Innovation Officer (Energy) – UNHCR jobs in Kenya

• Location: Nairobi, Kenya
• Vacancy No: N/A 
• Salary: N/A
• Organization: UNHCR
• Gender: Both
• Deadline: February 28, 2024 

UNHCR is a global organisation dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. We are in over 125 countries, using our expertise to protect and care for millions of displaced people and supporting the communities where they live.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is looking for an individual to support the coordination and implementation of innovation projects under the Environment and Climate Action Innovation Programme. The position will be based at the Regional Bureau for the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes Region but will be responsible for supporting teams across all countries implementing pilots as part of this multi-country project, which include Uganda, Pakistan Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi. Based on experience and location, a home-based position can be considered provided they align to cover the time zones needed.

As part of its 2023-2024 Environment and Climate Action Innovation Fund cohort, UNHCR is undertaking a multi-country pilot to test approaches to establishing community-based and managed solar mini-grids and other technologies for increasing sustainable and affordable access to solar energy in forced displacement settings. The position will lead the implementation of this project under the supervision of the Environment and Climate Action Innovation programme lead and in collaboration with relevant technical units at HQ and the relevant regional Bureaux where the project is being implemented. They will coordinate the overall project and support the country teams who will deliver their pilots at country level. They will be responsible for providing technical guidance, reviewing technical approaches and make recommendations to country teams throughout implementation. They will also ensure the collaboration and exchanges across the involved countries, coordinate the gathering and sharing of lessons, and produce learning and reporting products to inform future work.

Title: Innovation Officer (Energy)

Duty Station: Nairobi, EHAGL Regional Bureau

Working Hours: full time

Duration: 9 months with possibility of extension

Contract Type: IICA 2 UNOPS

Start date: 1 April 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter

Reporting line: Innovation Officer – Asia and Environment and Climate Action

Organisational context

The Innovation Service is mandated to help nurture and support a culture of innovation within UNHCR. The Service works closely with country operations, regional bureaux and HQ based divisions and services in the pursuit for more efficient, effective, and creative solutions to challenges that refugees and forcibly displaced populations face. The service does this by rethinking the way UNHCR works, the way it involves refugees and forcibly displaced populations in the design of the programs, and the way it looks at good practices in the humanitarian, development and private sectors.

The Environment and Climate Action Innovation Programme is an evolving workstream aimed to ensure that UNHCR teams and partners work closely with forcibly displaced and stateless persons in designing and developing innovative solutions to addressing environmental sustainability and resilience related challenges in displacement settings. It will further strengthen forcibly displaced people’s ability to mitigate, withstand and recover from events and conditions caused by environmental factors, including impacts of the climate crisis, prior to or during their displacement.

The Environment and Climate Action Innovation programme helps realise UNHCR’s commitments to contributing to more sustainable, ecological humanitarian responses.

The position

The post holder will support the implementation of a multi-country pilot project funded through the Environment and Climate Action Innovation Programme’s flagship initiative- its Innovation Fund. Pilots will be implemented in Uganda (2 pilots), Pakistan, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Malawi. She/he will work closely with the Programme Lead (Innovation Officer – Environment and Climate Action), the rest of the Innovation Service, the technical teams in the Division of Resilience and Solutions, Division of Emergency Supply and Security and Division of International Protection, and the focal points from the 3 relevant regional Bureaux in supporting the implementation of the project with the 7 pilot teams. The incumbent will coordinate and support implementation by: providing technical guidance on sustainable energy, particularly solar energy projects, undertaking travel to provide in-country support in pilot locations, programmatic guidance, technical review, coordinating support from a diverse range of sources, supporting building and managing partnerships as necessary, engaging with stakeholders, documenting lessons learned, and supporting monitoring and evaluation. They may also support the delivery of further innovative initiatives related to energy and environment supported by the programme.

The post holder will regularly and frequently engage with country operations and other UNHCR stakeholders to enhance the delivery of the in-country pilots by applying state-of-the-art and best practices in the solar energy engineering sector, as well as out-of-the-box-thinking, and connecting operations with non-traditional actors, including the private sector, academia, and other relevant thematic actors as relevant. The design and implementation of innovative projects in collaboration with communities is a core principle of the programme. Supporting operations to ensure user centred design and enabling meaningful participation of forcibly displaced people will be a priority. The post holder will further leverage their experience in working with various internal and external stakeholders including humanitarian, development and environmental organisations/entities and support the implementation of the wider Environment and Climate Action Innovation Programme.

The ideal candidate would showcase experience in sustainable energy programming, particularly supporting solarization, and management of funding; experience in working with multi-stakeholder partnerships, ideally including working with community-based organisations or the private sector. Strong interest in community-based approaches, participation of forcibly displaced people, innovation, and climate and environment is a plus.

While this is a position that is dedicated to the Environment and Climate Action Innovation Programme, other tasks and opportunities under the remit of the Innovation Service may arise and be agreed upon.

Duties and responsibilities

Coordinate the delivery of the Community-based approaches to solarization pilot projects across 6 countries

Provide overall project management duties as well as detailed technical guidance for feasibility, design and implementation to the 7 pilot project teams, technical specifications for tendering documents

Co-design with communities and adjustments or pivots necessary throughout implementation, including in-country support through visits

Support the completion of necessary reviews and assessments, for example, feasibility studies, design of renewable energy systems, and development of cost recovery schemes across all operations

Ensure that the 7 pilot projects are implemented effectively with high-quality technical standards, also in line with local regulations

Support operations on staff recruitment, management and training as relevant

Ensure the streamlining and optimization of activities across the multiple countries where relevant, as per project management duties

Work with the Innovation Service’s M&E officer to support MEAL activities related to the programme, particularly on capturing and sharing lessons, promising practices and developing recommendations for future solarization projects and strategies

Support with programme and administrative requirements for implementation of the project, financial evaluations, preparation of operation plans and budgets, progress reports

In collaboration with the innovation officer, engage with relevant stakeholders at HQ and regional bureaux and COs to facilitate information sharing, leverage existing resources and ensure linkages to relevant teams

Contribute to fundraising activities and explore sustainability options of the projects after the incubation period.

Support the Innovation Officer (Environment and Climate Action) to deliver on UNHCR Innovation Service’s Environment and Climate Action Innovation programme across all regions with a strong emphasis on participatory and human centred design approaches

Maintain effective communication across operations on energy and environment related innovation and opportunities to promote cross sharing and collaboration

Support the Innovation Officer to undertake other innovation activities / interventions as required

Work with the Innovation Service colleagues to deliver on the service’s wider responsibilities and objectives

Essential minimum qualifications and professional experience required

Academic Qualifications

B.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering, Renewable Energy Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or similar.

Experience (Required / Desired)

Minimum of 5 years experience (with a graduate degree or 6 with a bachelors) in designing and implementing electrical engineering projects. Experience must include design and project management of renewable energy (solar mainly) systems and governance systems;

Sound technical understanding of requirements and approaches to establish solar infrastructure, undertake solarization initiatives and/or delivery of programmes to establish energy systems sustainably

Experience in developing tools and recommendations for the sustainability and maintenance of energy systems, including addressing feasibility studies, participatory assessments, design, repair and maintenance, training of local actors on use and maintenance of the system, managing the financial viability etc.

Experience in providing technical guidance on project management and required processes to establish and maintain sustainable energy infrastructure, particularly in complex settings

Strong experience in coordination and project implementation required, preferably with experience in the UN system and/or innovation programming a distinct advantage

Experience in delivering innovation projects in collaboration with forcibly displaced people an advantage

Prior experience working on issues of community participation, community-based approaches and inclusion desired

Prior experience working in forced displacement contexts desired

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Skills and Competencies

Excellent knowledge of English (both written and spoken) and working knowledge of a second UN language an advantage

Advanced knowledge and competence in providing day to day support to project/programme administration and management, including on communication, finance, monitoring and capturing and sharing of lessons

Capacity to draft a variety of documents tailored to different audiences

Specific knowledge on innovation programming and managing pilot projects a distinct advantage

Experience with human centred design and participatory methodologies a distinct advantage

Highly organised and autonomous, able to multitask, work under tight pressure and prioritise workload when necessary

Work with little supervision while taking leadership roles

Excellent writing and documentation skills, demonstrating high levels of attention to detail

Core competencies

Innovation and Creativity – Generates innovative and creative solutions to problems that contribute to Organisational and inter-agency effectiveness. Tries different and novel ways of approaching work to create added value in the services provided.

Knowledge sharing – Actively develops and shares knowledge, leverages expertise to improve organisational learning

Good interpersonal and networking skills, ability to establish and maintain effective working relations remotely, supports and encourages open communication in the team, and facilitates teamwork

Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude

Location

UNHCR Regional Bureau for East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes, Nairobi, Kenya.

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. Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).

Standard Job Description

Innovation Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
UNHCR’s Innovation Service aims to create an enabling environment for innovation to flourish in UNHCR by equipping staff with the knowledge, resources, and skills they need to use innovation as a tool to solve challenges.
The Innovation Service facilitates creative problem-solving alongside colleagues, partners, and refugees, generating new and needed, multi-disciplinary approaches that benefit displaced communities and the Organization.
All team members are expected to be able to work on a range of projects in a collaborative manner regardless of subject area and geographic location (HQ, Multi-Country or Country Office). At times this means working directly with the High Commissioner’s team, at other times with the Division of Human Resources, with a remote field operation in an emergency, or in a CRRF operation. As such, the incumbent is experienced in using innovation processes and methodologies through which to innovate, on a wide-range of challenges faced by refugees, UNHCR staff, and partner staff, agnostic of subject area.

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
– Lead and contribute to innovation projects and programmes (both within the service and at organizational level), including research, design, planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring functions as and when requested/appropriate.
– Support UNHCR colleagues in identifying pressing challenges in their context and co-develop novel and creative solutions by drawing on a broad range of innovation approaches, frameworks and methods.
– Cultivate and manage diverse strategic relationships with both UNHCR and external partners, including consultants, donors and subject matter experts, academia, civil society and private sector organisations.
– Proactively solicit and exchange views and methods, ensuring that relevant and promising lessons learned are incorporated from broader ecosystems into UNHCR’s work.
– Support fundraising opportunities for project partners or UNHCR field operations, either through the application and management of a fund or supporting projects managed by innovation fund opportunities.
– Work with strategic communications, designers and writers to develop and produce compelling written and visual material to advance the goals of the Innovation Service.
– Promote and support a culture of innovation, learning, risk-taking, diversity and inclusion within operations, teams and across portfolios.
– Remain up-to-date on new innovations, approaches and technologies, particularly those that could be potentially applied to the humanitarian sector and/or forced displacement settings.
– Document and share insights on innovation in UNHCR as a way of strengthening the Innovation Service’s work and building internal credibility for innovation as a respected source of good ideas and tested approaches.
– Facilitate dialogues and workshops to make innovation accessible to UNHCR peers by guiding them through problem exploration, solution design and experimentation.
– Ensure that Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) sensitive analyses, rights and community-based approaches inform human-centred design processes.
– Apply relevant research, evidence and data-driven decision making to support UNHCR and Partners in the improvement of services and programmes, as well as innovative approaches through assisting in documenting, codifying and disseminating key programme processes and lessons learned.

– 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
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P3/NOC – 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Social Sciences, Science, Technology, Engineering,
Humanities, Administration, Management, or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Experience of forging and/or maintaining partnerships and collaborative working methods, simultaneously with a range of stakeholders, including private sector entities, donor governments, civil society, communities of concern, INGO, NNGO, and other UN entities. Experience applying innovation and/or innovative methodologies in forced displacement contexts. Significant experience of providing support to a range of operations through capacity building around scale, evidence building and provision of guidance and creation of tools. Experience managing budgets for innovation activities, including experimentation. Experience delivering training, and knowledge transfer to partners and UNHCR staff. Experience working in organisations with multi-year planning processes, such as development agencies, whether governmental, UN, or other.

Desirable
A strong understanding of theory, principles, established approaches and evidence concerning effective innovation and programme design. Experience working for research and development organisations, producing data and evidence for key decisions to be made. Experience supervising people in international organisations.

Functional Skills
HR-Inclusion, Diversity and Gender strategy design and implementation
MG-Team building (development/facilitation)
PR-Coordination in Forced Displacement situations
(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 candidate.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Communication, Design Process Innovation, HR-Inclusion, Diversity and Gender strategy design and implementation, Innovation, Leadership, MG-Team building (development/facilitation), PR-Coordination in Forced Displacement situations, Project Coordination, Solar Energy, Solar Power Projects, User Innovation

Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA): Engineering, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Humanities, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Management, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Science, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social Science, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Technology

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