Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Global Operations Division, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Bangkok and functions as Regional Director for the Asia-Pacific. The Regional Director reports to the Division Director.

Within delegated authority, the Regional Director will be responsible for the following duties: Formulates and implements the substantive work programme of the Regional Office and country leads/representatives under his/her supervision. Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Regional Office, ensures that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and co-ordinates work in the different areas both within the Division and human rights presences in the region under his/her supervision, and with other organizations of the United Nations System, as appropriate. Leads, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Regional Office under his/her responsibility. Co-ordinates the work carried out by different work units under the Regional Office and by human rights presences in the region under his/her supervision; provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others. Responsible for directing and supervising the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of technical cooperation projects at the request of Governments; Directs and supervises the planning, support and evaluation of human rights field presences and missions. Responsible for maintaining cooperation on human rights issues with Member States, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations, media, academia, with UN country teams and with regional and sub-regional institutions; Ensures that substantive and administrative support is provided to human rights fact finding and investigatory mechanisms which deal with specific country situations. Draws to the attention of the Director to all pertinent information and recommendations emanating from fact-finding activities, giving particular attention to situations in which preventive human rights action might be appropriate. Engages in strategic resource mobilization, strategic communications and advocacy as the High Commissioner’s representative for the Asia-Pacific. Ensures that the outputs produced by the Regional Office and human rights presences maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the presences under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates. Oversees the preparations of the work programme of the Regional Office and human rights presences, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery. Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Regional Office, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance (ePerformance), interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting. Recruits staff, taking due account of geographical balance. Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision. Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Regional Office, human rights presences in the region and across organizational boundaries. Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions. Represents the Regional Office at international, regional or national meetings.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM : Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. COMMUNICATION : Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. LEADERHSIP : Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. VISION : Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; Clearly communicates links between the organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals; Generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; Conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities. MANAGING PERFORMANCE : Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff;

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in law, human rights, political science, international relations or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience of which at least 10 years in human rights or related field, preferably at the international level (related fields may include, inter alia, humanitarian and refugee assistance and/or protection, peace operations, and development) is required. Experience in working with an international organization in a multi-cultural environment is required. At least 7 years of progressively responsible supervisory, management and leadership experience is required. At least 10 years of human rights or closely related field experience is required. Managing on-site implementation of projects and operations, as well as effective headquarters management of such operations is desirable. Demonstrated experience in strategic resource mobilization is desirable. Experience working in/on the Asia-Pacific region, or relevant experience acquired working in or on similar contexts is desirable.

Languages

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral or geographical move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral or geographical moves in their Candidate Profile (CP) and motivation statement. For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 28 February 2026, are strongly encouraged to apply: Un-represented: Andorra, Brunei Darussalam, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu. Under-represented: Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, China, Cuba, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Libya, Liberia, Luxembourg, Monaco, Oman, Paraguay, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Turkmenistan, United States of America. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Staff members appointed to the current position are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon assignment or appointment and annually thereafter.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.