🇳🇬 Job Vacancies @ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – 3 Positions

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created in 1950, during the aftermath of the Second World War, to help millions of Europeans who had fled or lost their homes. We had three years to complete our work and then disband. Today, over 65 years later, our organization is still hard at work, protecting and assisting refugees around the world.

We are recruiting to fill the following positions below:

1.) Assistant Development Officer
2.) Assistant Protection Officer
3.) Community-Based Protection Associate

Job Title: Assistant Development Officer

Job Requisition ID: JR2313886
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job type: Full time
Hardship Level: C
Staff member / Affiliate type: UNOPS LICA8
Target Start Date: 2023-04-01-07:00

Nature of the Position

• Nigeria is a country of origin, transit, and destination for refugees, IDPs, returnees, and stateless persons. As of December 2022, Nigeria hosts almost 3 million IDPs due to ongoing internal conflicts and over 93,000 refugees and asylum seekers.
• UNHCR provides protection and assistance to refugees under the leadership of the Government of Nigeria at Federal, State, and Local levels, including support to access basic social services and livelihoods, while also focusing on capacity building, partnership and advocacy with relevant line Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).
• The Government of Nigeria allows refugees free movement, the right to work and access to basic social services such as health and education in the local hosting communities, establishing open settlements, unlike closed camp settings. However, the situation of basic services in the local communities is stretched, even before the arrival of refugees.
• The influx of refugees into local communities has increased the pressure on education, health, WASH, and other community services.
• Livelihood opportunities among the Cameroonian refugee population have been minimal leaving refugees in the Settlements heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance and those in host communities heavily reliant on their hosts.
• More needs to be done in the refugee-hosting communities across the States hosting refugees to address gaps with a framework that provides comprehensive refugee response.
• Following the adoption of the Global Compact on Refugees by the UN General Assembly in December 2018, Nigeria has commenced the development of a national pathway for the implementation of the Compact. In demonstration of its strong commitment to inclusion of refugees, IDPs, and returnees, and supporting the objectives of the GCR, at the Global Refugee Forum in 2019 Nigeria pledged to:
  • Include refugees, IDPs and their host communities in their national government development plans
  • Strengthen its protection capacity
  • Ensure availability and access to durable solutions for refugees and IDPs
  • Continue playing an active and constructive role in regional and sub-regional efforts to address the root causes of displacement.
• The pledges have been followed up by the development and validation of a GCR Roadmap for the Implementation of the GCR in Nigeria.
• Progress has been made particularly towards the inclusion of refugees into National Development Plans and service delivery systems; and area-based approaches, including support to host communities; and collaboration with development actors, financial institutions, private sector, among others. In line with the GCR, acting as catalyst UNHCR engages various stakeholders, including humanitarian, development, private sector, civil society organizations, and academia, to collectively address the problems of refugees and ease pressure on communities hosting them.
• Nigeria is also host to approximately 3 million IDPs due to insurgency by non-state armed groups (NSAGs), communal clashes, farmer-herder and other conflicts occurring in the country. As people flee the conflicts and seek refuge in neighbouring countries through multiple displacements, internal displacement, cross-border and return movements are closely interrelated.
• Nigeria pledged at the GRF 2019 to strengthen its protection capacity by ensuring the domestication and implementation of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of IDPs in Africa (Kampala Convention) by 2023. Nigeria is also a focus country under the Secretary General’s Action Agenda for Solutions to Internal Displacement
• Under the broad headline of Development Solutions for Displacement, which is exemplified through the application of the GCR and the Solutions agenda for IDPs, the role of the Assistant Development Officer is to support the Senior Development Officer (SDO) and the Senior Protection Officer (SPO) to advance UNHCR's engagement and cooperation with host Government, UNHCR and other stakeholders.
• The goal is to assist local communities and UNHCR’s population of concern by supporting the protection environment and leveraging partnerships to influence policy dialogue to enact institutional reforms toward improved protection, socio-economic inclusion, and self-reliance, taking into account and reducing the vulnerabilities of forcibly displaced persons.
• The Assistant Development Officer will contribute to UNHCR’s support to the Government of Nigeria in operationalizing Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). This entails working on a whole-of-society approach and engagement with humanitarian and development partners, the private sector, and other stakeholders.
• Stateless/at risk groups have often been excluded from development projects, contributing to their further marginalization and violation of their basic rights. As the 2015 SDGs targets indicates that eradicating statelessness is incorporated into global development aspirations; the incumbent will also contribute to opening more space for stateless/at risk populations in national development processes.
• As such, the incumbent needs to have practical experience from, and an understanding of, development programs and processes, the interplay of different aspects of economic growth, governance, fragility, and conflict. Expertise in social protection, local governance, community development and private sector outreach is desirable. The incumbent needs to be able to integrate his expertise with the regular UNHCR programming, working across functional units of protection/programme and field-based teams.

Duties

• Assist 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.
• Help ensure evidence generated from analytical and advisory services needs to be translated better into context-specific policy dialogue, project design, and programming.
• Assist 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 Multilateral Development Banks, and Bilateral Development agencies and donors.
• Support the facilitation of the development of comprehensive multi-year transition 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.
• Support the identification, strategic articulation and capitalization of 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 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).
• Support 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.
• 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 facilitation, coordination, collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and experience 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.

Requirements
Candidate should have the following:

• Holder of Undergraduate Degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in Social Sciences, Socio-Economic Development, Development Planning, Rural Development, or other related fields.
• At least six years (5 years with graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's)) of previous job experience relevant to the function, both in humanitarian and development contexts. Experience in similar settings is essential.
• 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
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain partnerships with a variety of actors - including government and private sector.
• Proven experience in planning, implementing, and monitoring programmes and projects.
• Excellent drafting, presentation and reporting skills, including strong advocacy and negotiation skills in situation involving multiple actors and diverse interests.
• Knowledge of protection, refugee matters and UNHCR’s mandate.
• Excellent computer skills including excel, word and power point.
• Excellent English language skills, including drafting and research capabilities.
• Previous experience of working with development agencies or private sector.
• Experience of working with national governments on development planning.
• Experience of working on forced displacement issues, including with host communities in the country.
• Previous exposure and experience of working with synergies between the humanitarian-development nexus.
• Experience in resource mobilisation.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Years of Experience / Degree Level For P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate Degree; or no experience with Graduate Degree; or no experience with Doctorate Degree

Field(s) of Education:

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

Application Closing Date
15th March, 2023.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Title: Assistant Protection Officer

Job Requisition ID: JR2313893
Location: Maiduguri, Benue
Job type: Full time
Grade: NAO
Staff Member / Affiliate Type / National Professional Officer
Hardship Level: E (most hardship)
Staff member / Affiliate type: National Professional Officer
Target Start Date: 2023-04-01-07:00

Description
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships:

• The Assistant Protection Officer reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer.
• Depending on the size and structure of the Office, the incumbent may have supervisory responsibility for protection staff including community-based protection, registration, resettlement and education.
• S/he provides functional protection guidance to information management and programme staff on all protection/legal matters and accountabilities.
• These include: statelessness (in line with the campaign to End Statelessness by 2024), Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) commitments, age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP) through community-based protection, Child protection, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, gender equality, disability inclusion, youth empowerment, psycho-social support and PSEA, registration, asylum/refugee status determination, resettlement, local integration, voluntary repatriation, human rights standards integration, national legislation, judicial engagement, predictable and decisive engagement in situations of internal displacement and engagement in wider mixed movement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses.
• S/he supervises protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards.
• The Assistant Protection Officer is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (PoC), ensuring that operational responses in all sectors mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards.
• The incumbent contributes to the design of a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the Organization externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.
• S/he also ensures that PoC are meaningfully engaged in the decisions that affect them and support programme design and adaptations that are influenced by the concerns, priorities and capacities of them.
• To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection.

Duties

• Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
• Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
• Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to PoC.
• Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation
• Conduct eligibility and status determination for PoC in compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
• Promote and contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness. - Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy.
• Contribute to a country-level education plan as part of the protection strategy. - Provide inputs for the development of protection policies and standards within the AoR.
• Implement and monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities. - Manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Recommend durable solutions for the largest possible number of PoC through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement. - Assess resettlement needs and apply priorities for the resettlement of individuals and groups of refugees and other PoC.
• Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
• Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
• Contribute to and facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.
• Assist capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
• Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection-related legislation and procedures.
• Intervene with authorities on protection issues.
• Assist the supervisor in deciding priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.
• Assist the supervisor in enforcing compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
• Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Years of Experience / Degree Level:

• For P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate Degree; or no experience with Graduate Degree; or no experience with Doctorate Degree

Field(s) of Education:

• Law, International Law, Political Sciences or other relevant fields.

Relevant Job Experience
Essential:

• Knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles

Desirable:

• Completion of the Protection Learning Programme, RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme.

Functional Skills:

• PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
• PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
• MG-Project Management PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards
• PR-International Humanitarian Law PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation
• PR-Climate change and disaster-related displacement CO-Drafting and Documentation
• PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination

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.

Certifications:

• Not specified;

Desired Candidate Profile:

• The desired candidate for this position should have the following:
• UN and INGO experience
• Strong managerial and supervisory capabilities
• Excellent drafting and organizational skills
• Should be a good team player with innovative/creative skills
• Should possess a university degree in law, political science or international relations
• Should have an excellent knowledge of refugee, IDPs and Returnees operational context
• Possess knowledge of environmental, cultural, political awareness of Northeast region is desirable
• Knowledge of Hausa, Kanuri and other local languages in the NE is desirable.

Required Languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

• English

Desired Languages:

• Hausa

Application Closing Date
15th March, 2023.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Job Title: Community-Based Protection Associate

Job Requisition ID: JR2313912
Location: Makurdi, Benue
Job type: Full time
Hardship Level: U (unclassified)
Staff member / Affiliate type: UNOPS LICA6
Target Start Date: 2023-05-01-07:00

Description
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships:

• The Community-Based Protection Associate is a member of the Protection Unit and may report to the Protection Officer, Community-Based Protection Officer, or another more senior staff member in the Protection Unit.
• Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, the Community-Based Protection Associate works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities.
• The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for part of the protection and/or support staff and supports the application of community-based protection standards, operational procedures and practices in community-based protection delivery at the field level.
• To fulfil this role, the Community-Based Protection Associate is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of PoC.
• The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with PoC that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results, form the core of the work of the incumbent.
• S/he also supports the designing of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with PoC.

Duties

• Assist functional units, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) and senior management to integrate participatory and community-based approaches in the overall protection strategy and operational procedures.
• Through relationships with PoC and network of partners, stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment and provide advice to the protection team.
• Understand the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC and advise the protection team accordingly, highlighting the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups.
• Work with host communities to identify opportunities for national civil society involvement in improving the protection of PoC.
• Work with implementing and operational partners as well as with displaced and local communities to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organisational and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and prevention and response to GBV.
• Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face.
• Support participatory assessments by multifunctional teams and ongoing consultation with PoC.
• Assist in planning and monitoring of programs and budgets, with an AGD perspective
• Build office capacity for community-based protection through training and establishing systems for community mobilization and participation of PoC.
• Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures.
• Ensure community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
• Act as an interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
• Contribute to the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR's work.
• Initiate AGD sensitive interventions at the appropriate level on community-based protection issues and to respond to protection concerns and incidents within the office, with external interlocutors, groups and individuals based on agreed parameters.
• Identify and select which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.
• Intervene with authorities on protection. - Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
• Recommend and prepare payments to individual cases.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Years of Experience / Degree Level:

• For G6, 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with a Bachelor or equivalent or higher Field(s) of Education
• Certificates and/or Licenses Development, Human Rights, International Law International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science.

Relevant Job Experience
Essential:

• Not specified.

Desirable:

• UNHCR learning programmes (PLP). Knowledge of MSRP. Functional Skills IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• IT-Computer Literacy UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures PR-Community-based Protection - Principles and methodologies CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate) TR-Capacity Buidling

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.

Certifications:

• Community Development / Social Work - Other, Development Studies - Other, Human Rights - Other, International Law - Other, Political Science - Other, Social Sciences - Other.

Application Closing Date
15th March, 2023.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online