Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

• The Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer has a key role to play in aligning 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), including through follow-up on pledges made through the 2019 Global Refugee Forum. Contributing to this global roll-out of the GCR, the Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer, with direct support from the Senior Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Officer in the Regional Bureau and the global support of the Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Unit in the Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS), works towards the following objectives:
  • Improve the enabling environment for refugees to work through advocacy on the right to/at work, access to economic opportunities and services;
  • 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
  • Enhance ongoing livelihoods and economic inclusion programming through evidence-based and market-driven approaches to improve economic inclusion outcomes.
• The 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 play a role in formulating interventions that position UNHCR a key catalyst for livelihoods and the economic inclusion of refugees.
• S/he will interact with both internal and external counterparts. The incumbent will work 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.
• Externally, the Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Officer will help promote refugees' economic inclusion through effective partnerships with relevant government line ministries, development actors, the private sector, UN agencies, international organisations and NGOs, and research institutions and universities, both at the global and country levels.
• 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

• Facilitate the economic inclusion of refugees in coordination with relevant external partners 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.
• Strengthen partnerships with relevant stakeholders to enhance economic inclusion of UNHCR POC. 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.).
• 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 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.
• Work with economic development agencies to help adapt their programmes to become inclusive of UNHCR POC and with the private sector to enhance inclusion of UNHCR POC in their labour force and supply chains.
• 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.

In the Regional Bureaux:

• Keep abreast of policy developments and situation updates in the region, and advocate towards the economic inclusion and livelihoods of PoC.
• Maintain regular communication with livelihoods and economic inclusion focal points in Country Operations in the region, identify gaps, opportunities, and provide guidance and capacity building for impactful programming.
• Coordinate relevant technical assessments and research conducted in the region and support the identification of investment and funding opportunities that enhance the economic inclusion of UNHCR PoC.
• Develop and mobilize partnerships for the economic inclusion and improved livelihoods of PoC.
• Facilitate coordination and mobilize resources and partnerships for the economic inclusion of PoC and their livelihoods, at regional level.

In the Country Operations:

• 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 in respective host countries and recommend/implement advocacy initiatives and policy reforms to improve UNHCR POC's economic inclusion, rights and access to work.
• Manage the livelihoods and economic inclusion programme in the Operation, develop/update strategy, plan, monitor, report on and evaluate results.
• Conduct necessary assessments and research 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.
• Facilitate coordination and mobilize resources and partnerships for the economic inclusion of PoC and their livelihoods, at Operation level.

Minimum Qualifications

• For P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate Degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate Degree; or 4 years 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:

• UNHCR Protection Learning Programme (PLP).

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 and managing and advising on development processes 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.
• Experience in conducting sector assessments using quality social-science methods and tools, and in developing at least one comprehensive multi-year strategic plan for livelihoods support.

Desirable:

• Experience with UNHCR policies and standards.

Functional Skills:

• CO-Drafting and Documentation
• MG-Project Management
• SO-Networking
• LV-Livelihood Project Development and Implementation
• LV-Microfinance and Banking sector analysis
• MG-Management Planning.

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.

Desired Candidate Profile

• Nigeria hosts approximately 92,000 refugees with majority in the South-South, and due to on-going crisis in North-East, North-West and Central areas has seen 3.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 1.9 million returnees (IDPs and refugees).
• As part of the support and to increase capacity of refugees, IDPs, returnees (refugees and IDPs) to meet their basic needs and make a shift toward self -reliance, UNHCR Nigeria has been implementing a range of livelihood and economic inclusion (LEI) interventions. Building on the review of existing interventions, ways of working, and global and regional UNHCR LEI strategy, the country approach for LEI has been revised for 2023 -2025.
• The Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer is directly supervised by Assistant Representative (Operations) and has technical supervisory responsibility for Livelihood staff and/or focal points at Sub-Offices and Field Offices.
• As needed, the incumbent will provide technical support to other sectors and partners and work closely on development priorities. The incumbent will ensure responses are in line with humanitarian minimum standards and are aligned with results-based monitoring system for 2023-2025 livelihoods multi-year strategy.
• The incumbent will lead the design and implementation of relevant assessments to support evidence-based decision making and a shift towards area-based and market-oriented approaches.
• The incumbent will support advocacy, partnership development and implementation supporting inclusion of refugees, IDPs, returnees (IDPs and refugees) into projects, plans, programmes and strategies by the government, UN agencies, development partners and stakeholder.
• The best fit candidate has a strong livelihoods experience, inter-agency coordination capability and well versed with Cash Based Interventions.
• The candidate is expected to strengthen UNHCR participation in humanitarian -development nexus; oversee established partnerships particularly Poverty Alleviation Coalition in Nigeria. Experience with development partnerships is desirable.
• The incumbent maintains impartial, ethical and customer-oriented relations with both internal and external counterparts; exchanges information with stakeholders within limits established by UN /UNHCR.

Required Attributes:

• Experience of market-oriented approaches; food security, livelihoods and resilience; solutions-oriented, innovative and creative problem solver; field experience; previous work with UN/UNHCR in complex crisis; a good understanding of humanitarian-development nexus approaches and impact evaluations.

Nature of Position

• Technical competencies in sub-sectors relevant to livelihoods programming e.g. microfinance, 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 and managing and advising on development processes in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, ideally in varied field contexts.
• Experience in working with and developing partnerships with private sector, NGOs, UN organizations, and government authorities in sub-sectors relevant to livelihood programming e.g. microfinance, employment, entrepreneurship, private sector development, local economic development, poverty reduction, agriculture, livestock, vocational and technical education and training, etc.
• Experience in conducting sector assessments using quality social-science methods and tools, and in developing at least one comprehensive multi-year strategic plan for livelihoods support.

Living and Working Conditions

• UNHCR Nigeria consists of a Representation at the Branch Office in the Federal Capital City, Abuja, a Field Office in Lagos, a Sub-Office in Maiduguri (Borno State), a Field Unit in Damaturu (Yobe State), a Field Office in Yola (Adamawa State) a Field Office in Adikpo (Benue State), a Field Office in Ikom (Cross River State) and a Sub Office in Calabar (Cross River State) under the direct supervision of the Branch Office. UNHCR Nigeria has 146 staff members in Nigeria with 46 international and 100 national staff members.
• The UNHCR Representation acts as a liaison office with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission and coordinates with various departments to ensure information dissemination, capacity building, participation at various events towards ensuring the dynamic growth of the UNHCR-ECOWAS Cooperation and expansion of the protection space for persons of concern in West Africa.
• Other activities of the Office in Nigeria include providing support to the Government of Nigeria through the National Commission for Refugees and some other agencies of Government; and working with other UN agencies within various theme groups. With the objective of expanding the protection space for the benefit of all persons of concern in Nigeria.
• Abuja is a C duty station with good living conditions. The cost of accommodation is very high (yearly rent payment required) and safety is still a concern.
• The security situation requires international staff deployed to Nigeria to undertake security briefings on terrorism related issues. Borno State is at security level 4 while Yobe and Adamawa states are at level 3 (except some LGA). The South-East of Nigeria is at level 2.
• Accessibility to affected populations in the North East is difficult due to the volatile security situation. Adequate security measures and equipment, including armored vehicles, are required to operate in the area.