Hardship Level: B

Family Type: Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade: GS6

Staff Member / Affiliate Type: General Service

Remote work accepted: No

Target Start Date: 2025-01-01

Deadline for Applications: October 30, 2024

Standard Job Description

Energy Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
Access to clean, affordable and reliable energy services is integral part of the humanitarian response and an essential factor in creating sustainable economic development. Sustainable energy services are essential for basic human protection and aim to enable refugees, IDPs, host communities and other persons of concern to meet their energy needs in a safe, sustainable and affordable way, recognizing the critical importance of access to sustainable energy to ensure basic needs, improve 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.

In line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), access to clean energy could vastly improve the health and well-being of millions of persons. The incumbent will provide technical support on sustainable energy in the operation.
The Energy Associate will work very closely with the technical sectors, Programme and Protection colleagues. The incumbent will typically report to the Energy Officer or the Programme Officer in the Operation

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

• Contribute to the implementation of the sustainable energy programme.
• Contribute to 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.
• Contribute to the design of specific projects and pilot energy for cooking, lighting and powering, including renewable energy, with a view towards enhancing self-reliance, education and protection.
• Work in multi-sectoral team and contribute to the linkage of Energy with Environment, Protection, Shelter and Settlement, Public Health and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
• Contribute to the monitoring and coordination of all sustainable energy activities.
• Contribute to the identification, establishment and linkage with relevant organizations to ensure access to sustainable energy for both refugees and the surrounding areas
• Work in multi-functional team approach and work in close collaboration with programme and other technical experts, to ensure energy based interventions are approached from a cross-sectoral perspective.
• Assist the Operation to ensure that minimum best practices are met to assure health and safety standards across all sustainable energy and energy efficient technologies.
• Contribute to the documentation of the project development including monitoring, testing, trouble shooting, lessons learned and solutions applied to assure institutional knowledge development.
• Contribute to the development of effective communication channels between all key stakeholders and promote the sharing of information on energy related activities.
• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

• For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Certificates and/or Licenses

• Electricity
• Environment

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

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.

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

Functional Skills

• SP-Natural Resources Management

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

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.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Desired Candidate Profile

Over the past few years, the enabling environment for institutionalizing access to energy holistically at UNHCR has grown significantly, focusing on climate change and related initiatives such as the Secretary General’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) campaign. Launched in 2011, SE4All aims to eradicate energy poverty for all by 2030, ensuring that refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR benefit from this initiative. The desired candidate should have a background in Environmental Engineering, Renewable Energy, Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Natural Resources Management, or related fields. Additionally, certifications or licenses in Renewable Energy and Environmental Science are highly valued, reflecting the candidate’s ability to contribute effectively to these critical areas.

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Innovation & creativity, Judgement & decision making, Organizational awareness, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

UNHCR Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales