Chief of Tech Support Section

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.

Chief of Technical Support Section

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Chief of the Technical Support Section is a member of the senior management team in the Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS). Following the recent regionalisation of UNHCR¿s Bureaux, Divisions are expected to support the Bureaux by: 

¿ Promoting organization wide coherence, developing policies in response to evolving norms and ensuring dissemination of normative and administrative guidance and standards within their respective functional areas.
¿ Monitoring policy implementation and working closely with Bureaux to ensure that operational learning informs global policy development to best meet the needs of the Organization and persons of concern (POC).
¿ Providing functional guidance and operational support, including knowledge management and sharing best practice and lessons learned, in order to support Regional Bureaux and Country Operations to deliver quality programs, collect and analyse data, and report on results in a consistent and coherent manner.

Within the Operational Support Service, hosted in the DRS, the Technical Support Section (TSS) brings together some of the most crucial components of a comprehensive response, namely, shelter response, water supply, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), energy and environment. Striving to break down silos, the incumbent will steer the Section to support Regional Bureaux and Country
Operations in delivering comprehensive and coordinated responses, be it in emergency or protracted contexts while seeking for improved integration, resilience and solutions to reinforce the second line of defence.  The incumbent will be a leader with substantial field experience in managing refugee emergency situations and will be able to work in collaborative approaches. Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Director, Operational Support Service, the Chief of Section will ensure comprehensive responses in coordination with relevant Divisions, including the Global Data Service, Division of International Protection, the Division of Emergency, Security and Supply, the Division of Strategic Planning and Results, the Division of External Relations and the different sections within DRS. Regular and frequent discussions between the incumbent and the supervisor are necessary to ensure that latest policy and procedures are used and coherently disseminated both within the Division, across UNHCR operations globally and externally.

Given global displacement trends and increasing urbanization, the spatial distribution of UNHCR¿s POC is growing and to this end, the incumbent will play a pivotal role in updating the 2009 Urban Refugee and Alternative to Camps policies to practically outline how UNHCR will respond to the needs of refugees in urban contexts and operationalise the theoretical models of intervention designed by different sectors within UNHCR.

In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), the incumbent will harness the technical and operational competencies of staff under his/her supervision to support bureaux and country operations in operationalizing practical support for humanitarian-development cooperation. Ultimately, UNHCR interventions will respond to the humanitarian needs of the POC while favouring medium term development-led programming including assessment of national policy and institutional arrangements, appraisal of national planning and budgeting processes, identification of prospects for socio-economic inclusion, analytical work on economic opportunities, market analysis, financial inclusion, poverty/welfare surveys of refugee and local community households (both rural and urban) and household level targeting strategies.

Supporting country representatives in ensuring the technical integrity of UNHCR programmes will require the distribution of guidance, norms and standards, ensuring adequate monitoring systems are available, as well as close collaboration with GLDC to ensure technical staff have access to appropriate training programmes, ensuring their knowledge and skills are continuously updated to facilitate technically sound interventions as well as career development opportunities for staff.


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
- Lead the TSS to coherently support the multi-sectoral needs of Country Operations, Bureau and implement area-based responses, cognisant of local and national systems/services/plans and longer-term solutions.
- Ensure responses build on existing resources and infrastructure and strive to benefit the local population as well refugees, favouring a medium to long term vision of assistance and leveraging relevant development entities to achieve sustainable goals.
- Ensure all support provided to Regional Bureaux and Country Operations is in line with the Division/Organisation¿s strategic priorities and is practical, implementable and focuses on truly facilitating work for colleagues to reinforce the second line of defence.
- Whenever appropriate, advocate for the use of innovative technologies, emphasising sustainable resource management and the effective use of natural resources and ensure environmental mainstreaming to ¿green¿ UNHCR operational responses.
- Develop, review, update and ensure dissemination of internationally accepted guidance, norms and standards to ensure the technical and operational integrity for responses in the areas of shelter response, water supply, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), energy and environment within UNHCR and among partners; adapt accordingly to the unique situation of UNHCR¿s POC.
- Foster a service-oriented team with an open mind-set towards Bureaux and Country Operations including appropriate support systems, support capacity, engagement on normative developments, new standards of protection and assistance, the sharing of best practice and knowledge, and high-level analysis of gaps and trends.
- On demand, assist Regional Bureaux and Country Offices with the conceptualization and support the facilitation of multi-functional national and regional workshops in collaboration with government authorities and relevant stakeholders in areas of DRS competence.
- Share knowledge, and analytical products and tools with Regional Bureaux and Country Offices to inform policies, programmes and financing opportunities.
- Work in a multi-sectoral and co-ordinated approach in co-operation with UN sister agencies, donors, governmental representatives, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other humanitarian partners.
- Oversee and support monitoring systems for technical programmes in UNHCR jointly with the concerned Bureaux in all contexts including urban settings.
- Facilitate capacity strengthening activities of UNHCR and its partners to address key areas of importance to refugees and other POC to UNHCR in all contexts.
- Build on the capacity and competence of UNHCR¿s technical professionals in Country Operations, Regional Bureaux and HQ to improve internal capacities as well as that of our partners.
- Assimilate and produce high quality practice/lessons learnt/academic articles for dissemination.
- Undertake missions to provide technical support as needed, both for emergency support as well as support for integration and solutions.
- Encourage multifunctional team dynamics and that, which meets the needs of a decentralized Organisation.
- Manage personnel and ensure effective collaborative approaches across the team and in between Divisions and Bureaux. Ensure coaching and regular performance appraisals, and assessments of staff development needs.
- Report and provide recommendations/solutions to the supervisor on any technical developments including political, socio-economic and cultural developments that may affect the objectives of the Organization.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P5 - 12 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 11 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 10 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Business Administration;
Social Sciences;
Political Sciences;
Engineering;
or other relevant field.
(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Minimum 10 years in an international capacity working experience with emphasis in humanitarian contexts. Experience in working in refugee field operations, preferably in both refugee camp/settlements, as well as urban refugee programmes implementing programmes from multisectoral and protection perspectives. Proven managerial skills in implementing comprehensive refugee programmes (throughout the programme cycle) involving multiple stakeholders and supervising large teams. Practical and problem-solving mindset. Proven experience in strategic planning and strong communication and presentation skills (oral and written).
Desirable
Not specified.

Functional Skills
*EX-Field experience in emergency and/or large-scale settings;
*EX-Field experience with UNHCR and/or with other humanitarian organizations;
*MG-Field Operations Management;
MG-People Management;
*MG-Strategic Planning;
PG-Programme Management (project formulation, programme cycles and reporting standards);
*RM-Resource Management;
UN-UN/UNHCR Financial Rules and Regulations and Procedures;
UN-UN/UNHCR Interagency Policies, standards, Programmes, Partnerships, Humanitarian Ops;
UN-UN-UNHCR's Mandate/Policy and Global Strategic Priorities;
CO-Strategic Communication;
MG-Leadership;
(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. C001L4 - Accountability Level 4
C002L4 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 4
C003L4 - Communication Level 4
C004L4 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 4
C005L4 - Client & Result Orientation Level 4
C006L4 - Organizational Awareness Level 4
M001L4 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 4
M002L4 - Managing Performance Level 4
M006L4 - Managing Resources Level 4
M005L4 - Leadership Level 4
M003L4 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 4
M004L4 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 4
X003L4 - Technological Awareness Level 4
X002L4 - Innovation and Creativity Level 4
X005L4 - Planning and Organizing Level 4

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.

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).

Please note that the closing date for advertisements in the Add.4 March 2020 Compendium is Monday 24 August 2020 (midnight Geneva time).