UN Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Program
Overview
Through USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA), the United States sponsors qualified U.S. citizens for employment across five UN agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Working both in Headquarters and the field, BHA-sponsored JPOs have delivered important contributions to the humanitarian community—advancing priority technical and thematic areas—while cultivating their own professional growth and career development. After completing their JPO assignments, many USAID/BHA-sponsored JPOs have often successfully competed for positions within the UN and other international organizations.
Please see a one-page snapshot to learn more about BHA’s support to the JPO program.
Eligibility
Qualifications for JPO positions vary, depending on the assignment and UN agency’s selection criteria. The following criteria are most commonly used by UN agencies.
- Education: An advanced university degree.
- Experience: Three to five or more years of work experience in humanitarian assistance or disaster relief with an academic background in fields related to human rights, disaster management, international relations, international development or public policy. Prior work experience in or familiarity with the UN system is also helpful.
- Languages: Proficiency in at least one U.N. working language in addition to English is preferred.
- Age limit: under 32-35 years old
Application Instructions
The JPO selection process is carried out jointly by USAID/BHA and the United Nations. To apply, please send a completed UN Personal History Statement (P11) (see link below) to bha.jpocoordinator@usaid.gov, along with a cover letter/letter of interest, and a general resume. Please state which position you are applying for in the subject line of your email. If you wish to apply for both positions, please complete a Personal History Statement (P11) for each position and submit these to us in separate emails with the appropriate subject heading.
Open Position
Application Details
Please complete the UN Personal History Statement (P11). The P11 provides the opportunity to include all required information in one document, including your professional work experience and references. Please attach a cover letter to explain your interest in the position and interest in working with the UN, along with a general resume.
Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
Additional Information
- U.S. citizens
- The P11 form must be completed in English only.
- You may leave the signature/date sections blank at this time. If selected for one of the positions, you will then need to submit a signed version.
- Do NOT submit a photograph.
- The pre-selection process may require multiple interviews. Candidates will receive an initial email acknowledgement of their submitted application materials, if receipt is within the specified deadline.