Individual Contractor on Digital Planning and Strategy (Information Integrity)

Deadline for Applications

September 5, 2026

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Family

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

CONTR Local Entry and Mid-Level Support

Target Start Date

2026-09-14

Terms of Reference

UNHCR Individual Contractor Contract

Duty station: Homebased

Duration: ASAP until 31/12/2026

Working arrangement: Full-time, 100%

GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. We are in over 125 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions.

The growth in the use of digital channels offers many opportunities for the forcibly displaced and stateless, but also brings new risks. Misuse of digital technologies and online harms such as misinformation, disinformation and hate speech cause direct and indirect harm to forcibly displaced and stateless people, and can hamper humanitarian action and protection. Strengthening digital protection is a priority under UNHCR’s Digital Transformation Strategy 2022-2026

As a key step to achieve this goal, UNHCR in 2023 launched a new ‘digital protection’ capacity to better understand, mitigate and help prevent the harms caused by misinformation, disinformation and hate speech (“MDH”), in the form of earmarked projects, Innovation Norway and the Government of Switzerland (FDFA). The capacity currently sits within the Division of External Relations.

The projects are practical, field-based and highly collaborative. The outputs will aid UNHCR and partners in their understanding and mitigation of these challenges and offer vital contributions to preventative efforts, including across the UN system.

Under the overall guidance of the Senior Strategic Planning Officer leading the projects, this assignment will support the delivery of the Information Integrity projects including the Switzerland Information Integrity Project (2024-2026) and the Innovation Norway Information Integrity Project (2024-2026), through development and dissemination of a Sector-Wide Information Integrity Toolkit, provision of Training activities and other tasks including information management, analysis, donor reporting, GRF pledge reporting, creation of communications materials, field/operational support, and stakeholder engagement including interagency working groups.

The contractor will collaborate with relevant UNHCR teams at country, regional and global levels, and help strengthen relationships with operational and implementing partners and other stakeholders.

This is a unique opportunity to join a high performing team and develop a career working in digital protection for the furtherance of humanitarian goals.

OVERALL PURPOSE OF ASSIGNMENT:

I)Project management duties including:

a. Planning, organizing and strategic support to the HQ and field-based activities of the project, collaborating closely with internal teams to ensure work is carried out in an efficient, aligned and consultative way, in line with the broader organizational strategy and programs.

b. Support research and analysis efforts to provide insight for evidence-based decision making on information integrity.

c. Provide expert guidance and support to pilot projects and other country-operation initiatives, ensuring the effective testing of evidence-based interventions.

d. Support for external engagement and outreach opportunities, including multilateral events.

e. Draft messaging, talking points, newsletters, stories and website updates.

f. Contribute and strengthen strategic collaborations with humanitarian, UN, IO and NGO partners, with tech companies and in particular large digital platforms, Government partners, academic institutions, and other UNHCR teams, leveraging their expertise and networks.

II) Development of Tools and Training, including::

a. Manage the maintenance and development of the UNHCR Information Integrity Response Toolkit (https://www.unhcr.org/handbooks/informationintegrity/)

b. Dissemination of the Toolkit to UNHCR partner organisations.

c. Development and delivery of training materials and programmes in support of the Toolkit aimed at UNHCR staff and partners, ensuring alignment with HQ frameworks.

d. Ensure all materials are organized and accessible in a shared-file system.

III) Reporting and Research duties including:

a. Preparation and inputs on funding proposals, donor reports, external reports and internal reporting.

b. Preparation and inputs on external engagement activities including with Governments, the Private Sector, Civil Society, UN, NGOs and Academic partners.

c. Support implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Global Refugee Forum multistakeholder pledge on Digital Protection: Misinformation, Disinformation and Hate Speech.

d. Support research and analysis activities, including surveys, academic and applied research.

e. Monitoring, reviewing and synthesizing media for relevant MDH news from a regular and wide variety of sources to inform the project and deliver relevant and up to date products.

INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR's WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT:

• Minimum of four years' work experience relevant to the function.

• A minimum of one year of experience working on the development and delivery of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech capacities and activities for an international organisation, engaging with diverse stakeholders and multiple country operations.

• A minimum of two years’ experience working on digital strategy, international relations,

policy, research and project management.

• Experience of working on time-bound multi-dimensional projects for international organisations.

• Knowledge of trust and safety, online harms, digital literacy, digital policy and tech regulation issues.

• Knowledge of the UN and UNHCR, and humanitarian and conflict contexts, as well as forced displacement, asylum and statelessness broadly.

SKILLS REQUIREMENT:

• Fluency in English with excellent drafting and editorial skills. Additional languages are highly desirable, especially French and Spanish.

• • Demonstrated ability in managing data and information, including qualitative and quantitative research design, processing, analysis, publication and evaluation.

• Quantitative and qualitative research experience including in the area of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech.

• Experience of writing donor, progress and impact reports.

• Experience developing informative, visual training materials such as presentations and online course materials.

• Experience using Microsoft Suite, design tools, monitoring and listening tools. Experience in OSINT techniques an advantage.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (eg Information and Communication Technologies, Journalism, Data Science, Human Rights, Public Policy or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Standard Job Description

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

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Other information

Replacement recruitmentThis position doesn't require a functional clearance

Remote

Yes