Senior Operations Officer

A (least hardship)

Family

PR4

Professional

* 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.

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

No

2023-04-26

May 15, 2023Senior Operations Officer Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Senior Operations Officer normally works under the direct supervision of the Senior Operations Coordinator or Head of the Office and may have alternative reporting relationships depending on the structure and size of the Operation. S/he and will be the focal person responsible for liaising with Partners through sector meetings and other coordination mechanisms in the Area of responsibility (AoR). S/he will liaise with relevant sections at HQ/Region/Field on a wide range of issues concerning the operations such as protection, resource mobilization and allocations, human resources, budget, compliance, staff welfare and security matters. The incumbent may supervise professional and/or support staff. S/he will actively support the regional operational planning process, reporting and monitoring as well as mapping of areas where persons of concern are currently located in the AoR. The incumbent will contribute to progress on issues such as negotiations on Partnership Project agreements, contractual service agreements, and management of Administrative Budgets related to the AoR. Within UNHCR, the incumbent has regular contact with other sections/units at Headquarters and with field offices on issues related UNHCR's programme in the operations/countries within the AoR. External contacts are with, UN agencies and NGOs on UNHCR's programmes in the operations/countries covered under the AoR. Duties - Serve as the focal point for the operations within the AoR and follow up on situational realities, challenges and developments which may have an impact on the refugees, IDP situations, and other persons of concern. - Analyse information received concerning new refugee situations in the AoR and present coherent, consistent and credible proposals to address the emergency needs. - Manage the process of gathering information, preparation of analytical papers and formulating recommendations for action for the operations within the AoR. - Contribute to the preparation of action plans to address any operational/legal gaps that have been identified; and ensure advice/guidance is provided to field offices to improve the delivery of assistance of refugees and other persons of concern (PoCs). - Provide guidance and support for communication, and sharing of best practices amongst countries/operations in the AoR as well as with other entities in the field and at Headquarters. - Coordinate with field offices for provision of timely, coherent, consistent, quality information about their operations. - In the bureaux, support senior staff in the preparation of the official submissions to the meetings of the Budget Committee and Contracts' Committee, and advocate for resources required for the operations to meet their objectives, especially during Annual Planning Reviews, Mid-Year Reviews and ad hoc resource allocation consultations. Analyse Country offices' requests concerning material requirements and staffing and initiate/coordinate appropriate action to provide Country offices with relevant and timely decisions and direction. - In the field, coordinate and supervise the field activities in the areas of protection and programme in the AoR. Build the capacity of local partners and civil society through training and other initiatives. Liaise with local Government authorities and operational partners on issues relating to the protection and assistance of PoCs. Supervise and monitor the implementation of UNHCR projects. - Monitor the implementation of programmes within the AoR through regular missions and participate in on-going needs assessments. - Keep the various sections and technical units at the Bureau and HQ informed on issues related to the implementation of UNHCR's programmes within the AoR. - Maintain a wide range of external contacts with Permanent Missions, donors, and civil society organization. - Perform other related duties as required. Minimum Qualifications 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 Political Science; Economics; Social Science; Business Administration; Law; or other relevant field. Certificates and/or Licenses Programme Management; Relevant Job Experience Essential: Experience in field operations. At least 5 years of relevant experience in an international capacity. Understanding of UNHCR mandate and operations. Desirable: Strong operational background and political awareness. Experience working with UNHCR; or other UN entities or partners preferably in the area of refugee or humanitarian operations. Proven track record in emergency preparedness, response and management. Functional Skills MG-Field Operations Management; MG-Coordination; (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.

Strong skills in promoting entrepreneurship and job creation for forcibly displaced people are required for this position. The incumbent is also expected to have a drive for innovation and skills for designing new interventions. A proven capacity to tailor interventions to specific contexts and issues is essential. Previous experience in private sector development would be an asset.

A minimum of 8 years of demonstrated experience in livelihood and economic inclusion interventions is required, including at least 4 years of field experience. Previous experience in engagement with development actors and private sector entities would be an asset. Preference will be given to candidates with knowledge of another UN language in addition to English.

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

Against the background on the Global Compact of Refugees (GCR), the Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS) has engaged in partnerships with development actors to support and enhance the inclusion of people UNHCR care for, in economic opportunities available in hosting areas. In December 2022, UNHCR and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) signed a Collaboration Arrangement to set up a Joint Initiative on Creating Markets in Forced Displacement Contexts. The goal of the Joint Initiative is to support and seek solutions for forcibly displaced people and host communities through private sector engagement, with the objectives of creating inclusive economic opportunities for people affected by forced displacement by designing, funding, and piloting innovative, impactful, and scalable private sector solutions, and establishing thought leadership on private sector engagement in forced displacement contexts through a strong knowledge base of operational lessons and promoting knowledge exchange among key players in the field. The Joint Initiative will facilitate the engagement between stakeholders, especially IFC and UNHCR teams, but also relevant actors who could play a role in private sector engagement for people affected by forced displacement.

The Senior Operations Officer will be part of the Joint Initiative team. Under the supervision of the Deputy Head of the Joint Initiative, s/he will support IFC Operations Officer to ensure that forced displacement considerations are properly addressed in the design of the operations of the Joint Initiative. Working closely with the DRS teams in charge of Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion, the incumbent will facilitate exchanges between UNHCR and IFC teams to foster synergies to allow UNHCR operations to benefit from IFC’s expertise with private sector actors. In collaboration with IFC operation officers, s/he will design a monitoring and evaluation framework that highlights the results of the Joint Initiative in favor of forcibly displaced people and their hosts. S/he will coordinate with field offices for the provision of quality information about their operations. S/he will also monitor the implementation of programmes through missions and participate in ongoing needs assessments.

Living and Working Conditions:

Climate in Istanbul: The inhabitants of Istanbul enjoy all four seasons. The characteristic weather is a cooler version of the Mediterranean climate. The summer months between June and September are very hot in Istanbul. The humidity is also very high. The average temperature during summer is 28C with relatively dry weather. The winter season in Istanbul is cold, wet and snowy, but the temperature remains above the freezing point. The wind can also be very strong especially in autumn. Light jackets are always recommended due to unstable weather conditions.

Particularly the central areas of the big cities in Türkiye are not very different from any other Western city. There is a good choice of hotels in Ankara and Istanbul but the choice is somewhat limited in many other parts of the country, except for summer resorts. The prices of hotels are subject to continuous changes due to domestic inflation and changes in the value of the Turkish Lira on foreign exchange markets.

The usual practice for renting an apartment is to consult real-estate agents or advertisements in the local English language newspaper.

The main cities have a number of hospitals where well trained specialists and surgeons in all branches of medicine can easily be found. Prescribed medicines are not always available in the hospital and may need to be purchased from a pharmacy.

Private clinics are generally well equipped and offer services of an acceptable quality. There are also private hospitals of top international standards in Ankara and Istanbul. The number of this type of hospitals is increasing day by day. Laboratory tests are available both in these hospitals and in established private laboratories.

There are only a few schools in Türkiye that cater to foreign residents. These range from kindergarten through primary to high school level. Courses are in one or more foreign languages although some subjects are taught in Turkish in some schools.

The general security situation remains calm and stable. On 6 February 2023, two powerful earthquakes of 7.7 and 7.5 magnitudes struck in south-eastern Türkiye in the province of Kahramanmaras. The earthquakes have claimed thousands of lives and caused untold destruction to homes and infrastructure across the region. Level 2 Emergency for Türkiye and Syria were declared. This Level 2 emergency declaration will remain in force for a period of six months and will expire on 8 August 2023. Under exceptional circumstances, the AHC-O may recommend a three-month extension following consultations with the Regional Bureau.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

BA: Business Administration (Required), BA: Economics (Required), BA: Law (Required), BA: Political Science (Required), BA: Social Science (Required)

Certifications

Programme Management - Other

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Managing resource, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Add. 1 to March 2023 Compendium - Part B

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance