Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer (Temporary)

About the role

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is recruiting a Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer (temporary) for its Programme Office in Ghana, based in Accra. The post reports to the UNODC Representative for the Regional Office for West and Central Africa and is supervised by the Penal and Prison Reform Team Lead. It covers crime prevention, criminal justice and prison reform in Ghana and the wider region.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the EU-funded EU for a Secure Ghana programme, supporting needs assessments, programming and technical missions.
• Support capacity-building for Ghanaian security and criminal justice agencies on firearms and explosives trafficking, including illegal mining (Galamsey).
• Serve as UNODC's focal point for penal and prison reform, promoting international standards such as the Nelson Mandela, Bangkok and Tokyo Rules.
• Design and coordinate technical assistance on rationalizing imprisonment, prison management, conditions, alternatives to incarceration and offender rehabilitation.
• Represent UNODC in UN coordination mechanisms (UNCT, UNSDCF, CCA, SMT) and national, regional and international meetings.
• Manage the Programme Office in Ghana, including supervision of personnel, finances and resources, and compliance with UN rules.
• Develop workplans, budgets, monitoring frameworks and reports, and contribute to resource mobilization.
• Integrate human rights, gender equality, disability inclusion and youth empowerment into all activities.
• Analyze data and visualize trends, and contribute to policy papers and reports to UN bodies and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

Required profile

• Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in political science, social science, economics, international relations, law or a related field, or a first-level degree plus two years of qualifying experience.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in crime prevention and criminal justice, including penal or prison reform.
• Experience in project management, implementation, monitoring and reporting.
• Experience designing and delivering capacity-building activities, workshops or training for criminal justice officials.