Programme Officer

Organizational context: This position is based at the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) in Rome, Italy. The role supports the Institute's Programme for the Strengthening of the Penitentiary System and Social Crime Prevention Policies, operating under the supervision of a Programme Management Officer and the Senior Programme Manager/Deputy Director.

Job purpose: The Programme Officer will provide substantive support for the implementation and expansion of UNICRI's initiatives focused on strengthening penitentiary systems and social crime prevention policies in Mexico and Guatemala. This involves contributing to research, capacity building, and knowledge dissemination to enhance institutional capacity, rehabilitation approaches, and crime prevention strategies. The role includes conducting consulting assignments, facilitating workshops, and developing policy frameworks to improve penitentiary reform, prison management, and social crime prevention in the target countries. The incumbent will also research and analyze relevant information, establish working relationships with Italian counterparts, and prepare technical materials and reports.

Responsibilities:
The Programme Officer will actively participate in developing and implementing activities such as research, capacity building, and knowledge dissemination to strengthen penitentiary systems and social crime prevention policies in Mexico and Guatemala. This includes improving institutional capacity, rehabilitation approaches, and crime prevention strategies. The role involves conducting consulting assignments, planning and facilitating workshops, and developing policy and operational frameworks for penitentiary reform, prison management, and social crime prevention. The incumbent will research and synthesize information on penitentiary systems and crime prevention, establish technical working relationships with Italian authorities and institutions, and prepare technical training materials and knowledge products. Additionally, the officer will assist in policy development by analyzing emerging issues, prepare written outputs like reports and studies, support consultative meetings and conferences, and coordinate capacity-building activities. The role also includes participating in field missions, contributing to project budget and funding activities, and collecting/analyzing data for reporting.

Education:
An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in law, criminal justice, political science, international relations, security studies, psychology, behavioral sciences, sociology, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience may substitute for the advanced degree.

Work

experience:
A minimum of five years of professional experience in programme management, project coordination, technical assistance, or policy development within criminal justice, security governance, penitentiary reform, or social crime prevention is required. Experience in research, policy analysis, preparing technical reports, and organizing capacity-building activities is also necessary. Experience in prison reform, rehabilitation, reintegration, or correctional systems strengthening is desirable. xbvzest

Skills:
Professionalism, conceptual and analytical skills, research and analysis, data collection and interpretation, planning and organizing, and effective communication (written and verbal).

Required languages: Spanish, English, French

Desired languages: