Staff categories
UNFPA uses the personnel categories employed across the United Nations (UN) system. Within each category, there are different levels, which reflect increasing levels of responsibilities and requirements.
Broadly speaking, there are three distinct staff categories for personnel at UNFPA, and in the UN system as a whole:
- Professional (P) and Director (D) staff
- General Service (G) staff
- National Professional Officers (NO)
Professional (P) and Director-level (D) staff
P and D positions include a variety of jobs that require strong analytical and communication skills, substantial experience and, often, solid leadership ability.
Professional positions range from programme specialists and operations experts to communications specialists, information systems professionals, and many others.
Directors represent the highest level of UNFPA's career staffing structure. As a director, you’re expected to manage a team, determine priorities and allocate resources for an entire office or unit.
Directors represent the highest level on UNFPA’s career staffing structure. As a Director, you’re expected to manage a team, determine priorities and allocate resources for an entire office or unit.
Qualifications
We are looking for people who are, first and foremost, absolutely committed to UNFPA’s mandate!
In addition to technical expertise, which varies by position, we want strategic thinkers who achieve results, excellent communicators who are full-time advocates for the organization, and team players who embrace the tremendous diversity of our workforce.
International recruitment
Personnel in the P and D categories are normally internationally recruited, meaning that they are hired to work at an office (duty station) outside of their home country. You can expect to serve at different duty stations around the world over the course of your career.
For headquarters and regional office posts, all nationalities are welcome to apply.
Educational requirements
Generally, we require that you have an advanced university degree for P- and D-level positions.
Work experience requirements
| Level | Minimum work experience required |
|---|---|
| P1 | None |
| P2 | 2 years |
| P3 | 5 years |
| P4 | 7 years |
| P5 | 10 years |
| D1 | 15 years |
| D2 | More than 15 years |
General Service (G) staff
General Service roles include administrative, secretarial and clerical support as well as specialized positions such as building maintenance. These positions are crucial to the smooth operation of the organization as a whole. The higher the level of the job, the more complex the functions become.
Qualifications
Because General Service staff support the functioning of UNFPA, we are looking for candidates who achieve results in operational, procedural and technical capacities.
A commitment to making UNFPA successful is essential! We want someone who is analytical and can handle routine to complex tasks with dedication.
We also want an excellent teammate who embraces diversity and is eager to provide creative ideas for improving UNFPA’s processes.
Local recruitment
General Service personnel are recruited locally from the area in which an office or duty station is located. They can be of any nationality, but should be legally permitted to work in the country where the office/duty station is located.
Educational requirements
Completion of secondary (high school) education is a requirement.
Work experience requirements
| Level | Minimum work experience required |
|---|---|
| G1 | None |
| G2 | 2 years |
| G3 | 3 years |
| G4 | 4 years |
| G5 | 5 years |
| G1 | 6 years |
| G2 | 7 years |
National Professional Officers (NO)
NO roles are similar to Professional (P) roles, but they are normally locally recruited, meaning that these staff are recruited to work at a duty station in their home country.
NO positions usually have a national context, meaning that they require national experience or knowledge of the national language, culture, institutions and systems.
Jobs for National Professional Officers can only be found in non-headquarters duty stations.
Educational requirements
Normally, an advanced university degree is required for National Professional Officer positions
Work experience requirements
| Level | Minimum work experience required |
|---|---|
| NOA | None |
| NOB | 2 years |
| NOC | 5 years |
| NOD | 7 years |
Other contract types
UNFPA and the UN system also offer other kinds of employment opportunities. These are not necessarily staff positions, but they provide critical support for UNFPA's work around the world.
Temporary staff
UNFPA hires temporary staff internationally and locally for limited periods to perform staff functions for which there is no ongoing, long-term need – for example, to replace a staff member on extended leave, or to work on a time-bound project.
Due to the short-term nature of the engagement, staff on temporary positions do not receive the full benefits package received by our regular staff. International temporary positions are normally advertised through eRecruit.
Local positions are often advertised locally.
Individual consultants
UNFPA occasionally retains individual consultants on special service agreements (SSAs) to provide specialized functions required by UNFPA on a short-term or intermittent basis to meet a particular requirement.
Consultants must have their own medical insurance for the duration of their contract, and submit proof of insurance before the contract begins.
Due to the widely varying needs met by these types of non-staff assignments, the means of sourcing individual consultants and the related terms and conditions will vary. Some consultancies are posted at unfpa.org/jobs. Others are posted at the country level. Potential candidates may also apply to UNFPA’s consultant roster advertisement.
Internship programme
The UNFPA Internship Programme offers a small group of outstanding students the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to UNFPA operations. It is designed to complement development-oriented studies with practical experience in various aspects of UNFPA’s work. Interns work under the supervision of a staff member at UNFPA.
Interns are selected through a competitive process, to match the needs of the organization. Applicants should have an interest in the field of development, and the ability to adapt to new environments and work with individuals from different cultural backgrounds.
Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party (such as a partner institution, university, government) are eligible to receive a stipend as a contribution towards living expenses.
Requirements:
Educational requirements:
A. Be enrolled in a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent) and have completed one full academic year;
B. Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as master’s programme or higher);
C. Have recently graduated with a university degree as defined above and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation; or
D. Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional trainee programme and undertake the internship as part of this programme.
Additionally, interns must:
A. Demonstrate interest in the field of development;
B. Demonstrate written and spoken proficiency in English or French and fluency in the working language of the office; and
C. Demonstrate ability to adapt to new environments and to establish and maintain good working relations with individuals of different cultural backgrounds.
D. Applicants must have medical insurance for the duration of the internship, and submit proof of insurance before the internship begins.
E. An individual whose father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister is a UNFPA staff member is not eligible for an internship with UNFPA.
Applicants interested in interning with UNFPA should keep an eye on the internship positions advertised on our site periodically. They may also sign up for the UNFPA Internship roster. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
For information about internships in a specific location, please contact the relevant UNFPA office.
United Nations Volunteer Programme
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide, in partnership with governments and UN, non-profit and private sector organizations.
The UNV programme identifies and engages professionals who can deliver services and fulfil a wide range of specialized tasks to support development programmes. UNFPA is one of the UN partners using the services of UNVs to help deliver its mandate.
For more information, including current opportunities and details on how to apply, visit the UN Volunteers website.
Junior Professional Officer
UNFPA also participates in the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) programme. The purpose of the JPO programme is to provide young people (normally under 32 years of age) who want to pursue a career in development with professional experience within the UN system.
JPOs are normally sponsored by their governments. In some limited cases, a JPO partner government may sponsor a small number of developing country nationals.
For more information, visit the JPO Service Center website.
Service contract holders
UNFPA sometimes engages personnel in its field locations as non-staff service contract holders. Service contract holders are often not located in a UNFPA office, but with an implementing partner. Service contracts are issued in increments from 6 months up to one year.
Service contract holders must be nationals of, or hold a work permit in, the country of employment. Typically, they work in support of the project activities of implementing partners, provide a government with additional personnel with technical or operational skills, or support functions that would normally be outsourced to a company (e.g., janitor, gardener).
Service contracts are often advertised locally. For more information contact the UNFPA office in your area.
There are five types of service contracts:
- SB1 represents work in the custodial, maintenance, security, driving and messenger areas, considered mechanical and physical operations.
- SB2 represents work of a more basic processing or support nature, including clerical and secretarial work as well as certain technical functions. This work requires an appropriate educational background and relevant work experience.
- SB3 represents work of a specialized and comprehensive support nature, progressing to integrated execution at the higher level. This work requires an appropriate educational background and relevant work experience.
- SB4 represents work of an analytical nature, requiring basic conceptual comprehension. This work requires an appropriate educational background and relevant work experience.
- SB5 represents work of a conceptual, analytical and advisory nature at the higher professional level, related to development, humanitarian and emergency project work that requires substantive innovation and may involve functions that are supervisory in nature to oversee project activities. Qualifications at this level include a postgraduate degree and relevant experience commensurate with the job.