The WMO Secretariat recruits Junior Professional Officers (JPOs) under bilateral agreements between the Secretariat and donor WMO Member States and Territories. JPOs are generally nationals of a donor Member State or Territory of WMO, however, some donors also finance nationals of developing countries. Candidates are young professionals, usually with an advanced university degree and minimum two years of professional experience. JPO positions are generally on P2 level, Step 1.
The number of sponsored positions varies from year to year and by donor. Initially JPOs are granted a one-year appointment which may be extended, with the agreement of the donor, and on the basis of good performance. There is no expectation of being selected for a regular staff position; JPOs may apply for such positions as any other external candidate and go through the regular competitive selection process.
The Human Resources Division manages the JPO Programme for the WMO Secretariat.
The main objective of the JPO Programme is to provide young professionals with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field of multilateral international cooperation through a learning experience under the supervision of specialists, and to contribute to the advancement and furtherance of their organization’s mandate, particularly with regard to the Sustainable Development Goals / 2030 Agenda.
The overall goal of the JPO Programme is to enhance the development and capacity development work of the WMO and the United Nations common system.