Senior Development Officer (Temporary Appointment) at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Duties
For positions in Country Operations only

• Advise operations on 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 the operation 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.
• Support 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.
• Support and advise the operation 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.
• Provide technical leadership and support for 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.
• Develop 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).
• Cooperate 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.
• Identify, commission and/or contribute to studies and analytical activities that build the conceptual framework and evidence base for comprehensive, development-oriented responses, including preparedness work, to forced displacement.
• 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.
• Engage 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.
• Facilitate 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; and,
• 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

• Provide support, as detailed in the above duties for a country SDO for countries without an SDO 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 and advise 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.
• Aggregate, analyse and package available knowledge and data from country operations to feed into regional and HQ policy, programme and advocacy efforts.
• Ensure support and coherence, where relevant, across operations in how they engage with development actors (e.g. messaging, policies, etc.).
• Interpret 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.
• Engage with regional bodies, such as IGAD, ECOWAS, etc. to identify and advocate for entry points for inclusion in development-related fora; and,
• Identify, commission and/or contribute 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.
• Lead risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seize opportunities impacting objectives. Ensure that risk management principles are integrated in decision-making both at strategic and operational levels. Allocate resources for planned treatments with resource requirements in Strategic Plans. Ensure that risks are managed to acceptable levels and escalate, as needed. If a Risk Owner, designate the Risk Focal Point and certify that the annual risk review is completed and ensure that the risk register is updated during the year, as needed.
• Perform other related duties as required.

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

• For P4/NOD - 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 years 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.

Certificates and/or Licenses

• Not specified.

Relevant Job Experience
Essential

• Six (6) years of direct work experience in a large international development institution in a relevant position and of which at least two (2) years 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

• MG-Partnership Development
• IM-Knowledge Management
• CL-Strategy Development and Monitoring
• SO-Critical Thinking and problem solving
• SO-Networking
• UN-Policy Advocacy in UNHCR
• PG-Results-Based Management
• CO-Strategic Communication
• CO-Drafting and Documentation
• 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.
• All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.
• As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.
• This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Desired Candidate Profile

OPERATIONAL CONTEXT

• UNHCR’s Kenya operation’s profile is a transition towards inclusion and solutions, as it supports the Government of Kenya in developing and operationalizing the Shirika Plan – a long-term strategic plan for transforming the refugee camps into integrated municipalities for refugees and host communities. The Shirika Plan requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-development actors’ approach aims to enable transitioning from subsistence programming towards resilience and inclusion and successful implementation of the plan requires ensuring the allocation of sufficient resources and focused programmes, which consider the solutions for addressing the challenges of sustainable socioeconomic inclusion of refugees and host communities.
• This requires competencies that can bring investments by the multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, the private sector, and development programmes to complement the six key pillars of the Shirika Plan. The six pillars of the Shirika Plan include 1) Systems Building to create an enabling policy environment and capacitate institutions at national and refugee-hosting sub-counties level, 2) integrated services including education, health, WASH, infrastructure and shelter, social protection, 3) human capital and skills development including technical and vocational training, digital skills etc., 4) climate action and natural resource management, 5) economic development including entrepreneurship, financial and digital inclusion, and MSME development, 6) durable solutions and complementary pathways.
• The first four years of the transition period of the Shirika Plan need a concerted effort to work very closely with various ministries, departments and agencies of the Government of Kenya at the National and County levels, as well as multiple development actors, including lateral and multilateral donors, the World Bank, IFC, AfDB, IsDB, private sector, diaspora, microfinance sector, tech and startup space in the country, and individual philanthropic sector.

The incumbent of the Senior Development Officer position in UNHCR Country Office Kenya, while reporting to the Strategic Partnership Advisor, is required to lead in supporting the operations in strengthening the existing and building new partnerships with the actors mentioned above to advance the agenda of sustainable socioeconomic inclusion of refugees, stateless persons, and host communities.
DESIRED CANDIDATE PROFILE

• Experience working on socioeconomic inclusion of forced displaced and stateless population.
• Must experience working with multilateral development banks, international financial institutions and development programs i.e., UNDP.
• Highly desired experience working on multi-sectoral area-based programmes for forcibly displaced populations, including integrated services, financial and digital inclusion, economic empowerment, human capital development, resilience and climate action.
• Experience in engagement with multiple stakeholders, including the government at the national and county levels, and understanding of development challenges of refugee-hosting sub-counties.

Functional Clearance

This position requires Functional Clearance

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level)

Desired languages

Additional Qualifications

Skills

• CL-Strategy Development and Monitoring, CO-Drafting and Documentation, CO-Strategic Communication, IM-Knowledge Management, MG-Partnership Development, PG-Results-Based Management, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework, SO-Critical Thinking and problem solving, SO-Networking, UN-Policy Advocacy in UNHCR

Education

• Bachelor of Arts (BA): Development Economics, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Development Studies, Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Relations, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Socio-Economic Development