Job opportunity, Assistant Environment Officer at UNHCR

Eligible Applicants: This Job Opening is available to eligible UNHCR staff members and external applicants.

Procedures and Eligibility: Interested applicants should consult the Administrative Instruction on Recruitment and Assignment of Locally Recruited Staff (RALS).

Applicants must be nationals of, and be locally recruited within the country of their employment.

Duties and Qualifications

Assistant Environment Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Assistant Environment Officer will work closely with colleagues responsible for protection, site planning, water and sanitation, shelter, nutrition, education, health, community services and livelihoods. The incumbent will support the UNHCR Office on all issues related to environment and climate change, including mainstreaming into all sectors and aspects of the country operation.

Regular and frequent discussions between the incumbent and the supervisor(s) are necessary to ensure that the latest best practices and procedures are shared and applied consistently on issues related to environment. The incumbent will undertake missions to the camps and liaise with (sub-) offices on the implementation of environment programmes. In addition, the staff member will maintain regular contact with UN technical agencies, development partners, line ministries and agencies, implementing and operational partners as needed.

Refugee operations inherently degrade environments because of changes in land use and increased use of natural resources. It is imperative to ensure environmental mitigation measures are in place to ensure sustainable natural resource use for wellbeing refugees and host communities.

Proactive coordination and collaboration with key stakeholders, including refugees and host communities, is required to synergise resources. Interventions are evidence-based to ensure their appropriateness. Environment and social screening in addition to environmental impact assessments will be required to evaluate the Operation.

The Assistant Environment Officer should be capable of working with minimum supervision in project submissions, revisions and reallocations throughout the project lifecycle in the environmental programme. S/he will be instrumental in contributing to the development of specific inputs related to the sector and must meet reporting requirements. The incumbent should be part of the Multi-function Team to ensure that environmental concerns are mainstreamed and taken into consideration in any decision making process.

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

• Ensure environmental considerations are systematically included when assessing the needs of PoCs
• Based on assessments, and in consultation with relevant stakeholders, draft sustainable solutions to address the basic needs of PoCs while mitigating the environmental impact of the interventions
• Advise site planners on mainstreaming environmental considerations throughout the settlement design process with due consideration for the environmental conditions in surrounding host areas
• Work in close coordination with all relevant sectors and clusters in UNHCR, including Protection, WASH, Health, Shelter and Settlements, Livelihoods, Energy, Camp Coordination & Camp Management to ensure environmental concerns and impact mitigation measures are included in operational responses
• Collect, analyse and update data and information concerning the environmental status of settlements and broader hosting areas
• Contribute to internal and external reporting commitments, including proposal drafting for environment and energy while ensuring new projects are coherent and visibly complement planned interventions at (sub) office level
• Ensure all responses work toward environmental sustainability for both PoCs and host communities
• Assist Programme in the technical oversight of UNHCR implementing partners to ensure environmental considerations are adequately integrated in technical interventions
• Support quality monitoring of interventions, track and record relevant indicators in UNHCR¿s corporate tools
• Stay abreast of new technologies and relevant partnerships related to environment and climate change to more efficiently respond to the needs of PoCs, in line with the Global Compact on Refugees
• Assist training and capacity building activities to address the identified skills and knowledge gaps
• 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: Environmental Studies Management of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Forestry

or other related fields. (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses: Not specified.

Relevant Job Experience

Essential: Experience in environmental assessment, planning, monitoring and evaluation of integrated environmental programmes/projects in displacement and stable situations. Awareness of and practical experience with refugee-related environmental problems. Familiarity with emerging environmentally sustainable and appropriate technologies, and renewable energy. Familiarity with community-based and participatory approaches.

Desirable: Budgeting, planning experience, ability to work with various (relevant) computer software.

Functional Skills

IT-Computer Literacy

PR-Refugee Issues

SP-Environmental Assessment/Planning/Monitoring/Evaluation of integrated projects/programs

SP-Emerging environmentally sustainable and appropriate technologies, and renewable energy

SP-Environment – Experience in displacement and stable situations

MS-Analysis

PR-Participatory Approach

CO-Drafting and Documentation

(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.

Language Requirements: Please also note that English is essential for this Job Opening.

Additional Information

Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).

Qualified female and candidates with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Shortlisted Candidates will be required to sit for a test.

In case of difficulties with application process please contact email: tandava@unhcr.org

Closing Date: The closing date for submission of applications is Mid Night 21 April, 2021 Tanzania Time.

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