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Profile Shelter Cluster Coordinator

  • Organization: UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Location:
  • Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Development Cooperation and Sustainable Development Goals
    • Humanitarian Aid and Coordination
    • Protection Officer (Refugee)
    • Human Settlements (Shelter, Housing, Land, Property)
    • Managerial positions
  • Closing Date: Closed

Shelter Cluster Coordinator Profile

Various Locations

Grade: Mid (P3), Senior (P4) and Management (P5) Level Positions

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect and assist refugees and other persons of concern. It is constantly seeking talented, compassionate candidates with high-integrity to strengthen its capacity to respond urgently to crises with the right skills. Given the nature of UNHCR¿s work, it is essential that its workforce has the right mix of skills and qualities to fulfil its mandate.
In complex humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters where UNHCR is designated as the Shelter Cluster (SC) Lead Agency under the Cluster Approach, the Cluster Coordinator performs a dedicated coordination, strategy development and advocacy function. The Senior Cluster Coordinator (Shelter) reports directly to the UNHCR Representative who has final accountability for the performance of UNHCR as Cluster Lead Agency. Also the SC coordinator liaises with the Global Shelter Cluster Coordinator who has global responsibility for the performance of UNHCR as Global Cluster Lead Agency.

The Cluster Coordinator (Shelter) effectuates UNHCR's commitment to work within the framework of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the Cluster Approach. The Cluster Coordinator (Shelter) is expected to perform UNHCR's lead role in the SC and to impartially represent the interests of the members of the Shelter Cluster, including the provision of active support, as applicable, to sub-national clusters which may be coordinated by other Agencies. As a result, the Cluster Coordinator (Shelter) leads an inter-agency team in an environment that requires high standards of accountability and demonstrable leadership, coordination, negotiation and conflict resolution skills, and in which the principles of partnership and collaboration are essential.

The Cluster Coordinator (Shelter) represents the SC in Inter-Cluster Coordination mechanisms. S/he ensures appropriate cross-sectoral coordination with other related clusters such as WASH, CCCM, Protection and others, advocates for shelter in the humanitarian response, leads the mainstreaming of early recovery activities in the Shelter Cluster, and spearheads the integration of cross-cutting issues into the work of the Shelter Cluster, especially age, gender, diversity, HIV, environment.

Responsibilities include:
- Develop a SC Strategy in a consultative process with SC partners including the local government and ensure that the shelter response is driven by this strategy. Update as appropriate the SC Strategy: ensure proper linkages with disaster risk reduction, relief, and recovery and development efforts. Ensure that appropriate transitional measures are in place for handing over to recovery and development actors.
- Provide coordination services, including meetings, in line with the Principles of Partnership, ensuring that cluster coordination is inclusive, consultative and results-oriented.
- Ensure coordination with government counterparts and other relevant authorities.
- Ensure that contingency planning and emergency preparedness measures are updated and developed.
- Ensure the establishment and maintenance of the cluster structure including the cluster core documents as defined by the Global Shelter Cluster guidance: Strategy, Technical Standards, and Factsheet.
- Lead, coordinate and conduct within the SC or at Inter-Cluster level shelter needs assessments, including participatory assessments.
- Provide transparent strategic direction to development of common funding criteria, resource mobilisation and prioritization within the SC for inclusion in Humanitarian Response Plans, other appeals and pooled funds processes.
- Coordinate the delivery of shelter training activities for SC members, other local partners, relevant authorities, and civil society.
- Ensure that the shelter response is informed by appropriate relevant Technical Standards including among others Sphere, and good practice.
- Ensure appropriate collaboration with shelter response-related clusters of CCCM, Early Recovery, Education, Health, Logistics, Protection and WASH in the work of the Shelter Cluster.
- Coordinate the integration of cross-cutting issues in the work of the Shelter Cluster, including age, gender, environment, diversity.
- Through Cluster-wide consultative processes, provide input into the development of global shelter policy and standards led by the Global Shelter Cluster.
- Ensure that the SC has a functional information management strategy and mechanism to report and share information within the Shelter Cluster, with the other clusters, with the government, with the overall humanitarian community including donors, with UNHCR internal mechanisms, and with the Global Shelter Cluster.
- Ensure that the SC produces analytical shelter reports, including the Factsheet; Promote that information on affected population is disaggregated by sex and age.
- Ensure that the SC maintains an updated website and produces regular updates on the shelter concerns of the affected population, the response by the shelter actors, the gaps, challenges and recommendations.
- Promote and ensure monitoring and evaluation of the impact of operations carried out by cluster members and the performance of the coordination team.
- Appraise the performance of any directly supervised personnel of the SC coordination team.
- Identify core advocacy concerns for the SC through a consultative process: develop joint cluster/ inter-cluster initiatives to ensure regular and consistent advocacy.


Minimum Qualifications and Professional Experience Required:

For positions at the P3 level
- Education: Degree, preferably in shelter-related sciences (e.g. Civil or Architecture Engineering)
- Job experience: Minimum 5 years of relevant (international organization ¿ UN Agencies, INGOs, IOs, Donors, Red Cross Red Crescent) job experience with graduate degree (equivalent of a Master¿s), 6 years with undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS).
- Languages: Proficiency in English is required.

For positions at the P4 level
- Education: Degree, preferably in shelter-related sciences (e.g. Civil or Architecture Engineering)
- Job experience: Minimum 8 years of relevant (international organization ¿ UN Agencies, INGOs, IOs, Donors, Red Cross Red Crescent) job experience with graduate degree (equivalent of a Master¿s),  9 years with undergraduate degree (equivalent of BA/BS).
- Languages: Proficiency in English and knowledge of a second UN language (Arabic/ Chinese/French/Russian/Spanish) at B2  is required.

For positions at the P5 level
- Education: Degree, preferably in shelter-related sciences (e.g. Civil or Architecture Engineering)
- Job experience: Minimum 11 years of relevant (international organization ¿ UN Agencies, INGOs, IOs, Donors, Red Cross Red Crescent) job experience with graduate degree (equivalent of a Master¿s), 12 years with undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS).
- Management experience in emergency situations.
- Languages: Proficiency in English and knowledge of a second UN language (Arabic/ Chinese/French/Russian/Spanish) at B2  is required.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
This vacancy is now closed.
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