Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)

Family

CONTR Local Professional Level

2025-01-15

November 18, 2024

General Background of Project or Assignment:
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency is a global organization protecting people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We work in over 130 countries, helping millions of people with life-saving support, safeguarding fundamental human rights, and helping them build a better future (see www.unhcr.org).

Since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, over 2.8 million refugees from Ukraine have entered Bulgaria and until the end of February 2024, the Government of Bulgaria has granted Temporary Protection to more than 197,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine, of whom the majority are women and children. Currently there are more than 70,000 valid temporary protection holders as of October 2024. The Council of Ministers has formed a Task Force for the Ukrainian Refugee Response, focusing on inter-ministerial coordination.

UNHCR under its mandate leads and coordinates the Inter-Agency refugee response for the Ukraine Situation, in alignment with the Regional Refugee Response Plan for the Ukraine Situation (RRP) – co-leading with and in support of the Government. Under the Refugee Coordination Mechanism, UNHCR has established the national refugee coordination forum – along with an inter-agency Cash Working Group (led by UNHCR and the Agency for Social Assistance), an Education Working Group (led by UNICEF and UNHCR), a Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Technical Working Group (led by WHO), a Protection and Inclusion Working Group (led by UNHCR), a Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) network (co-led by UNHCR, UNICEF and a local organization) which fall under the inter-agency refugee coordination mechanism. There are currently 19 partners involved in the Refugee Response Plan for 2024.

Additionally, Bulgaria as an external EU border, plays a strategic role in refugee protection within Europe. In 2024, Bulgaria’s State Agency for Refugees (SAR) registered over 9,000 asylum seekers, as of September 2024, most from Syria and Afghanistan, which have exceeded the asylum application numbers from 2022. SAR operates six reception centers for the registration, Refugee Status Determination procedures and accommodation of asylum seekers. Amid an increase in arrivals of Afghan and Syrian asylum seekers since 2022, UNHCR supports Bulgaria’s Government to ensure policies and legislation are in line with international and EU standards, and promotes a comprehensive refugee response, grounded in a multi-stakeholder, whole-of-society approach.

UNHCR supports government-led efforts to provide key protection – including legal assistance, information on services, education, and psychosocial support – reception and accommodation, as well as the delivery of core relief items for winterization and cash assistance for the most vulnerable groups. UNHCR’s priority protection interventions include access to territory and asylum procedures, inclusion of refugees in state-led programs, Child Protection and Gender Based Violence prevention, risk mitigation and response, support to persons with specific needs, and mitigation of the risks relating to trafficking and other forms of abuse and exploitation.

UNHCR has been working together with the private sector, authorities, and refugee communities to mitigate economic inclusion risks and barriers and facilitate access to jobs and economic inclusion. The current favourable economic context in Bulgaria provides a unique opportunity for economic inclusion of refugees. While public opinion has been mixed around solidarity with refugees from Ukraine it is important to showcase objective impact of refugees in the host country. To support evidence-based advocacy, UNHCR together or in support of specialized actors will collect and analyze data relevant to planning of interventions and promoting a narrative on refugees’ economic inclusion and impact. UNHCR has built partnerships with the main private sector stakeholders in Bulgaria, and is looking for a team member to manage its engagements with them with a view of facilitating the socio-economic inclusion of refugees.

Overall Purpose and Scope of Assignment:
The Individual Contractor will work closely with colleagues across all units in UNHCR of the operation as well as with external partners on engagement with the private sector. In working under the supervision of the Associate Livelihoods Officer and the Senior Protection Officer, and in close cooperation with the Associate External Relations Officer, they will be key in operationalizing the strategic vision to align livelihoods and economic inclusion efforts with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), which underscores the need to mobilize private sector 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 momentum in the private sector, UNHCR is working to translate the objectives of the GCR into impactful results for refugees in Bulgaria. The Individual Contractor will support the Office in working towards the following objectives:

1) improve the enabling environment for refugees to work through advocacy on the right to/at work, access to economic opportunities and service;
2) seek new and strengthen existing partnerships with the private sector, development actors, government institutions and specialized agencies to advance economic inclusion of refugees; and
3) enhance ongoing livelihoods and economic inclusion programming through evidence-based and market-driven approaches to improve economic inclusion outcomes.

The Individual Contractor should be proactive, always looking for new opportunities and persuasive in mobilizing private sector, civil society, business associations and the academia and new partners around new models of economic and social integration. They will interact with the private sector counterparts and other stakeholders, working closely with multi-functional teams on matters including but not limited to protection, education, cash, partnerships, research and analytics.

Specific duties include:
• Maintain close contact and cooperation with private sector partners to facilitate the economic inclusion of refugees, in accordance with UNHCR Global and Country level policies, priorities, and strategies, in particular the Global Compact on Refugees. This includes advocating with public and private sector services providers to include persons under UNHCR mandate in supporting services (business development, micro-finance, training, saving accounts, poverty alleviation and social protection, etc.).
• Advise and support the multi-functional team, more specifically the Protection Unit and the External Relations Unit, to build and maintain effective partnerships with the private sector, and recommend/implement advocacy initiatives and policy reforms to improve refugee economic inclusion, rights and access to work.
• Working closely with the multi-functional team, identify funding opportunities and develop innovative projects in partnership with the private sector and civil society partners to improve the socio-economic inclusion of refugees.
• 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 financial surveys utilising community-based strategies to inform targeting, monitoring and facilitation of development programmes.
• Support 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 refugees.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Required level, qualifications and work experience:
The assignment is for an Individual Contractor “Local Professional Level”

Language Proficiency:
Fluency in English is required. Working level knowledge of Bulgarian is required.

Years of Experience:
At least 3 years of experience in areas relevant to the duties described above.

Field(s) of Education:
Business management, Economics, Finance, Marketing, and related technical fields, other educational background with the desirable experience below.

Desirable experience:
Experience with business management, experience with the private sector, experience with change management or business transformation, and related experience.

Monitoring and Progress Controls(report requirements, periodicity, format, deadlines):
Work on the basis of time employed.

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

Bulgarian

,

English

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No