institutions, professional associations, and media entities; project and foster the image and mandate of UN-Habitat at national, regional, and local levels.
• Liaise directly with government partners and implementing counterparts to provide requested information, share programme updates, and ensure timely follow-up on pending issues related to urban development, housing, and human settlements programming.
• Prepare a broad range of diplomatic, protocol, and official correspondence including Notes Verbales, official letters, aide-mémoires, and briefing notes for submission to or receipt from host country authorities and UN counterparts.
• Draft institutional speeches, press releases, meeting talking points, and meeting reports for senior UN-Habitat officials; incorporate data analysis and visualization tools such as dashboards, charts, and summary analytics to support reporting and informed decision-making.
• Support the organization of high-level visits, bilateral meetings, outreach programmes, and institutional events; coordinate logistics, briefing materials, and protocol arrangements for delegations, government counterparts, and UN dignitaries.
• Manage external queries and information flows by identifying and anticipating required action; ensure timely and accurate responses to requests from government partners, diplomatic missions, UN entities, and the public.
• Assist the supervisor in the preparation and facilitation of workshops, training sessions, seminars, and other meetings related to UN-Habitat's thematic areas, including urban resilience, affordable housing, land rights, and municipal governance.
• Supervise and manage assigned team members, providing guidance, oversight, and quality control of work outputs; mentor junior staff in protocol, liaison practices, and stakeholder engagement.
• Draft routine correspondence and reports, prepare tables, background material, and documentation for use in discussions, briefing sessions, inter-agency coordination meetings, and donor engagements.
• Assist with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.
• Assist with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Completion of high school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Supplementary training in International Relations, Law, Public Administration, Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Business Administration or a related field is desirable.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in liaison, protocol, external relations, public affairs, communication or related fields supporting senior management within an international organization, diplomatic mission, or similar institution is required.
• The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced by two (2) years for candidates who possess a first-level university degree.
• Experience in policies, procedures and operations related to the administration of privileges in the UN System or similar international organization is required.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience within the United Nations Common System or similar international organization is desirable.
• Experience in drafting, reviewing and editing official correspondence within an international organisation similar to the United Nations is desirable.
• One (1) year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.
• English language proficiency at UN Level II for reading, writing, listening and speaking is required.

Skills

• Liaison Support
• Protocol Compliance
• External Relations
• Public Affairs
• Communication Support
• Diplomatic Protocols
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Event Coordination
• Routine Correspondence Drafting
• Data Analytics
• UN System Administration
• Privileges Administration
• Report Writing
• English Language Proficiency

Languages

English