Associate Livelihood Officer

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

BFamilyUNOPS LICA92024-09-01September 9, 2024Operational Context:

India currently hosts some 269,000 refugees and asylum seekers. These include some 91,000 Sri Lankan refugees and 73,400 Tibetans directly assisted by the Government of India. There are as well 46,904 individuals registered under UNHCR’s mandate primarily from Afghanistan, Myanmar, and other countries. UNHCR works with the Government of India to offer protection and find solutions for registered refugees and asylum seekers. UNHCR’s main activities in India are focused on conducting registration and documentation, status determination, legal assistance, and the search for durable solutions for refugees. With refugees and asylum seekers spread across 13 different locations across the country, UNHCR relies on its 9 NGO partners for support. It funds activities that complement or facilitate access to essential services and assist the most vulnerable people with humanitarian assistance. UNHCR also works with various partners and key stakeholders to strengthen self-reliance and advocate for greater inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG). UNHCR’s office is in New Delhi and has a Field Office in Chennai, Tamil Nadu State.

Duties

- Maintain close contact and cooperation with partners to facilitate the economic inclusion of refugees, such as line ministries, private sector and development actors in accordance with UNHCR Global and Country level policies, priorities, and strategies, in particular the Global Compact on Refugees. This includes advocating with public and private sector services providers to include UNHCR POC in supporting services (business development, micro-finance, training, saving accounts, poverty alleviation and social protection, etc.).

- Work with the multi-functional team, more specifically with the Protection Unit, to assess the legal framework for the right to work and rights at work and recommend/implement advocacy initiatives and policy reforms to improve UNHCR POC’s economic inclusion, rights and access to work.

- Build on UNHCR databases to support regular information sharing and coordination among different humanitarian, developmental and governmental stakeholders. This includes supporting the implementation of socioeconomic and wealth ranking surveys utilising community-based strategies to inform targeting, monitoring and facilitation of development programmes.

- Conduct necessary assessments in collaboration with relevant private and public stakeholders, including impact assessments on local economies and surveys that help to identify investment and funding opportunities that enhance the economic inclusion of UNHCR POC.

- In case UNHCR is implementing specific livelihoods activities, strengthen, guide and monitor the livelihoods interventions to help ensure they are market-based, and that the role of UNHCR has been strategically determined in consideration of its comparative advantage vis-à-vis other partners.

- Perform other related duties as required.

Desired candidate profile

The Associate Livelihood Officer reports to the Snr Programme Officer and will manage the work on livelihoods and economic inclusion as well as UNHCR’s cash-based interventions (CBI) program . He/she will be reviewing and operationalizing the UNHCR’s strategy on livelihoods and economic inclusion efforts, which underscores the need to mobilize additional actors and adopt a whole-of-society approach to strengthen refugee self-reliance and help ease pressure on host countries in line with the objectives of the Global Compact on Refugees. Promoting economic inclusion through access to livelihoods and participation in the labour market of refugees is a key development area that will enable the achievement of these objectives and contribute to the 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals. The incumbent’s objectives are: 1) In close coordination with UNHCR’s management, improve the enabling environment for refugees through advocacy on the right to work, access to economic opportunities and services; 2) Seek new and strengthen existing partnerships with the private sector, development actors, financial service providers, UN agencies, government institutions and specialized agencies to advance economic inclusion of refugees, including with stakeholders that pledged at the Global Refugee Forum; and 3) Enhance ongoing livelihoods and economic inclusion programming through evidence-based and market-driven approaches to improve economic inclusion outcomes and access to livelihoods.

The incumbent will also coordinate and provide oversight to the CBI programme that is implemented with UNHCR’s partners. S/he will review and update the programme in terms of approaches, tools and designs with the aim to identify and target the most vulnerable persons among the refugee and asylum seeker communities in India. S/he will be responsible for ensuring compliance with UNHCR’s CBI policy, technical guidance and administrative instructions, putting in place measures to address risks if relevant and oversee post-distribution monitoring working in collaboration with multi-functional team members and partners towards harmonization of systems and approaches across the country.

The Associate Livelihood Officer will work closely with multi-functional teams in UNHCR on matters including but not limited to protection, education, cash, partnerships, research and analytics, GBV and solutions. S/he will work with relevant external stakeholders from government line ministries, development actors, private sector, financial service providers, UN agencies, international organisations, NGOs, research institutions and universities. S/he will ensure effective implementation of livelihood projects and cash-based interventions, with the focus on strengthening the self-reliance of refugees and asylum seekers.

UNHCR is seeking candidates with demonstrated experience in livelihoods and economic inclusion of marginalized groups as well as developing and managing differentiated cash-based programming. The candidate should be proactive, always looking for new opportunities and persuasive in mobilizing public institutions, donors and other partners around new models of economic and social inclusion.

The candidate should possess excellent written and oral English language communication skills. Consensus teambuilding and cultural sensitivity is required. S/he should be a strong team player, excellent communicator, flexible and proactive to manage a range of issues, situations and challenges, promote collaboration and diversity in a multicultural environment while contributing to a positive work environment. UN experience is desirable.
This is a Local Individual Contract Agreement ( LICA) under UNOPS and is open only to Indian nationals.

Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on the grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. We work with skilled professionals who are committed to put people first and make a real difference to people’s lives.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted, and they may be required to undergo a written test and/or an interview. The selected candidate will work either from the UNHCR Office or other UNHCR partner locations in New Delhi, India.

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For UNOPS LICA9 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Essential

Technical competencies in sub-sectors relevant to livelihoods programming e.g. financial inclusion, employment, entrepreneurship, private sector development, local economic development, poverty reduction, agriculture, livestock, vocational and technical education, and training, etc. Experience in facilitating the economic inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, ideally in varied field contexts. Experience in working with and developing partnerships with private sector, NGOs, UN organisations, development actors, and government authorities in sub-sectors relevant to livelihood programming e.g. financial inclusion, employment, entrepreneurship, private sector development, local economic development, poverty reduction, agriculture, livestock, vocational and technical education and training, etc.

Functional Skills

EX-Experience with Inter/Non-Governmental Organization (INGO/NGO);
LV-Livelihoods & sub-sectors (value-chain upgrading, microfinance, cash assistance, etc.);
EX-Field experience;
MG-Project Management;
MG-Strategic Planning;
MS-Networking;
MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation;

 

Standard Job Description

Associate Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Associate Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer will be key in operationalizing the strategic vision to align livelihoods and economic inclusion efforts with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), which underscores the need to mobilize additional actors and to adopt a whole-of-society approach to strengthen refugee self-reliance and help ease pressure on host countries. Promoting economic inclusion of refugees is a key development area that will enable the achievement of these objectives and contribute to the 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals.

Leveraging the growing global momentum, UNHCR is working to translate the objectives of the GCR into impactful results for persons of concern (POC). Contributing to this global roll-out of the GCR, the Associate Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer, with support from the Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Unit in the Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS), works towards the following objectives:
1) improve the enabling environment for refugees to work through advocacy on the right to/at work, access to economic opportunities and service;
2) seek new and strengthen existing partnerships including with the private sector, development actors, government institutions and specialized agencies to advance economic inclusion of refugees; and
3) enhance ongoing livelihoods and economic inclusion programming through evidence-based and market-driven approaches to improve economic inclusion outcomes.

The Associate Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer should be proactive, always looking for new opportunities and persuasive in mobilizing donors and new partners around new models of economic and social integration.
The incumbent will interact with the government counterparts and other stakeholders with specific mandate in livelihood activities as well as with the refugee communities. Within UNHCR, the Associate Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer will work under the supervision of the head of livelihoods and closely with multi-functional teams on matters including but not limited to protection, education, cash, partnerships, research and analytics, GBV, solutions, complementary pathways and more. S/he will support the office's involvement with livelihoods and economic inclusion, working with relevant external stakeholders from government line ministries, development actors, private sector, UN agencies, international organisations, NGOs, research institutions and universities.

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
- Maintain close contact and cooperation with partners to facilitate the economic inclusion of refugees, such as line ministries, private sector and development actors in accordance with UNHCR Global and Country level policies, priorities, and strategies, in particular the Global Compact on Refugees. This includes advocating with public and private sector services providers to include UNHCR POC in supporting services (business development, micro-finance, training, saving accounts, poverty alleviation and social protection, etc.).
- Work with the multi-functional team, more specifically with the Protection Unit, to assess the legal framework for the right to work and rights at work and recommend/implement advocacy initiatives and policy reforms to improve UNHCR POC's economic inclusion, rights and access to work.
- Build on UNHCR databases to support regular information sharing and coordination among different humanitarian, developmental and governmental stakeholders. This includes supporting the implementation of socioeconomic and wealth ranking surveys utilising community-based strategies to inform targeting, monitoring and facilitation of development programmes.
- Conduct necessary assessments in collaboration with relevant private and public stakeholders, including impact assessments on local economies and surveys that help to identify investment and funding opportunities that enhance the economic inclusion of UNHCR POC.
- In case UNHCR is implementing specific livelihoods activities, strengthen, guide and monitor the livelihoods interventions to help ensure they are market-based, and that the role of UNHCR has been strategically determined in consideration of its comparative advantage vis-à-vis other partners.

- 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

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Business Management;
Socio-Economics Development;
Economics/International Economics;
Rural Development;
Financial Management;
or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Technical competencies in sub-sectors relevant to livelihoods programming e.g. financial inclusion, employment, entrepreneurship, private sector development, local economic development, poverty reduction, agriculture, livestock, vocational and technical education, and training, etc. Experience in facilitating the economic inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, ideally in varied field contexts. Experience in working with and developing partnerships with private sector, NGOs, UN organisations, development actors, and government authorities in sub-sectors relevant to livelihood programming e.g. financial inclusion, employment, entrepreneurship, private sector development, local economic development, poverty reduction, agriculture, livestock, vocational and technical education and training, etc.

Desirable
Knowledge about latest development in the livelihoods sector, including broader UN processes on the SDGs and the Global Compact on Refugees.

Functional Skills
LV-Strategic Planning and Advocacy for Refugee Socioeconomic Rights
MG-Project Management
SO-Networking
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.

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.

Required Languages

English

,

,

Desired Languages

Hindi

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

CO-Drafting and Documentation, LV-Strategic Planning and Advocacy for Refugee Socioeconomic Rights, MG-Project Management, SO-Networking

Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA): Business Administration/Management, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Economics, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Financial Management, Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Economics, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Rural Development, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Socio-Economic Development

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No