UN High Commissioner for Refugees Senior Technical Coordinator Jobs in Uganda

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Senior Technical Coordinator Jobs in Uganda

Closing date: 16 Apr 2019

Organizational Context
Uganda hosts one of the largest refugee populations, and the largest in Africa, exceeding 1.4mio refugees and asylum seekers as at mid-February 2018.

86% of all South Sudan refugees in Uganda are women and children, making targeted responses to their needs a priority, including child protection, prevention and response to sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) and education.

Risk of Cholera outbreaks in the refugee reception facilities as well as in the settlements, possibly linked with the outbreaks in South Sudan.

Malaria prevalence increased above expected levels for the district and the season with the interventions leading to overwhelming requirements for medicines, supplies including bed nets (LLIN), other vector control interventions and sound clinical services.

New arrivals have been accommodated in six settlement areas. With existing refugee settlements filling up fast, the pressure to identify and prepare new settlement areas is high.

There is growing pressure on available land for settlement of refugees and a need for the development a phased intervention approach to include:
a) Yumbe county as a pilot location for implementation of the Government's Settlement transformative framework (STA) policy,
b) Decongestion, relocation and retrofitting of existing settlements into less dense host community areas aligning with best practice site planning principles,
c)Definition of a detailed settlement master plan to define the most appropriate location and type of service facilities in line with local development plans, with inclusion for the integration of services into national structures,
d) a need to review and strengthen resources to improve the technical capacity in spatial settlement planning, and
e) ensuring access to enough land for refugees to have plots for agriculture that can meet their food security needs and engage in market activity to earn income.

The rapid settlement growth has posed severe challenges for service provision and establishing essential settlement infrastructure in a timely manner; there is also a risk of serious environmental damage to all refugee-hosting districts which is economically poor and already suffering from loss and depletion of soil, habitat, wildlife, and water resources.

Refugees are entirely dependent on wood to cook and build, and reliant on economic activities that degrade natural resources, such as charcoal and brick making, which consume millions of trees a year.

There is a need to integrate environmental and sustainable energy opportunities into the operation in order to reduce the climate risks to refugees and hosting communities, stabilize ecosystem and improve livelihoods.

Currently average water supply in Uganda settlement is about 15 litres per person per day, however approximately 1/5 is achieved through water trucking.

Currently implementation of a sustainable water response is underway and is achieved through UNHCR direct inputs as well as those of operational partners.

There are growing needs in critical interventions in health and education sectors, with very significant gaps with shortage of, teachers, medical personnel, medicines, adequate classrooms and health facilities.

The primary objective of the position is to lead the Technical Unit of UNHCR comprising of the sectoral and sectoral specialists in Shelter/Physical Planning, WASH, Energy/Environment as well as effective inter-sectoral coordination in support of their plan to provide sustainable improvements for the increased number of new arrivals entering Uganda.

The STC will work closely with the Snr Field Coordinator as well as technical sector specialists and the team leaders on the ground, and will report to the Assistant Representative (Programme).

Essential Minimum Qualifications and Professional Experience Required

Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master¿s) in Architecture, Civil-Engineering or other related discipline plus minimum 8 years of previous work experience relevant to the function of which a minimum of 4 years of international field experience.

Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) plus 9 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 7 years of previous relevant work experience may also be accepted.

Excellent knowledge of English and working knowledge of another UN language.

Desirable Qualifications & Competencies

Field experience in responding to large scale emergencies working with relevant governmental technical departments and various organizations in identifying, designing, delimiting, clearing and developing land allocated to establish site camps.

Prior experience of implementing shelter and settlement and WASH projects in humanitarian context and large scale emergencies coordinating with operational partners governmental technical departments.

Prior experience in designing and implementing a shelter & WASH strategy, including host family situations, collective shelter, settlement and camp settings, in emergency while considering the transition to more sustainable solutions.

Prior knowledge of effective humanitarian coordination and engagement with Governmental authorities and other such actors.

Proven ability to deal with multiple tasks in a courteous and service-oriented manner in a demanding working condition that often has short deadlines.

Computer literacy in MS Office and other relevant software with special focus on design, technical drawings and GIS mapping.

How to Apply:
Application

Interested candidates should submit their application online at http://www.unhcr.org/careers.html by clicking on "international vacancies". All currently available vacancies are advertised on our career page at https://www.unhcr.org/careers.html.

Please note that the closing date is Tuesday 16 April 2019 (midnight Geneva time).

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.