The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) seeks a committed and motivated person with considerable knowledge and experience to carry forward QUNO’s work on Human Rights and Refugees in the QUNO Geneva office. The candidate should be in close sympathy with Quaker values and approaches. They will join our team, currently including Director, Representative on Human Impacts of Climate Change, Associate Representative on Sustainable and Just Economic Systems, two Programme Assistants, Office Manager, Finance Manager, Fundraising Officer, and Communications Coordinator (based out of QUNO New York). We will also be recruiting for a Peace and Disarmament Representative this year.

Background to QUNO and the Human Rights and Refugees Programme

Established over 75 years ago, QUNO consists of two offices, New York and Geneva, providing Quaker witness at the United Nations. Our vision is of a UN system and community of nations that support and uphold the dignity of all, so that peace and justice can flourish and our shared home can be nurtured. QUNO Geneva seeks to bring Quaker peace and justice concerns to international processes in the areas of peace and disarmament, human rights and refugees, the human impacts of climate change, and sustainable and just economic systems. Our style of work is focused on “quiet diplomacy”: providing intellectual and physical space for dialogue, listening and learning including through off-the-record, informal, small-group conversations among diplomats, UN staff, NGOs, experts and others. We use our general consultative status at the United
Nations’ Economic and Social Council and our observer status in several other international bodies to engage publicly with relevant UN processes. The Human Rights and Refugees Programme is rooted in a deep history of Quaker work on justice, equality and peace.

The Programme has a long and strong track record of:

• contributing to the development of international law (examples include: the Optional Protocol on Children and Armed Conflict, the Bangkok Rules on the Treatment of Women in Prison, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration)
• engaging with UN reform (including the establishment of the Human Rights Council, the formation of the UN Network on Migration)
• convening diplomats, UN staff, NGOs and people directly affected by human rights violations to share ideas and catalyse change
• building a broad network of civil society partners to inform and support engagement and strengthen collaboration

Some of the Programme’s work is referred to here: https://quno.org/areas-of-work/human-rights-refugees

Job Purpose

Leading the Human Rights and Refugees Programme, you will maintain QUNO’s long-term Quaker presence at the United Nations. This includes helping make international agreements and processes more human rights based and effective in practice. Current programme priorities are:

• human rights and migration and displacement (well established)
• the right to conscientious objection to military service (well established)
• supporting a resilient human rights system in the current context (exploratory)
• supporting work by other Quaker organisations on the rights of Indigenous Peoples’ (well established) and on reparations (exploratory)
• human rights and criminal justice systems (on hold).

At this time of threat to the UN system all programmes at QUNO are exploring how to better support and strengthen UN processes that centre human dignity and foster peace, justice and sustainability. As a senior staff member and part of a small team, you will help ensure the effective and efficient management of the organisation as well as leading the Human Rights and Refugees Programme.

Key Responsibilities

Representation

• Act as part of QUNO’s team of representatives at the United Nations, communicating the insights, perspectives and concerns of Quakers to the UN community as appropriate.
• Establish and maintain relationships with diplomats at UN missions, UN staff, NGO representatives and people with lived experience of human rights violations relevant to QUNO’s Human Rights and Refugees Programme.
• Represent QUNO at relevant UN meetings. Alert the QUNO Director to meetings requiring their presence and share information and analysis with other QUNO staff.
• Represent QUNO at meetings of Friends, Quaker service agencies, and civil society networks as required.
• Model inclusive, non-violent and collaborative approaches in interactions with the UN community, in accordance with Quaker testimonies and practices.

Programme Leadership

• Develop Human Rights and Refugees Programme strategy, identifying opportunities and priorities for a unique Quaker presence. Implement the programme, reporting on impact at regular intervals to our governance board and donors as required.
• Facilitate informal and off-the-record discussions on issues and processes relevant to the Human Rights and Refugees Programme.
• Support other QUNO programmes in applying a human rights based approach and engaging with the UN human rights system.
• Contribute insights from the Human Rights and Refugees Programme perspective to processes for shared analysis on threats and opportunities in relation to UN reform and multilateralism.
• Develop communications and publications as relevant to the programme.
• Contribute to fundraising for the programme, identifying potential donors, building relationships, writing grant applications and reporting to donors.

Administration and Operations

• Collaborate with other staff, in particular the Director and other Representatives, to ensure the smooth running of the organization, taking on delegated functions and deputizing where appropriate.
• Contribute to the oversight and delivery of the annual Quaker UN Summer School. This is led by Programme Assistants with the supervision and support of senior staff.

Fundraising and Outreach

• Support and take part in QUNO fundraising and communications activities: inform stakeholders about QUNO’s work at the UN through presentations, QUNO website and social media; contribute to the annual QUNO Review; and participate in fundraising and outreach activities.

Staff Supervision, Development and Support

• Recruit, line manage and mentor a Human Rights and Refugees Programme Assistant to support the programme (this is a one year training post).
• Model inclusive, non-violent and collaborative approaches in interactions within QUNO.

Required Values, Approaches, Skills and Experience

Essential Values and Approaches

• You are in close sympathy with Quaker values and testimonies.
• You are familiar with consultative decision-making processes, and are able to adapt to changing situations and priorities.
• You have a commitment to the principles and practices of QUNO with regard to equal opportunities, fairness of treatment, dignity, work-life balance and the elimination of all forms of discrimination in the workplace, including in relation to issues of race, class, nationality, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, and disabilities.
• You are available to attend evening and weekend meetings and to travel internationally, working additional hours as needed.

Essential Knowledge and Experience

• You have demonstrated knowledge and experience of the UN human rights system.
• You hold a graduate degree or the equivalent experience in international human rights law or a related field.
• You bring at least 8 years of relevant experience, including several years of progressive responsibility covering development of programme strategy, as well as implementation and reporting, preferably in the non-profit sector.
• You have an academic or working background or both in one or more of the current priority areas of focus (migration, conscientious objection to military service, UN human rights system reform).Knowledge of the UN’s migration governance architecture or human rights based approaches to migration governance or both is desirable.
• You have experience in fundraising, ideally including identifying potential donors, building relationships and writing grant applications.

Essential Skills

• You demonstrate the ability to work independently and take initiative, while embracing new challenges as learning opportunities, including ability to organize your time, give attention to detail, and carry out careful planning and follow-up.
• You are skilled in mentoring junior staff or trainees; including the ability to create a supportive learning environment and help maintain motivation.
• You possess strong interpersonal skills enabling you to work productively as a member of a small, highly motivated team.
• You have demonstrated facilitation skills, creating spaces of trust for open dialogue.
• You are fluent in written and spoken English (the primary working language at QUNO) and possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• You have demonstrated ability to work and communicate respectfully with people of diverse backgrounds and who hold different perspectives.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Understanding of the concerns and insights of the Religious Society of Friends world-wide.
• Knowledge of other UN languages, in particular French.
• Experience of working collaboratively in a small team.
• Previous experience serving in a senior management team.

Conditions of Service

Salary: Salary currently under review, last advertised at CHF 95,000. QUNO provides employer’s contribution to social security, pension and accident insurance. The employee is responsible for and required by law to have health insurance.

Duration: Once the standard three-month probation period envisioned under Swiss law has been completed, this position is of indefinite duration subject to funding and organisational priorities. The contract would provide for three months’ notice on either side.

Holidays: 27 days per annum, in addition to Geneva public holidays and the period the QUNO office is closed between Christmas and New Year. The timing of vacations is to be agreed in advance with the Director.

Working hours: QUNO follows Swiss practice of a 40-hour work week. Office hours are normally 09:00 to 18:00 with a one-hour lunch break. Time worked over and above that, agreed in advance, is compensated by time off in lieu, and should be taken within one month at times agreed in consultation with the Director.

Location: The post is based in Quaker House, Geneva, Switzerland. The post holder will be expected to be resident in or relocate to Geneva or the surrounding area. Significant international travel may be required. Travel costs at the start and end of the appointment: If the appointee is not currently living in Geneva, the costs of an economy ticket from the appointee’s home base and a modest relocation allowance will be paid by QUNO.

Applications

Full details and instructions on how to apply here https://quno.org/timeline/2025/9/quno-geneva-seeks-human-rights-refugees-representative.

QUNO is committed to equality in policy and practice. Qualified persons are encouraged to apply regardless of their religious affiliation, national origin, race, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. Appointment to this post requires the candidate to be legally eligible for employment in Switzerland (https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/overview-arbeit.html). For a highly qualified candidate, who does not presently have that eligibility, QUNO would consider applying for a work permit, in which case an employment offer would be conditional on government approval.

Closing Date: 13:00 CEST, Friday 3 October 2025
Initial interviews: Anticipated online in the week beginning 13 October 2025.
Second round interviews: Anticipated in person in the week beginning 3 November 2025.

Applications should be made by email to: qunojob1@quno.ch with the subject line: Human Rights and Refugees Representative. Please attach the following, including your name in the title for each document:
1. Your curriculum vitae (max. 2 pages)
2. A cover letter (max. 2 Pages), including:
o your assessment of how your qualifications and experience fit this role
o your motivation for working on these issues within a Quaker organisation
Please include within these:
o Your nationality and eligibility to be employed in Switzerland
o If you are a member or attender of a Quaker meeting
o The earliest date on which you could start full time in Geneva
o The names and contact details of three referees, including, if possible, your most recent employer (indicating whether we should ask you before contacting them) and one referee who is a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers). Please say how each person knows you.
3. A sample of your writing on a topic relevant to the position (max. 6 pages, can be an extract from a longer piece of writing)
Applications without these attachments cannot be considered.
Ability to build strong human connections is essential to this role. We therefore encourage you not to rely on generative AI in preparing your application. All applications will be treated in confidence.