Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

E (most hardship)

Non Family with Residential Location

UNOPS LICA6

2025-01-01

December 17, 2024

Sustainable energy and environment services are essential for basic human protection and aim to enable refugees, IDPs, host communities and other refugees and asylum-seekers to meet their energy needs in a safe, sustainable, and affordable way, recognizing the critical importance of access basic energy needs to ensure improved human protection and well-being, and foster communities´ inclusiveness.

Energy services provide cooking, lighting, heating, and clean water, and underpin all but the most rudimentary income-earning activities. Energy poverty leads to insecurity, increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), reduced development opportunities, health problems and environmental degradation.

The Energy and Environment Associate (EEA) will provide technical support on sustainable energy in the operation. The incumbent will work very closely with the technical sectors, Programme and Protection colleagues. S/he will typically report to the Programme Officer in the Operation.

The Energy and Environment Associate will work closely with colleagues responsible for protection, site planning, water and sanitation, shelter, nutrition, education, health, community services and livelihoods. The incumbent will support the UNHCR Office on all issues related to environment and climate change, including mainstreaming into all sectors and aspects of the country operation.

Living and Working Conditions

The town of Dadaab is in the North-Eastern Province of Kenya. It is in a semi-arid area and is mostly dry and hot all year round with some rains during specific periods. Due to the isolation of the duty station and ongoing security concerns, the duty station is categorized as hardship category `E and substantial security level. The UN compound is surrounded by Hesco fences, and there is a curfew in place from 6 pm to 6 am, when the external gate is closed. All movement outside the UN compound to and within the camps requires armed police escort.

To mitigate the effects of hardship and psychological stress as well as to allow reunion with family members, locally recruited personnel are granted five days of time-off every 10 weeks, under the flexible work arrangement (i.e. compressed time-off). National staff members are required to work 1 extra hour per day in order to benefit from Special Compressed Work Schedule (SCWS) measure.

There are limited banking facilities at Dadaab with only one bank in which staff may open a bank account and withdraw cash with certain debit/credit cards. Internet and communications networks are available at the compound. Remoteness, isolation, and lack of entertainment in social life are factors to also be considered prior to applying. There is, however, a gym and a tennis court available, as well as space around the compound for exercising.

Security Considerations

The security situation continues to be a challenge in SO Dadaab, and the candidate needs to have undergone proper security training, including the mandatory SSAFE training. Meanwhile, staff movements in the Dadaab Operation are restricted, and all staff are obliged to adhere to security advisories. Staying in the office compound is regulated by a curfew in effect during the night and the requirement to answer daily radio checks.

Dadaab is at UN security level (SLS) 4 as a duty station.

Most national staff live in the UNHCR compound. Climatic conditions are harsh, and despite fumigation of the compound, insects and even snakes are present in the environment. Apart from a satellite level 1 JMS medical clinic, there is no other medical backup. Therefore, staff assigned to Dadaab must be in good health. Evacuation opportunities are limited. Candidates with conditions requiring regular treatment or medical supervision should be appropriately advised and bring enough prescription medicines among others.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The Energy and Environment Associate will provide technical support on sustainable energy as well as support the UNHCR Office on all issues related to environment and climate change, including mainstreaming into all sectors and aspects of the country within the Area of Responsibility, which includes but is not limited to the following:

• Assist the implementation of the sustainable energy and environment programmes, while ensuring systematically included environmental considerations when assessing the needs of refugees and asylum-seekers.
• Assist in the assessment and identification of cost effective and appropriate sources of alternative energy for cooking, lighting, and electricity in collaboration with all actors, including private sector, development agencies and governmental institutions.
• Collect, analyse, and update data and information concerning the energy and environmental status of settlements and broader hosting areas.
• Based on assessments, and in consultation with relevant stakeholders, recommend sustainable solutions to address the basic needs of refugees and asylum-seekers while mitigating the environmental impact of the interventions.
• Work with site planners on mainstreaming environmental considerations throughout the settlement design process with due consideration for the environmental conditions in surrounding host areas.
• Work in close coordination with all relevant sectors and clusters in UNHCR, including Protection, WASH, Health, Shelter and Settlements, Livelihoods, Camp Coordination & Camp Management to ensure environmental concerns and impact mitigation measures are included in operational responses.
• Support and assist to work, inform, and coordinate with government, line ministries and NGO partners to implement a robust and appropriate renewable energy strategy and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, and ensure safety.
• Contribute to internal and external reporting commitments, including proposal writing for environment and energy interventions, while ensuring new projects are coherent and visibly complement planned interventions at Dadaab sub-office level.
• Work in multi-functional team approach and work in close collaboration with programme and other technical experts, to ensure energy and environment-based interventions are approached from a cross-sectoral perspective.
• Support quality monitoring of interventions, track and record relevant indicators in UNHCR’s corporate tools.
• When applicable, represent UNHCR and support coordination meetings on energy, and environment.
• Stay abreast of new technologies and relevant partnerships related to energy, environment, and climate change to more efficiently, respond to the needs of refugees and asylum-seekers, in line with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR).
• Assist training and capacity building activities to address the identified skills and knowledge gaps of refugees and asylum-seekers, host community and partners alike.
• Assist in the development of effective communication channels between all key stakeholders and promote the sharing of information on energy related activities.
• Assist in the documentation of the project development including monitoring, testing, trouble shooting, lessons learned, and solutions applied to assure institutional knowledge development.
• Assist the Operation to ensure that minimum best practices are met to assure health and safety standards across all sustainable environment, and energy efficient technologies.
• Assist in the identification, establishment, and linkage with relevant organizations to ensure access to sustainable energy and environment for both refugees and the surrounding areas.
• Assist in the monitoring and coordination of all sustainable energy and environment activities for both refugees and the surrounding areas.
• Perform other related duties as required.

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Regular and frequent discussions between the incumbent and the supervisor(s) are necessary to ensure that the latest best practices and procedures are shared and applied consistently on issues related to energy and environment. The incumbent will undertake missions to the camps and liaise with energy and environment partners on the implementation of energy and environment programmes. In addition, the staff member will maintain regular contact with UN technical agencies, development partners, line ministries and agencies, implementing and operational partners as needed.

• Proactive coordination and collaboration with key stakeholders, including refugees and host communities, is required to synergize resources. Interventions are evidence-based to ensure their appropriateness. Environment and social screening in addition to environmental impact assessments will be required to evaluate the operation.

• The Energy and Environment Associate should be capable of working with minimum supervision in project submissions, revisions, and reallocations throughout the project lifecycle in the energy and environmental programme. S/he will be instrumental in contributing to the development of specific inputs related to the sector and must meet reporting requirements. The incumbent should be part of the Multi-function Team (MFT) to ensure that environmental concerns are mainstreamed, and sustainable energy taken into consideration in any decision-making process.

4. Qualifications and Experience

a. Education
(Level and area of required and/or preferred education)

High School Diploma

b. Years of experience

6 years relevant experience with high school diploma, or 4 years relevant experience with a bachelor or equivalent or higher

Relevant Job Experience

Essential
Minimum 6 years of previous relevant job experience in sustainable energy sector. Experience working with government authorities, development partners, civil society and/or public/private sector.
Awareness of and practical experience with refugee-related environmental problems. Familiarity with emerging environmentally sustainable and appropriate technologies. Familiarity with community-based and participatory approaches.

Desirable
Knowledge and understanding of policies and regulations on energy. Knowledge of renewable energy, including financial, regulatory and/or policy frameworks, renewable energy financial management (including community involvement and capacity issues), renewable energy business development (including business planning, entrepreneurship development). Experience of cost recovery systems, metering, energy audits and comparative analyses of fuel and energy systems.
Budgeting, planning, ability to work with various (relevant) computer software. Broad understanding of climate change narrative and initiatives geared towards mitigation of impacts.

c. Key Competencies
(Technical knowledge, skills, managerial competencies, or other personal competencies relevant to the performance of the assignment. Clearly distinguish between required and desired competencies).

Required:
Knowledge of sustainable energy in humanitarian/development settings, Familiarity with emerging environmentally sustainable and appropriate technologies, and renewable energy. Minimum 1 year of experience in environmental assessment, planning, monitoring, and evaluation of integrated environmental programmes/projects in displacement and stable situations. Awareness of and practical experience with refugee-related environmental problems. Familiarity with emerging environmentally sustainable and appropriate technologies, and renewable energy. Familiarity with community-based and participatory approaches.

Desired:
Demonstrated ability of planning, implementation, and monitoring of energy and environment-related projects. Budgeting, planning experience, and ability to work with various (relevant) computer software. Broad understanding of climate change narrative and initiatives geared towards mitigation of impacts.

Cross-Functional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
Planning and Organizing
Stakeholder Management

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

,

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

The testing of shortlisted candidates is optional.This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements