Photographer

Deadline for Applications

January 23, 2026

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Family

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

CONTR International Senior Level Professional

Target Start Date

Terms of Reference

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ENGAGED INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTHOLDER

General Background of Project or Assignment, Operational Context:

The Global Communications Service relies upon quality professional photography to communicate UNHCR's brand and messages in products across the organization's platforms, including the UNHCR global website, global and senior leader social media accounts, UNHCR's emergency funding appeals and flagship publications, Global Trends, Global Appeals etc. Quality professional images are essential to promote understanding of UNHCR's work and illustrate the organization's messages. Professional photographs are of particular importance to raise funds and public awareness and are key to the organization's advocacy goals.

UNHCR would like to engage professional photographer on retainer contract to cover various field missions in 2026 upon request. The photographer will create visually striking imagery that tells the story of refugees and people we work with. The photographer will usually be accompanied by UNHCR colleagues from the relevant operation and a multimedia team, which can include a producer, videographer, writer and social media content creator.

Specifically, as first engagement under this retainer, the photographer will produce high-quality colour photographs covering a Goodwill Ambassador mission to South Sudan from 9-13 February. Material will be used on UNHCR's global, regional and country platforms, by Goodwill Ambassadors and external partners, for fundraising, advocacy and awareness-raising.

New assignments might follow in 2026 under this retainer.

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

The individual contractor will be solely responsible for taking out and for maintaining adequate insurance required to meet any of his/her obligations under the contract, as well as for arranging, at his/her sole expense, such life, health and other forms of as the individual contractor may consider to be appropriate to cover the period during which the individual consultant provides services under the contract. The individual contractor acknowledges and agrees that none of the insurance arrangements the individual consultant may make shall, in any way, be construed to limit the individual consultant's liability arising under or relating to the contract.

Obtaining proof of mandatory medical evacuation insurance is a precondition for the issuance of a contract. The individual contractor's health insurance must be valid for the duty station and any other duty station(s) to which the contractor is expected to travel during the engagement. It must provide adequate coverage. The individual contractor must submit an attestation to UNHCR prior to the signature of the contract, certifying that this insurance covers travel related illnesses, injuries and medical evacuation.

UNHCR has no responsibility for any costs connected to insurance or medical evacuation of the individual contractor.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

Responsibilities:

• Shoot compelling colour photographs of the Goodwill Ambassador mission to South Sudan from 9-13 February 2026, as per planning discussion with the Head of the Goodwill Ambassador team.

• Liaise with the team on the ground to ensure stories are illustrated and activities covered.

• Show flexibility, discretion and confidentiality when working with celebrities/Goodwill Ambassadors.

• Cover UNHCR's presence and delivery of humanitarian assistance, and solutions, to support refugees, Internally Displaced People, stateless and host communities in South Sudan.

• Produce high-quality photographs that can be used on the Goodwill Ambassadors' as well as UNHCR's global, regional and country platforms for advocacy and fundraising.

• Produce high-quality photographs that can be used distributed to global media organizations and UNHCR partners.

• Deliver professional level post-production and captions/metadata for photos to the specifications of the Photographer's Guidelines and file the best edit of photos to Refugees Media.

• Interview displaced people and include their personal details and quotes in metadata and captions.

• Name every person in every photo.

• Ensure consent forms are filed for every person or family who appears in a photo portrait. Everyone in every photo where we see their face needs a consent form. If we don't see the face but you use their story, we need a consent form.

• Meet frequent tight deadlines.

• Work collaboratively and effectively as part of a multimedia content team and with UNHCR colleagues in the operation.

• The photographer will need to keep the Photo Unit informed of their movements and plans and filing.

CANDIDATE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, SELECTION CRITERIA:

Required/mandatory: Experienced photojournalist who has worked in field storytelling.Standard Job Description Required Languages

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Work Experience

Other information

Retainer contractThis position doesn't require a functional clearance

Remote

Yes

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