Assistant Field Officer

This Job Opening is available to eligible UNHCR staff members and external applicants. Assistant Field Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
There are nearly 1 million Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR in Lebanon, which makes Lebanon the highest refugee-hosting country per capita in the world. There are no approved camps in the country, and refugees are spread over 1,750 localities. The refugee response is led by the Government and local actors, supported by the international community. As the designated lead agency in the refugee response, UNHCR has established a sector-based structure in Beirut and in the field to support the Government. The structure brings together 13 UN agencies, 60 national and international NGO partners in identifying and agreeing on the strategic priorities to address the needs of Syrian refugees and other affected populations. The Lebanon national response falls under the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), whereby UNHCR guides the refugee response while UNDP facilitates the resilience and stabilization component.

Through Inter-Agency coordination mechanisms,10 sectors have been established in Lebanon, with UNHCR leading or co-leading the Protection, Basic Assistance, Shelter, and Health sectors. UNHCR also provides information management support to all sectors.  Aside from the Branch Office in the capital city of Beirut, UNHCR has two sub-offices in Zahle and Tripoli and two field offices in Mt Lebanon, Tyr (South), and one field unit in Qobayat under the Tripoli Sub-Office.

The Assistant Field Officer may be supervised by the Snr Field Coordinator/Field Officer or Head of Sub-Office/Field 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 portfolio of this position may require frequent travels/missions within the country i.e. between field, sub-office and branch-office.  
The Assistant Field Officer leads UNHCR's Shelter, WASH and Basic Assistance response in Akkar, while maintaining close coordination with the Field unit of Sub-Office North based in Tripoli. S/he may have a supervisory role on the Shelter and Basic Assistance teams of Qoubaiyat Field Office and supports the Shelter sector and emergency coordination functions of the Field unit when required.

The Assistant Field Officer conducts comprehensive sectoral needs assessments (Shelter, WASH and Basic Assistance) in liaison with other relevant sectors such as Protection, Programme, Community Services, Public Health, Administration and Supply. This task may include both qualitative and quantitative data gathering on profile/needs and living conditions of the displaced population and host community to ensure informed and effective response. The incumbent also maintains close and regular contact with the technical and non-technical staff of UN Agencies, implementing partners, and Shelter sector members, national and international NGOs and government authorities.

The incumbent's specialized functions mainly focus on shelter planning/design and construction monitoring, including remote monitoring. Therefore, s/he should have a substantial academic qualification in civil engineering, architecture, and considerable work experience in the humanitarian shelter, WASH, NFI and Protection responses. S/he also ensures the development of the shelter strategies which are framed by UNHCR's Global Strategy for Settlement and Shelter and take into consideration the local context, age and gender, culture, climate, environmental protection and the availability of local resources, including materials, capacities and existing infrastructure. The incumbent also ensures that shelter responses within the area of responsibility (AoR) evolve according to the changing nature of the situation, progressively working towards more durable solutions and drawing from local building practices and materials. This requires overseeing the day to-day operations of all construction projects within the AoR to ensure that works proceed as designed and comply with established standards/best practices and procedures for the full project cycle. S/he assists the supervisor in ensuring that specifications, bills of quantities and drawings are produced in a technically sound and standardized manner and monitor programme performance to ensure works are implemented according to plans and completed within the designated timeframe. Within an urban context, s/he attains confirmation that shelter responses take into consideration urban planning strategies, including an analysis or residential areas, housing affordability and availability. Regardless of the context, shelter assistance should always minimize the risk of eviction, exploitation and abuse, overcrowded and sub-standard living conditions, limited access to services.

UNHCR's strategic direction for 2021 places strong emphasis on Area-Based, and Integrated Shelter/WASH approaches geared to support protection outcomes in vulnerable municipalities. In this context, WASH activities fall mostly within shelter rehabilitation interventions. The incumbent may also develop and monitor the implementation of small-scale WASH-focused community support projects that address water, sanitation and environmental problems, and thus foster peaceful co-existence among Syrian refugees and the host community. 
The incumbent's Basic Assistance related responsibilities may include providing support and overseeing data collection processes related to cash-based intervention assessments. S/he also ensures that PoCs feedback on processes and decisions that affect their rights and dignity are adequately collected and reported. This may include participation and contribution to participatory assessments, information sessions for refugees and Outreach Volunteers, providing support and counselling to refugees at UNHCR Reception Center and support the Call Center, as and when required. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, staff and partners.  

The Assistant Field Officer will also provide support to the Emergency Coordinator in the events of extreme weather, fire and evictions to ensure that persons of concern have access to safe shelters and WASH services. S/he also follows up on post-emergency needs and gaps in areas affected by events of extreme weather, fire and evictions.


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
- Assess the needs of persons of concern in the AoR and formulate project submissions in collaboration with district authorities and implementing partners.
- Promote and monitor the implementation of assistance projects.
- Report regularly on rate of flow of new arrivals and estimate expected influx based on interviews with persons of concern.
- In co-ordination with implementing partners, assist with the reception, registration and provision of assistance to persons of concern to UNHCR.
- Keep track of cases of detention; register applicants for voluntary repatriation and family reunion.
- Assist in the preparation of monthly sectoral reports and submit material for preparation of periodic project monitoring reports and year-end reports.
- Submit recommendation for protection interventions to the designated officer.
- Negotiate with local authority counterparts, partners and populations of concern.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
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 Political Sciences or other relevant field.
(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

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
Not specified

Desirable
Field experience.
Knowledge of refugee law.
Good knowledge of UNHCR¿s programmes.

Functional Skills
PG-Experience with coordinating with Implementing Partners (Governmt/INGO/NGO/Corporate)
IT-Computer Literacy
PG-Resource Planning; eg. FOCUS, Global Focus Insight
IT-MS Office Applications
BU-PeopleSoft EPM/Budget
FI-PeopleSoft Financial Management
PG-Programme Management (project formulation, programme cycles and reporting standards)
PG-Results-Based Management
UN-UN/UNHCR Financial Rules and Regulations and Procedures
PG-UNHCR's Programmes
EX-Experience in an international capacity
(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.

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. Please also note that Arabic & English are essential for this Job Opening. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.  Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for written test and/or oral interview.

UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, color or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. UNHCR has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual harassment. Successful candidates will be subject to mandatory UN Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment clearance check prior to receiving an offer. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees). All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality. Interested qualified Group 1, Group 2 and external candidates meeting the requirements of the Job Descriptions posted online can apply as follows no later than 20 January 2021 Midnight Geneva Time.