UNHCR Jobs in Nairobi, Kenya

Associate Innovation Officer

Closing date: 02 Feb 2020
Organisation: UNHCR
Job Title: Associate Innovation Officer (Digital Inclusion and Participation, East and Horn Africa and Great Lakes)
Duty Station: Nairobi (EHAGL Bureau)
Duration: 1st March to 31st December 2020 (10 months, w/ possible extension)
Contract Type: UNOPS International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA-1) **

UNHCR’s Innovation Service has been building a team in Nairobi since 2015 supporting across a number of initiatives including education, Communication with Communities, Predictive Analytics, and Information Management. In 2019, additional resources were mobilised at a regional level to support AAP and Gender Equality across 4 countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda) under the Dutch MFA funded PROSPECTS partnerships. This work aims to strengthen existing accountability mechanisms, including UNHCR call centres in both Kenya and Uganda.
The Connectivity for Refugees initiative has a solid footprint in East Africa. This includes substantial engagement with Mobile Network Operators in a number of operations, research into key connectivity challenges, and Community Connectivity Fund projects.
At a regional level, UNHCR’s Accountability to Affected People is driven by the Protection Service. The Associate Innovation Office (Digital Inclusion & Participation) will work closely with the Community Based Protection unit, (in the Protection Service) to strengthen UNHCR’s digital inclusion and online participation, with guidance from Regional Public Information colleagues to ensure alignment of supported initiatives.
This position will play a key regional role in the Connectivity for Refugees initiative, based in Nairobi with the Innovation Service, and in close collaboration with the Community Based Protection in the Regional Bureau for East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes. While the Regional Bureau covers 11 country operations, this role will/can support to the Regional Bureaux in Southern and West Africa as requested.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities for this role fall under 4 key pillars:
Coordination
  • Ensure that Connectivity for Refugees planning/processes align with regional and CfR Initiative priorities
  • Act as a regional focal point for knowledge and information sharing on communicating with communities approaches, with a specific focus on the safe and appropriate use of digital platforms;
  • Work with operations to identify and broker innovative partnerships to strengthen communication with communities;
Operational Support in-line with regional community based protection strategies
  • Support the development and testing of creative solutions for digital engagement with communities challenges;
  • Support regional operations to develop targeted solutions to communication and two-way information-sharing challenges;
  • Ensure that the operations can leverage regional and global Innovation, CfR and Protection technical support from within UNHCR to develop robust solutions that safely and securely connect with refugees online;
  • Identify and position innovative practices for scale by developing pathways for scaling emerging digital AAP practices across the region;
Capacity Building
  • Identify digital AAP (incl. Data Protection, Data Privacy and Safeguarding) and Innovation capacity development needs across the region;
  • Actively mobilise resources for Digital AAP and Innovation capacity strengthening at operational, regional and global levels;
  • Leverage internal and external resources to develop a curriculum to strengthen innovative approaches across the region;
  • Develop and test appropriate guidance – based on lessons learned and field case studies – to strengthen innovative approaches to digital AAP;
Research and Advocacy
  • Support research into emerging and creative practices related to the application of digital tools in collaboration with a number of consultants;
  • Ensure that research into emerging and creative practices is applicable for internal advocacy purposes and can be leveraged by external partners at a regional level;
Education
  • Undergraduate degree (essential) or Advanced degree (desired) in Social/ behavioural sciences-Anthropology, International Protection, Sociology, Gender or a related field.
Work Experience
  •  Minimum 3 years Experience working in Forced Displacement contexts and engaging with communities through digital platforms;
  • Knowledge of existing guidance pertaining to the application of social media and digital tools in humanitarian contexts – including Data Protection, Data Privacy and Online Safeguarding concerns;
  •  Understanding of key frameworks/tools outlining key AAP commitments;
  • Experience working through partnerships/interagency contexts and demonstrating leadership; particularly on topics pertaining to International Protection, Accountability to Affected Populations and PSEA;
  •  Demonstrated experience developing operational level/policy level guidance, particularly for organizations operating in refugee or other humanitarian contexts and ideally pertaining to the use of social media;
  •  Experience remotely working with operations to document practices;
Key Competencies
  •  Demonstrable experience of collating good practices and lessons learned across a range of contexts;
  •  Excellent English skills, French highly desirable;
  • A versatile and skilled writer with demonstrated experience in quickly articulating complex and / or technical concepts in simple terms
  •  Strong skills in drafting documents and reports of high quality and clarity;
  •  Highly organized and autonomous, able to multitask and prioritize workload when necessary
  •  Strong time management skills, including the ability to work quickly and to meet deadlines.
  •  Ability to work as a team, including remotely.
  • Strong interpersonal skills, including across cultural contexts.
  •  Excellent skills in Microsoft Word and advanced knowledge of Excel are required; Adobe CC desirable,
HOW TO APPLY:
Diversity and inclusion are important values at the core of the UNHCR Innovation Service. We therefore encourage candidates from all backgrounds and contexts to apply for this role. Understanding that people come from different types of backgrounds, we’re open-minded to different types of professional experience that differ from what may be traditionally considered. As such, we’d ask you to focus on your skills, enthusiasm and creativity in your cover letter.
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.
Interested applicants should submit their letter of motivation and Personal History Form to hqconref@unhcr.org indicating Associate Innovation Officer (Africa) in the subject of the email. Personal History Forms are available at PHF Form Supplementary Sheet.

Cash-based Interventions Associate

The position is supervised by a professional staff member who provides the incumbent with general guidance and work plans. The incumbent works quite independently with an oversight from the supervisor.
The position may directly supervise some support staff.Contacts are mainly with the colleagues in the same duty station to exchange information and to discuss the work plans. External contacts are with the national and local authorities for gathering and exchange of data.

Accountability
  • The Office has reliable and up-to-date data on persons of concern.
  • Standard and ad-hoc reports are produced. Trends and patterns of data are analysed and interpreted.
    ResponsibilityUnder the supervision of the Associate Programme Officer, the CBI Associate will perform the following tasks;
  • Manage the use, maintenance and technical support of databases used in the cash-based interventions.
  • Generate statistical reports based on the standard reporting formats and ad-hoc reports,charts and tables as required by the management.
  • Prepare and administer accurate lists of beneficiaries for the regular assistance through bank ATM/IRIS system in line with the procedures established by the office.
  • Assist in developing and administering UNHCR Regular Cash based Intervention database.
  • Assist in the monthly reconciliation and refund process for the cash assistance project.
  • Assist in preparing detailed reports and breakdown of the cash assistance provided to the refugees.
  • Cross-check databases to ensure that all beneficiaries are active cases.
  • Keep cash lists updated and free of duplications and ensure delivery of cash assistance to beneficiaries in a timely manner.
  • Maintain relationships with partners to facilitate the flow of information between databases,
  • Assist with the training of internal staff and partners on how to use the database,
  • Execute best practice in data protection standards and help to positively influence others,
  • Troubleshoot issues with the database and work with internal teams to provide technical fixes,
  • Inform and act on the reports and messages that are received from various units on different vulnerable cases in respect to financial assistance.
  • Support in the co-ordination with different IPs, Ops and focal points on lists of beneficiaries reflecting situation of cash assistance.
  • Undertake missions and field visits to bank service provider to monitor the cash project.
  • Undertake other relevant duties as required. 
Authority
  • Represent UNHCR at the cash-assistance related meetings.
  • Liaise with internal stakeholders and partners.
  • Develop improvements to the database and related workflows.
  • Direct incidents and problems to the supervisor when they cannot be resolved at their level. 
Essential Minimum Qualifications and Experience
  • Completion of secondary education with certificate/training in Information Technology& Database Management.
  • Minimum 6 years of previous data management experience, preferable in CBI context.
  • Excellent knowledge of computer software and database applications.
  • Experience in Microsoft SQL Server (2005 or later).
  • Fluency in English and working knowledge of another relevant UN language or local language.
    Desirable Qualifications & Competencies
  • Knowledge of UNHCR programmes and activities.
  • Experience in cash-based interventions,particularly in a refugee response context.
  • Working experience in C# and ASP.net.
  • University level course in Computer Science or related fields with components related directly to data management.
  • Working experience with statistical software such as R, Python, Stata etc. 
Competencies
Values
  • Integrity
  • Professionalism
  • Respect for Diversity 
Core Competencies
  • Accountability
  • Team Work & Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Commitment to Continuous Learning
  • Client & Results Orientation
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Candidates may also be tested on relevant managerial and cross-functional competencies.
  • Examples are listed below:- 
Cross Functional Competencies
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
  • Planning & Organizing
  • Stakeholder Management 
How to Apply