Energy and Environment Associate(UNOPS) at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

• The Energy and Environment Associate will provide technical support on sustainable energy as well as support the UNHCR Office on all issues related to environment and climate change, including mainstreaming into all sectors and aspects of the country within the Area of Responsibility, which includes but is not limited to the following:
• Assist the implementation of the sustainable energy and environment programmes, while ensuring systematically included environmental considerations when assessing the needs of refugees and asylum-seekers.
• Assist in the assessment and identification of cost effective and appropriate sources of alternative energy for cooking, lighting, and electricity in collaboration with all actors, including private sector, development agencies and governmental institutions. 
• Collect, analyse, and update data and information concerning the energy and environmental status of settlements and broader hosting areas. 
• Based on assessments, and in consultation with relevant stakeholders, recommend sustainable solutions to address the basic needs of refugees and asylum-seekers while mitigating the environmental impact of the interventions.
• Work with site planners on mainstreaming environmental considerations throughout the settlement design process with due consideration for the environmental conditions in surrounding host areas.
• Work in close coordination with all relevant sectors and clusters in UNHCR, including Protection, WASH, Health, Shelter and Settlements, Livelihoods, Camp Coordination & Camp Management to ensure environmental concerns and impact mitigation measures are included in operational responses.
• Support and assist to work, inform, and coordinate with government, line ministries and NGO partners to implement a robust and appropriate renewable energy strategy and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, and ensure safety. 
• Contribute to internal and external reporting commitments, including proposal writing for environment and energy interventions, while ensuring new projects are coherent and visibly complement planned interventions at Dadaab sub-office level. 
• Work in multi-functional team approach and work in close collaboration with programme and other technical experts, to ensure energy and environment-based interventions are approached from a cross-sectoral perspective. 
• Support quality monitoring of interventions, track and record relevant indicators in UNHCR’s corporate tools. 
• When applicable, represent UNHCR and support coordination meetings on energy, and environment.
• Stay abreast of new technologies and relevant partnerships related to energy, environment, and climate change to more efficiently, respond to the needs of refugees and asylum-seekers, in line with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). 
• Assist training and capacity building activities to address the identified skills and knowledge gaps of refugees and asylum-seekers, host community and partners alike. 
• Assist in the development of effective communication channels between all key stakeholders and promote the sharing of information on energy related activities.
• Assist in the documentation of the project development including monitoring, testing, trouble shooting, lessons learned, and solutions applied to assure institutional knowledge development. 
• Assist the Operation to ensure that minimum best practices are met to assure health and safety standards across all sustainable environment, and energy efficient technologies.
• Assist in the identification, establishment, and linkage with relevant organizations to ensure access to sustainable energy and environment for both refugees and the surrounding areas. 
• Assist in the monitoring and coordination of all sustainable energy and environment activities for both refugees and the surrounding areas. 
• Perform other related duties as required.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Regular and frequent discussions between the incumbent and the supervisor(s) are necessary to ensure that the latest best practices and procedures are shared and applied consistently on issues related to energy and environment. The incumbent will undertake missions to the camps and liaise with energy and environment partners on the implementation of energy and environment programmes. In addition, the staff member will maintain regular contact with UN technical agencies, development partners, line ministries and agencies, implementing and operational partners as needed.
• Proactive coordination and collaboration with key stakeholders, including refugees and host communities, is required to synergize resources. Interventions are evidence-based to ensure their appropriateness. Environment and social screening in addition to environmental impact assessments will be required to evaluate the operation. 
• The Energy and Environment Associate should be capable of working with minimum supervision in project submissions, revisions, and reallocations throughout the project lifecycle in the energy and environmental programme. S/he will be instrumental in contributing to the development of specific inputs related to the sector and must meet reporting requirements. The incumbent should be part of the Multi-function Team (MFT) to ensure that environmental concerns are mainstreamed, and sustainable energy taken into consideration in any decision-making process. 

Qualifications and Experience

Education 

• (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
• High School Diploma 
• Years of experience 
• 6 years relevant experience with high school diploma, or 4 years relevant experience with a bachelor or equivalent or higher

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

• Minimum 6 years of previous relevant job experience in sustainable energy sector. Experience working with government authorities, development partners, civil society and/or public/private sector.
• Awareness of and practical experience with refugee-related environmental problems. Familiarity with emerging environmentally sustainable and appropriate technologies. Familiarity with community-based and participatory approaches.