Human Rights Officer – Programme Management Coordinator

About the role

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is seeking a Human Rights Officer to serve as Programme Management Coordinator within the Thematic and Special Procedures Division. Reporting to the Division Director, the incumbent will support strategic planning, implementation and reporting of human‑rights programmes and ensure alignment with the High Commissioner’s mandates.

Key responsibilities

• Provide direct support to the Director and branch chiefs in planning, developing and reporting on strategic management plans, divisional work‑plans and High Commissioner decisions.
• Review, monitor and evaluate activities related to international human‑rights projects, including treaty‑body recommendations and Human Rights Council mechanisms.
• Advise the Director on the strategic implementation of thematic human‑rights mandates.
• Coordinate with sections and branches to plan and review projects, integrating gender dimensions and human‑rights considerations.
• Liaise with UN entities, international organisations and governments on coordination and policy matters, delivering briefings and recommendations.
• Lead team coordination, staff planning and budgeting functions in consultation with senior management.
• Train and supervise junior staff and ensure up‑to‑date programme information for senior decision‑making.
• Collect and analyse data, producing visual reports to support data‑driven planning and decision‑making.

Required profile

• Strong knowledge of a wide range of human‑rights issues and the institutional mandates of human‑rights organisations.
• Ability to evaluate information from diverse sources and assess its impact on regional or country human‑rights situations.
• Experience conducting in‑depth studies and formulating conclusions on causes and solutions to human‑rights challenges.
• Excellent communication skills for briefing senior officials and external partners.

Required skills