Jobs at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Duties
Technical Guidance

• Conduct assessments and ensure selection of potential sites is done in accordance with the Master Plan approach to settlement planning taking into consideration protection concerns, national legislation, environmental considerations, appropriate density, and access to basic services including water, hydrological concerns, socio/economic issues, and cultural inclusion and HLP matters.
• Ensure that settlement layouts respond to natural topography and drainage patterns of the site to reduce construction and maintenance costs.
• Ensure that safe and equitable access to basic services is provided for both the displaced and host communities while making particular emphasis on meaningful inclusion of the site community groups (women, youth, elderly and persons with specific needs) in decision-making processes including through governance structures and sectorial focal points.
• Work with the relevant technical, programme and supply colleagues in close coordination with implementing and other concerned parties to develop implementation modalities and work plans for the settlement plans. Provide technical inputs and advice to Programme in the process of Implementation Partner Selection and review of PPAs of all sector related partners and partners with construction related activities in their budget.
• Provide support in Preparedness through the development of contingency plans for population movements. Develop and update agreed response strategies (MPAs and APAs) for refugee sites, including transition/exit strategy for site consolidation and closures within the AOR.
• In close consultation with partners, conduct assessments, provide concrete initiatives and develop specific strategies to make sure that residential areas, key services and infrastructure are not susceptible to the risk of natural hazards such as flash floods and landslides.

Coordination and Leadership

• Provide strong leadership in ensuring that UNHCR's operation within the AOR is technically sound in the field of settlement planning to best meet the needs of POC.
• Liaise with Government, line ministries and relevant authorities and counterparts to ensure strong coordination and partnership. Ensure that settlement plans are aligned with regional, national land use plans and planned developments.
• Represent UNHCR in the process of site selection and land negotiations with the national government, local government, local community leaders and the landlords for the settlements within the AOR. In doing this, ensure that the risk of conflict linked to land tenure is addressed and mitigated while continuing to pursue actions that increase the security of tenure for displaced populations.
• In line with UNHCR's commitment, promote the integration of agreed priority cross-cutting issues (e.g. age, environment, gender, and human rights) in sector/inter-sector needs assessments, analysis, planning and monitoring are met.
• Develop and implement Settlement plans in a consultative process with Senior Management, relevant technical colleagues (integrated multi-sectoral approach), implementing partners, and other relevant stakeholders. Maintain, support or complement existing coordination mechanisms.
• Develop Settlement Master Plans in alignment with the UNHCR guiding principles of the Master Plan Approach to Settlement Planning. Ensure periodic updates on the Masterplan taking note of the expansion and densification of the settlement and develop plans for any settlement extensions.
• Upload technical information and settlement plan updates on the SIP (settlement information portal), ensure shelter dashboards are populated with relevant settlement data, prepare mission reports and debrief.
• Work together with implementing and operational partners to ensure the use of common standards and tools for information collection and data management, including in needs assessments and monitoring.
• Working closely with Risk management, utilise adequate Project Management tools and conduct regular monitoring of settlement and infrastructure works so these are implemented according to plans and completed within designated timelines and budget, and ensure that this information is captured in the global monitoring and evaluation framework.
• Provide support in advocating for the mobilization of resources, where applicable. Identify core advocacy concerns for the sector and contribute key messages to the broader multi-sectoral advocacy initiatives including coordinated inputs into donor proposals and multi-agency appeals.

Collaboration

• Collaborate and coordinate with all functional units in UNHCR and relevant technical actors in the feasibility and technical assessments, planning and development of sites, including protection, environment, Health, Education, water and sanitation and, in order to inform the overall planning process, carry out appropriate assessments and mapping exercises such as environmental impact assessment, useable land area assessment, mapping of services, mapping of host communities, livelihood assessments, etc.
• Ensure a rights-based approach in physical planning/ master plan, support to active participation of communities and promote community-based approaches in the planning and implementation of activities.
• Develop adequate reports and share information, both within the settlement planning stakeholders and with other sectors through inter-sector communication channels. Work on the reporting and monitoring through the provision of 4W, SIP and site monitoring information.
• Promote and ensure the accountability to affected populations and the identification of durable solutions that also promote peaceful co/existence with the host communities.
• Identify and maintain existing linkages between the shelter and settlement team with other actors and sectors.
• Maintain a strong collaboration with the Shelter and Settlements Section in HQ.
• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level

• For P3/NOC 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

• Architecture; Urban Planning; Civil / Structural Engineering; or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

• GLDC managed Autodesk Software eLearning training is considered desirable
• (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential

• Managerial and technical ability to guide a specialist team in emergency and/or protracted situations. Previous similar job experience in the humanitarian settlement planning / infrastructure field, knowledge of technical drawing software, GIS tools and an ability to produce technical plans, BQ's, specifications and conduct training.

Desirable
Advanced awareness of several technical sectors. Appropriate work experience in Shelter, Settlements and Infrastructure in a Humanitarian Context. Ability to use AutoCAD software and GIS technology would be an asset.

• *SP-Autocad for Settlement Planning
• CO-Cross-cultural communication
• CL-Camp Coordination and Camp Management
• IT-Computer Literacy
• SO-Presentation skills
• PG-UNHCR's Programmes
• MG-Coordination
• SP-Urban/Rural Settlement Planning
• SP-Reconstruction and Community Planning
• SP-Natural Resources Management
• SP-Environmental Assessment/Planning/Monitoring/Evaluation of integrated projects/programs
• SP-Infrastructure Development/Construction Management/Property Management
• (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

• For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
• For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
• For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

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Duties
For positions in Country Operations only

• Assist management in commissioning and/or conducting practical research and analysis to interpret long-term political, economic and social trends that will enhance opportunities for solutions, resilience and inclusion for populations of concern to UNHCR as well as more sustainable approaches to refugee protection.
• Support management in planning for resilience and inclusion with a clear shared vision of longer term protection and solution outcomes for people of concern that takes account of host communities and leverages the roles, resources and capacities of development partners, including International Financial Institutions, Multilateral Development Banks, and Bilateral Development donors.
• Assist in facilitating the development of comprehensive multi-year protection and solutions plans/strategies (incl. Multi-Year Multi-Partner Strategies) for Persons of Concern to UNHCR and/or facilitate the inclusion of populations of concern into national and local development planning and programming instruments.
• Assist management in identifying, strategically articulating and capitalizing development and resilience opportunities, including through Government pledges and or pledges made by bilateral or multilateral development and/or peacebuilding partners.
• Assist in facilitating relationship building with development co-operation agencies and peace and state-building agendas through the different stages of policy and programme identification, preparation, implementation and review.
• Support the development of partnerships and networks with development cooperation actors to influence the policy dialogue with governments on institutional arrangements related to sectors, locations and programme content of consequence to UNHCR and persons of concern. This would, in particular, focus on supporting the coordination of the in-country relationship with the World Bank and other multilateral development banks, especially where there is potential for specific funding directed towards UNHCR's persons of concern (e.g. WB IDA sub-window for refugees and host communities or the WB Global Concessional Financing Facility).
• Participate in the cooperation with development partners to assist them in incorporating the concerns of refugees, returnees and others of concern to UNHCR into the design and implementation arrangements of projects and interventions in a manner that impacts positively on protection circumstances.
• Contribute to the identification, commissioning and/or contribution to studies and analytical activities that build the conceptual framework and evidence base for comprehensive, development-oriented responses, including preparedness work, to forced displacement.
• Support the operation to ensure that development actors are provided relevant data to inform their planning, programming and advocacy around resilience for and inclusion of UNHCR persons of concern.
• Support the operations engagement with governments, development partners (both multilateral and bilateral), and with the private sector and civil society (as appropriate) to identify opportunities for UNHCR to contribute to the design and implementation of monitoring systems to track progress towards agreed outcomes.
• Support the facilitation, coordination and collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and experience sharing between UNHCR and development actors and across UNHCR operations globally by documenting and disseminating good practices and active participation in the Division of Resilience and Solutions', Development Partnerships Community of Practice.
• Support training activities aimed at the capacity building of UNHCR and partner agency staff to achieve greater coordination, effectiveness and synergies between humanitarian and development interventions.

For positions in Regional Bureaux only

• Assist in providing support, as detailed in the above duties for a country Associate Development Officer for countries without an Associate Development Officer as specified in the operational context for this position.
• Support the Regional Bureau and country operations in analysing from a development perspective the potential components of longer-term situational solutions strategies, identifying the protection/resilience/solutions challenges, and the means to address these and possible regional opportunities for engagement.
• Support the Regional Bureau and/or operations in identifying, articulating and capitalizing development and resilience opportunities, including through pledges made by regional partners, and regional development initiatives and programmes.
• Assist in the aggregation, analysis and packaging of available knowledge and data from country operations to feed into regional and HQ policy, programme and advocacy efforts.
• Contribute to coherence, where relevant, across operations in how they engage with development actors (e.g. messaging, policies, etc.).
• Contribute to the interpretation of long-term political, economic and social trends from a situational or regional perspective that will define the opportunities for inclusion for populations of concern to UNHCR as well as more sustainable approaches to refugee protection management.
• Support the engagement with regional bodies, such as IGAD, ECOWAS, etc. to identify and advocate for entry points for inclusion in development-related fora; and,
• Contribute to the identification, commissioning and/or contribution to studies and analytical activities from a situational or regional perspective that build the conceptual framework and evidence base for comprehensive, development-oriented responses, including preparedness work, to forced displacement.
• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

• For P2/NOB 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

• Development Economics; Development Studies; Socio-economic Development;
• International Relations; Political Science; Law
• or other relevant field.

Relevant Job Experience
Essential

• Three (3) years of direct work experience in a large international development institution in a relevant position and of which at least one (1) year in field operations. Preferably with knowledge of, or experience in, local or area based economic development, direct engagement in a technical sector such as education, WASH, social protection, health, energy. Practical experience working with and an understanding of the different aspects of economic growth, governance, fragility and conflict. Expertise related to the governance of specific multilateral development banks or bilateral development actors most relevant to the AoR.

Desirable

• Experience with forced displacement. Experience in primary data collection, quantitative research methods and results-based management.

Functional Skills

• *CO-Strategic Communication
• *CO-Drafting and Documentation
• *SO-Networking
• *MG-Partnership Development
• *SO-Critical Thinking and problem solving
• *UN-Policy Advocacy in UNHCR
• *IM-Knowledge Management
• CL-Strategy Development and Monitoring
• PG-Results-Based Management
• PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
• (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

• For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
• For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
• For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

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Duties

• Maintain financial records for project or other office accounts for which responsibility is assigned.
• Record receipts and payments, assure accuracy of computation and completeness of documents and maintain continuing status of allotments against obligations.
• Prepare recurring reports on assigned accounts, noting problems resulting from excess cost or less-than-expected receipts.
• Prepare special reports to clarify problems or as requested for other reasons.
• Calculate and compile cost estimates and projected budget requirements and assist in preparation of budget statements for area of assignment.
• Prepare routine correspondence and maintain contracts with others to discuss matters concerning accounts and related assignments.
• Maintain contacts with local banks to clarify questions pertaining to office bank accounts.
• Brief and assist new staff on basic financial procedures and requirements with respect to payments, entitlements, banking and currency provisions and other requirements relating to accounts and finance.
• Initiate correspondence to verify data, answer queries and obtain additional information on accounts and financial transactions, as required.
• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level

• For G5 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Certificates and/or Licenses

• Accounting; Business Administration; Finance; HCR Learning Prog;
• (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Functional Skills

• IT-Computer Literacy
• FI-ERP Financial Management (SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Workday and other)
• IT-Microsoft Office Productivity Software
• (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

• For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
• For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
• For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.