2026 JPO Programme: 22 Junior Professional Officer Jobs with IAEA, IOM, UNDP, WHO, WFP, WIPO and More

The 2026 Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme has opened its second call for applications, providing qualified early-career professionals with opportunities to work with major international organizations and United Nations-related institutions across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the United States.

The current call includes positions in areas such as human resources, migration, livelihoods, strategic planning, renewable energy, sustainable development, economic affairs, climate policy, political affairs, programme management, financial management, legal affairs, counter-terrorism, supply chain management, public health and international development.

The application deadline for the current call is Sunday, 23 August 2026 at 24:00 CET.

For professionals seeking to build an international career, gain experience within multilateral institutions and contribute to global development and policy work, the JPO programme can provide a valuable entry point into the international organization system.

What Is the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme?

The Junior Professional Officer Programme provides early-career professionals with opportunities to gain professional experience within international organizations.

JPO positions are designed for candidates who have already completed advanced academic studies and have some relevant professional experience but are still developing their international careers.

The 2026 second call includes vacancies hosted by organizations such as:

• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• International Trade Centre (ITC)
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – International Energy Agency (OECD-IEA)
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
• United Nations Secretariat
• World Food Programme (WFP)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

These positions are distributed across several international cities, including Vienna, Erbil, Geneva, Paris, Bonn, Damascus, New York, Addis Ababa, Nairobi and N’Djamena.

Current 2026 JPO Job Openings

1. IAEA – Associate HR Policy Officer

Location: Vienna, Austria
Organization: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Chiffre: 2026-2-34
Sector/Unit: Human Resources Development

The IAEA is recruiting a Junior Professional Officer, Associate HR Policy Officer.

The position focuses on human resources policy and related organizational activities within the Human Resources Development function.

Main qualification requirements

Applicants should have:

• A master’s degree in:
  • Business administration
  • Human resources management
  • International relations
  • Law
  • Or a related field
• At least two years of experience in human resources management
• Excellent written and oral English
• Experience drafting:
  • Policies
  • Procedures
  • Position papers

The position may be particularly suitable for candidates with academic and professional backgrounds in human resources, organizational policy, international relations or administration.

Click HERE to read more and apply.

2. IOM – Migration and Livelihoods Officer

Location: Erbil, Iraq
Organization: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Chiffre: 2026-2-44
Sector/Unit: Livelihoods, Protection and Migration Management Technical Team

The IOM JPO position focuses on migration and livelihoods, with particular relevance to migration management, protection and programmes supporting affected populations.

Main qualification requirements

Applicants should have:

• A master’s degree in:
  • Political or social sciences
  • Social work
  • Economics
  • Development studies
  • Law
  • Or a related field
• At least two years of relevant work experience
• Familiarity with programme issues concerning migration and returnees
• Fluency in English

This position could be relevant to professionals interested in migration, displacement, development, humanitarian programming and livelihoods.

Click HERE to read more and apply.

3. ITC – Strategic Planning, Performance and Governance Officer

Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Organization: International Trade Centre (ITC)
Chiffre: 2026-2-39
Sector/Unit: Strategic Planning, Performance and Governance

The ITC opening focuses on strategic planning, performance and governance.

Main qualification requirements

Applicants should have a master’s degree in an area such as:

• Public administration
• Business administration
• Finance or accounting
• Data science
• Risk management
• Evaluation
• Economics
• Social sciences
• A related discipline

Applicants also need:

• At least two years of relevant professional experience
• Fluency in English
• Strong quantitative and qualitative research and analytical skills
• Computer literacy

This position may appeal to professionals interested in organizational performance, monitoring and evaluation, governance, data analysis and strategic planning.

Click HERE to read more and apply.

4. OECD-IEA – Junior Renewable Energy Policy Analyst

Location: Paris, France
Organization: OECD – International Energy Agency (IEA)
Chiffre: 2026-2-35
Sector/Unit: Directorate of Energy Markets and Security

This position focuses on renewable energy policy, making it particularly relevant for professionals working in energy, climate policy and sustainable development.

Main qualification requirements

Applicants should have a master’s degree in:

• Political science
• International relations
• Economics or econometrics
• Engineering
• Physical sciences
• Statistics
• Another relevant field

Applicants also require:

• Two years of relevant experience in renewable energy policies
• Fluency in English or French
• Experience using Microsoft Excel

Click HERE to read more and apply.

5. UNCCD – Junior Policy Officer

Location: Bonn, Germany
Organization: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Chiffre: 2026-2-38
Sector/Unit: Drought Resilience, Sustainable Land Management and Food Security

The UNCCD position focuses on policy issues surrounding drought resilience, sustainable land management and food security.

Main qualification requirements

Candidates should have a master’s degree in:

• International development
• Sustainable land management
• Natural resources management
• Land governance
• Development economics
• Or a related field

Applicants should also have at least two years of professional experience in areas such as:

• Food security
• Sustainable agriculture
• Drought resilience
• Sustainable land management
• Sustainable water management
• Environmental policy

Fluency in English and proficiency with Microsoft Office and collaborative platforms are also required.

Click HERE to read more and apply.

6. UNCTAD – Economic Affairs JPO

Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Organization: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
Chiffre: 2026-2-37
Area: Critical Minerals and Green Hydrogen

This position sits within the Economic Development area and focuses on emerging economic issues involving critical minerals and green hydrogen.

Main qualification requirements

Candidates need:

• A master’s degree in economics or a related discipline
• At least two years of relevant professional experience

Relevant experience may include:

• Economic research
• Economic analysis
• Policy formulation
• Development programmes
• Application of economic principles to development-related work

Fluency in English is required.

Click HERE to read more and apply.

7. UNECE – Sustainable Energy, Climate Mitigation and Adaptation

Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Organization: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Chiffre: 2026-2-36
Sector: Economic and Environmental Affairs

This JPO position focuses on sustainable energy, climate mitigation and climate adaptation.

Main qualification requirements

Applicants should hold a master’s degree in:

• Economics
• Environmental sciences
• International relations
• Sustainability
• Social sciences
• Or a related field

Candidates should also have:

• At least two years of relevant experience
• Experience in the energy sector, environmental sustainability or energy-related policymaking
• Fluency in English

Click HERE to read more and apply.

8. UNDP – Programme Analyst

Location: Damascus, Syria
Organization: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Chiffre: 2026-2-41
Sector/Unit: Socio-Economic Recovery, Inclusive Growth and Finance

The UNDP position focuses on economic recovery, inclusive growth, finance and private sector development.

Main qualification requirements

Applicants should have:

• A master’s degree in:
  • Economics
  • Business management
  • International development
  • Or a related field
• At least two years of paid professional experience in areas such as:
  • Economic recovery
  • Inclusive growth
  • Finance
  • Private sector development
• Fluency in English

Strong abilities in:

• Data collection
• Data analysis
• Research
• Report writing

are also required.

Click HERE to read more and apply.

9. UNDP – Local Action Analyst

Location: New York, United States
Organization: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Chiffre: 2026-2-40
Sector/Unit: Governance, Rule of Law and Peacebuilding Hub

The UNDP is also recruiting a Junior Professional Officer, Local Action Analyst.

Main qualification requirements

Applicants should hold a master’s degree in:

• Public administration
• Economics
• Political science
• Social sciences
• A related field

Applicants need at least two years of relevant experience in areas such as:

• Peacebuilding
• Insider mediation
• Local governance
• Related fields

Fluency in English and proficiency with office software and web-based management systems are required.

Click HERE to read more and apply.

10. UN-Habitat – Junior Professional Officer

Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Organization: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
Chiffre: 2026-2-42
Sector/Unit: Land, Housing and Informal Settlements Section

The UN-Habitat position focuses on housing, land, urban development and informal settlements.

Main qualification requirements

Candidates should have:

• A master’s degree in a relevant field
• At least two years of relevant professional experience

Relevant experience should be related to:

• Housing
• Land administration
• Land management
• Urban development
• Slums
• Informal settlements

Fluency in English is required.

Click HERE to read more and apply.

11. UN Secretariat – Financial Management JPO

Location: New York, United States
Organization: United Nations Secretariat
Chiffre: 2026-2-25
Sector/Unit: Programme Planning, Finance and Budget

This position focuses on financial management, programme planning, finance and budgeting.

Main qualification requirements

A master’s degree in the following areas is preferable, although the vacancy indicates that these fields are not strictly required:

• Business administration
• Economics
• Information systems
• Law
• Statistics
• Finance

Applicants need at least two years of progressively responsible experience in:

• Finance
• Administration
• Budget
• Business administration
• Related areas

Fluency in English and strong computer skills are also required.

Click HERE to read more and apply.

12. UN Secretariat – Legal Affairs JPO

Location: New York, United States
Organization: United Nations Secretariat
Chiffre: 2026-2-26
Sector/Unit: Legal Affairs

This opportunity is designed for professionals specializing in public international law and legal affairs.

Main qualification requirements

Candidates should have:

• A master’s degree in law