Field Officer

Only candidates who are not nationals of the country of assignment are eligible to apply to this position

DNon Family with Residential LocationAddis Ababa,Eth Fed Dem RepPR3Professional

* Staff members will not normally serve in International Professional positions in the country of their nationality. In addition, in case of a first appointment upon recruitment, the assignment must be outside the staff member’s country of nationality.

In practical terms this means that you are not eligible to apply for International Professional vacancies advertised in the country where you are national of.

Reason

Regular > Regular AssignmentNo2024-01-01November 28, 2023

Field Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Field Officer is normally supervised by the Senior Field Coordinator or Head of Sub-Office/Field Office depending on the structure of the Office. S/he may receive indirect guidance from other sections and units relevant to the country/regional programme(s). UNHCR Manual, programme and protection objectives, Operations Plans, UN and UNHCR financial/budgetary rules and regulations will guide the work of the incumbent.
The incumbent normally supervises some support staff and may supervise lower grade professional staff. S/he has daily contacts with staff in the various field offices and with the functional units at the Country/Regional Office. S/he also has close liaison with a range of local civilian and military authorities and counterparts in NGOs and UN agencies to discuss matters of common interest.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Prepare project proposals; draw up plan of operation for implementation, including institutional arrangements for budgets.
- Assess refugee needs in the various fields of assistance and make recommendations for the establishment of projects, adjustment or discontinuation of existing projects and advise the Head of Office accordingly.
- Closely monitor the implementation of projects under the geographical area of responsibility and ensure the provisions under the agreements signed with the implementing partners are being adhered to.
- Regularly prepare written reports on the implementation of projects and the situation in the sites.
- Maintain good working relations with local government officials, implementing partners and other agencies in the area.
- Report immediately on any security problems that may occur affecting programme, beneficiaries and the smooth running of the operation.
- Provide assistance to UNHCR Technical advisers and consultants as well as visitors visiting project sites.
- Represent UNHCR in the Field.
- Negotiate with local authority counterparts, partners and populations of concern.
- Approve expenditures within the DOAP.

- 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
Law, Political Sciences,

or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
UNHCR Protection Learning Programme.
UNHCR Operations Management Learning Programme.
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Field experience.

Desirable
Knowledge of refugee law.
Good knowledge of UNHCR's programmes.

Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
PG-UNHCR's Programmes
(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.

The incumbent should have proven competencies and experience in:
• implementing Peaceful Co-existence initiatives as well as engaging multiple stakeholders and explore innovative and cost-effective ways towards self-reliance and durable solutions.
• Multiple stakeholder management and mobilization including working with the Government, NGO and operational partners at field level.
• Managing, analyzing, and providing informed projections to guide senior management on the efficient utilization of financial and other resources that will support the development of the country operations plan.
• Community-based Protection - Planning, implementing, and analyzing.
• Strategic Planning and Advocacy for Refugee Socio-economic Rights
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Durable Solutions - Peacebuilding
• Camp Coordination and Camp Management
• Complex field emergency operations, and able to adapt to challenging living and work conditions.
• Cross-cultural communication and respect for cultural and gender diversity,
• Security Risk Management
• Proven experience in leading and managing diverse teams toward a shared vision to ensure that global strategic priorities (GSP), regional priorities as well as information on projected resource availability guide the planning parameters.
• The incumbent must possess excellent drafting and reporting skills, have a deep understanding of how to leverage partnership opportunities in Ethiopia, in line with the GCR/CRRF and the identification and implementation of innovative solutions for other populations of concern to UNHCR.
• Demonstrated experience in coordination, particularly within the interagency context and contributing to interagency response strategies while ensuring that the interest of refugees and other populations that UNHCR serves, are well represented and articulated.
• Demonstrated experience in working with development actors and donors to enhance the humanitarian-development nexus.
• The candidate should have previous work experience in an emergency/complex context as well as in remote management/monitoring to ensure continuous oversight on resource use.
• Experience in collaborative leadership in managing relations with traditional and non-traditional partners with diplomacy and respect.

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations

Assosa is a category D, non-family duty station with a 8-week Rest and Recuperation cycle. Addis Ababa is the designated R&R location. Staff members are accommodated in guesthouses within UNHCR compound. Assosa is remote, with limited banking, medical, entertainment and shopping facilities. The local market does not deal with foreign currencies. UNHCR has fair internet connectivity and inter-office telephone communication. However, connectivity for mobile telephone communication is not reliable most of the time. There are no international schools available. Medical facilities are limited but health referrals and medical evacuations are done to Addis Ababa in a timely manner. There are three daily commercial flights between Addis Ababa and Assosa.

The climate in Assosa is classified as tropical. The hottest season of the region is in March/April and temperature may rise to 35 °C, followed by a long, cold and rainy season from June to November. Flights to Assosa are sometimes affected by bad weather for flights during the rainy season, hence flight cancellations or deferrals should be expected.

Flexibility, the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort are essential.

Nature of Position

Assosa operation is a Sub-Office in Benishangul Gumuz Regional State which is in northwest of Ethiopia, a region which shares border with Sudan. Tsore is one of the three Field-Units under SO-Assosa. The incumbent will reside in Assosa and commute to Tsore which is 21km from Assosa. As of 30 September 2023, the active population of concern registered in Assosa operation was approximately 79,231 out of which 32,621 are residing in Tsore Refugee Camp.47.29% of the camp population are female. The camp has a highly diverse population with different nationalities, cultural and religious backgrounds.

The Ethiopia Operation has developed a three-year Multi-Year Strategy (2022 – 2024), and a partner selection process was completed to align partnerships towards the achievement of the goals of the Multi-Year Strategy. The budgets for Tsore are included under Assosa Sub office. There are 8 Project Partners, 8 PPAs (Project Partnership Agreements) and 4 Operational Partners. The Field Officer will lead the multi-functional team in Tsore refugee camp in close consultation with the Head of Sub-Office and Programme Officer based in Assosa. S/he facilitates detailed planning, implementation, and reporting, and will coordinate with government agencies, operational partners, and other stakeholders for the successful implementation of the multi-year strategy. The incumbent will lead Tsore Field Unit team of about fifteen national staff.

Living and Working Conditions

Assosa is currently classified as security level -phase 3.  The security situation in Benishangul Gumuz Region is significant and at times deteriorating. Frequent tribal conflicts, gunfighting and road blockages are common, and the situation in most parts of the region is tense and unpredictable. In 2023 there was curfew starting from 8pm and ending at 6am, but currently there is no curfew till the following morning. Staff are required to stay in the compound in case of curfew hours in the future if the need arises. Movements to field locations require security clearances. Fuel, electricity, and basic commodities are very scarce due to road-blocks and general security and economic conditions prevailing in parts of the country. These directly impact the speed of operational delivery to the populations we serve.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science

Certifications

HCR Protection Learning Program - UNHCR, Programme Management (PM) 1 - UNHCR

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Add. 1 to Bi-annual Compendium 2023 - Part B

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

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