Junior Professional Officers sponsored by Italy are recruited as fixed-term staff by the recipient UN entities. Entry grade is at the P2 step 1 level of the professional category for organizations belonging to the United Nations System and at the equivalent grade (entry professional level) for other international organizations (OECD, IDLO, etc.), with the exception of the Inter-American Development Bank, which offers its Associate Professional Officers (APOs) an international consultancy contract.

A one-year contract is issued initially and is automatically renewed for a second year subject to a satisfactory performance appraisal. A third-year extension on a cost-sharing basis may be agreed upon by the donor and the requesting organization.

Contracts for Junior Professional Officers normally comprise the following: salary, medical insurance, life insurance, pension contributions, as well as allowances for travel, shipment, installment at the duty station and repatriation. These entitlements may vary between UN System entities and other international organizations