Humanitarian Programme Associate (HER Roster)

Host entity: UNFPA PHL

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Emergency preparedness, crisis response, Project management, programme development, strategy, Administration

Application deadline: 25/08/2026

Mission and objectives

UNFPA is the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency. It works towards expanding choices and possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

Assignment context

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) has established the Humanitarian Emergency Response (HER) Roster to support speedy recruitment of qualified and motivated UN Volunteers for potential emergency response assignments. Candidates will be pre-screened based on their qualifications, experience, and suitability for the specific thematic or functional areas described in this Description of Assignment (DoA). Shortlisted candidates may remain in the UNV HER Roster for up to 6 months and be contacted should an emergency arise. Inclusion in the UNV HER Roster does not guarantee recruitment as a UN Volunteer. Selection and recruitment timelines will depend on the emergency occurrence, availability of candidates, and final approval by the UN host entity in accordance with Conditions of Service for UN Volunteers.

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

In the Philippines, UNFPA is implementing its five-year 9th Country Programme 2024-2028. The CP9 is tightly aligned with the mid- and long-term development goals of the Philippines and Ambisyon Natin 2040, as well as the global Agenda 2030 including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As the lead UN agency for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), UNFPA supports national and local government partners in emergency response, ensuring the continuity of life-saving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) services during humanitarian emergencies. The Philippines is one of the world's most disaster-prone countries, experiencing frequent typhoons, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, and disease outbreaks, in addition to recurrent humanitarian needs arising from armed conflict and displacement in parts of Mindanao. These emergencies disproportionately affect women, girls, adolescents, and other vulnerable populations by disrupting access to SRH services, increasing the risks of GBV, and exposing communities to protection concerns. Maintaining a roster of qualified humanitarian specialists enables UNFPA Philippines to rapidly deploy technical surge capacity to support preparedness, anticipatory action, emergency response, early recovery, and humanitarian-development-peace nexus programming, while ensuring the timely delivery of life-saving SRH, GBV, and population data interventions in coordination with government and humanitarian partners.

Task description

Under the overall supervision of the UNFPA Country Representative and the direct supervision of the Humanitarian Coordinator (or designated supervisor), the Humanitarian Programme Associate (PA) will be part of the UNFPA Humanitarian Response Team and will support UNFPA Philippines' humanitarian preparedness, anticipatory action, emergency response, and early recovery. The PA plays a vital role in supporting the smooth and effective management of humanitarian programme interventions. Working closely with the Head of Unit, Programme, and Operations teams, the PA provides critical administrative, operational, and coordination support to enable timely planning, implementation, and quality delivery of programme activities. By facilitating workflows, ensuring compliance, and supporting programme monitoring and reporting, the PA contributes significantly to the achievement of UNFPA’s strategic objectives.

Depending on emergency response activation, the Programme Associate may be deployed in one of the following locations: Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, and CARAGA Region.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Specific Humanitarian Programme-related Responsibilities:
• Support the team in implementing the key milestones of the Country Programme on the Humanitarian - Development - Peacebuilding (HDP) Nexus.
• Coordinate with the Supply Chain Associate and Logistics Warehouse Assistant to monitor the distribution of dignity kits and RH supplies by submitting requests and recording delivery slips in the shipment tracker.
• Coordinate the compilation of the inputs for the situation reports (SitReps).
• Support the leadership and participation of UNFPA in the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), Gender-based Violence (GBV) subclusters and others by providing organizational/convening, administrative, documentation and other necessary support.

Programme Management, Monitoring, and Reporting:
• Track deliverables & timelines with operations and programme team.
• Support the organization of field monitoring visits.
• Support in the verification of data & quality reporting.
• Maintain records of activities and assist in preparing reports and presentations.
• Support in organizing and managing knowledge products in the country office in coordination with the Monitoring and Evaluation team.

Programme and Administrative Support:
• Support the elaboration of the procurement and travel plan.
• Provide logistical and administrative support for activities, including procurement, travel arrangements, and coordination.
• Draft and/or review Terms of Reference prior to submission for operations processing.
• Facilitation of payment for individual consultants.
• Prepare forms and correspondences related to the assigned projects.
• Liaise with the operations and programme teams to facilitate workflow and ensure smooth implementation of the different activities of the programme.
• Track budgets and expenditures for the different projects and regular resources and identify bottlenecks.
• Provide operational, administrative, and coordination support to ensure effective collaboration with Implementing Partners (IPs) and facilitate the timely, compliant, and efficient delivery of UNFPA-supported programmes through:
• Preliminary reviews, quality assurance and record-keeping of annual work plans, progress reports, and other related programme files;
• Raise requisitions in Quantum for payments related to the assigned projects;
• Support implementing partners quarterly disbursements processing;
• Support planning and implementation of the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) Assurance Activities;
• Ensure compliance with UNFPA policies and procedures;
• Maintain programme documentation related to IP management.

Coordination, Partnership and Communication:
• Assist in preparing communications and information for internal (team meetings, programme meetings, bilateral meetings) and external coordination meetings with partners, government counterparts, donors, UN agencies, and taking notes and actively monitoring the follow up of the agreements.
• Assist in preparing background materials, concept notes, talking points, and reports related to the different activities under her/his support.
• Update and maintain list of contacts in their own respective area and to nourish UNFPA mailing list in coordination with the Partnership team.
• Support the implementation of the activities of his/her respective area of communication plan.
• Monitor compliance with the donor agreements in his/her respective areas.

Other Responsibilities:
• Support internal coordination and knowledge-sharing across teams.
• Perform any other tasks and duties assigned by the supervisor and UNFPA senior management team.

Skills and experience

• 5 years or more relevant working experience in administration, finance and project management
• Experience in financial monitoring will be an advantage
• Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint and other relevant computer applications
• Satisfactory writing and communication skills
• Ability to organize work effectively and to meet planned deadlines
• Ability to work harmoniously with persons of different backgrounds in a multicultural environment
• Experience working with government implementing partners
• Familiarity with UN policies and principles will be an advantage
• Knowledge of local dialects is an advantage.

Please refer to the Context section for details on the UNV Humanitarian Emergency Response (HER) Roster. Shortlisted candidates may be included in the UNV HER Roster for up to six months and contacted should a suitable emergency response assignment arise. Inclusion in the roster does not guarantee recruitment.

Competencies and values

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Living conditions

The Philippines is situated in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of about 7,641 islands that are broadly divided into three major island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The capital city, Manila, sits within the urban area of Metro Manila which is strategically located in the middle of Luzon, on the eastern coast of Manila Bay and at the mouth of the Pasig River, sprawled over an area of 626 sq. km.

The local climate is hot, humid, and tropical. The average yearly temperature is around 26.5 °C (79.7 °F). There are three recognized seasons: The hot season or summer from March to May, the rainy season from June to November, and the cold season from December to February. Metro Manila is the business and geographic capital of the Philippines and a very modern city with amenities for modern living. Various living choices are available to suit one's budget. Manila is classified as “A” – the lowest hardship for a developing country posting—and all modern amenities (shopping malls, organic supermarkets, restaurants, food delivery, etc.) are available in the city. Traffic congestion and air pollution are challenges in the metropolis.

Housing is readily available and one should be able to find suitable permanent accommodation within two weeks. Price may range from P 15,000 to P 25,000 depending on the location and the type of accommodation one chooses (provincial accommodations are cheaper). Metered and fixed rate taxis are widely available in key cities nationwide. Jeepneys and buses are inexpensive ways of getting around in most places. A relatively-new, reliable public transport system called the Transportation Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) has been operating in Metro Manila; Grab is the leading TNVS company operating in the area.

The Pesos (PHP) is the official currency and is used for most transactions in the Philippines. ATM machines are easily available in urban areas. Banks are open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, with automated teller machines (ATM) operating 24 hours. Western Union has facilities in most towns, cities and provinces. Traveller’s cheques and major foreign currencies can be changed in most commercial banks and Central Bank dealers. They are also accepted in the majority of hotels, shops and restaurants. MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Diner's Club are widely accepted in major organizations across the big cities of the Philippines.

Entitlements of National UN Volunteer include Entry Lump Sum Allowance (USD350), Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) for National UN Volunteer Specialist in Manila, Philippines at PHP 53177.16*, Insurance Coverage (Comprehensive health, life, and malicious acts insurance); Annual Leave of 2.5 days per month; Access to UNV’s learning and career development resources; and Exit Lump Sum Allowance (USD120/1 month) payable upon successful completion of the assignment. For further information on the full entitlements, please refer to the following:
• You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.
• The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.