Energy Officer -Melkadida, Ethiopia

Job Description

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 Energy Officer will provide technical support to the Organisation to meet the increasing demands of operations for access of persons of concern (PoCs) to sustainable energy as well as reducing costs and carbon footprint. This dedicated expertise and experience would provide continuity and enhance institutional knowledge in this technical area, mainstreaming energy as a cross-cutting issue across UNHCR operations and within internal guiding frameworks such as the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF).

The incumbent will typically report to the Senior Programme Officer / Senior Operations or Deputy /Assistant Representative.

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

– Support implementation of the sustainable energy strategies in coordination with partners, government and private sector.

– Be a catalyst for all sustainable energy initiatives.

– Assess, identify and analyse 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.

– Support with 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 close collaboration and emphasize the multi-sectoral links of Energy with Environment, Protection, Shelter and Settlement and Public Health and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

– Assist with the coordination 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

– Support the monitoring and coordination of all sustainable energy activities.

– Provide support to identify, establish and maintain links with relevant organizations to ensure access to sustainable energy for both PoCs 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.

– Ensure that minimum best practices are met to assure health and safety standards across all sustainable energy and energy efficient technologies.

– Document each stage of project development including monitoring, testing, trouble shooting, lessons learned and solutions applied to assure institutional knowledge development.

– Contribute to development of effective communication channels between all key stakeholders and promote the sharing of information on energy related activities.

– Stay informed of all governmental/national electrical/renewable developments to assure legal and advantageous energy incentives are explored.

– Support the representation of UNHCR in relevant international meetings and technical fora.

– 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

• Energy; Energy Engineering; Environment; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Sciences or other relevant field.
• (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses

• Environment
• Environment Interventions Emergency (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential: Experience in working in humanitarian situations and proven knowledge of sustainable energy and technical skills in set-up, design and monitoring of energy programmes from a multi-sectoral and protection perspective.

Desirable: Knowledge and understanding of international 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

• *FO-Complex field emergency operations (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.

The incumbent should have proven competencies and experience in (to be put in order of what is deemed essential and what is deemed to be an advantage):
– Proven managerial competency, including effectively leading technical teams
– Experience in leading multi-functional technical teams towards more integrated area-based approaches, operationalizing the humanitarian-development nexus
– Experience in facilitating/leading the establishment energy, water supply and/or irrigation systems in remote rural areas with limited road and communications infrastructure, including complex procurement and supply chains
– Proven ability to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to operational challenges, including developing cases for support/investment
– Previous relevant experience in energy audits, feasibility studies and technical assessments
– Proven skills in the design and implementation of specific pilot projects, including energy-efficient cooking, lighting and powering of public and private spaces/infrastructures, promoting access to clean/renewable energy through cost-recovery schemes and/or revolving funds etc.
– Ability to develop partnerships and networks with development cooperation actors to include UNHCR’s persons of concern. Particularly, in-country relationship with International Financial Institutions
– Previous relevant experience with UNHCR in field settings, especially in deep field D and E duty stations is an asset.

Operational context

Nature of Position:

The energy portfolio in the remote Area of Operations covered by Sub-Office of Melkadida (SOMEL) is considered a key enabler for inclusive and sustainable local development in refugee and IDP-hosting areas across the southeastern Somali Region. Energy sector interventions cover a wide range of operational components, including increasing access to clean energy solutions for displaced and host populations, enabling sustainable water supply and basic service delivery and economic activities, as well as providing increasingly clean energy to UNHCR premises and the SOMEL-compound. Energy interventions are thus closely interlinked with key priorities in other sectors, such as water supply systems, agricultural irrigation schemes, economic empowerment and livelihood initiatives, sustainable shelter, schools and learning environments, as well as environmental conservation and rehabilitation.

The Energy Officer provides strategic and technical advice to implementing and operational partners and works closely with relevant local and regional authorities. (S)he oversees and monitors the implementing partners to ensure the delivery activities and works closely with relevant stakeholders at the Country Office, Regional Bureau and at Headquarters (incl. DFAM and DRS) in operationalizing corporate proprieties such as the greening of the UNHCR Sub-Office through the Green Fund Facility, and the solarization of drinking water supply systems across the refugee response area through the so-called Project Flow. (S)he also works on enhancing engagement with development partners to increase sustainable access to clean energy and water in the area of operation, e.g., with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation and African Development Bank.

The Energy Officer is directly supervised by the Head of Sub-Office and has direct supervisory responsibility for the staff members in the energy and technical units. As and when required, the incumbent works hand-in-glove with other units at SOMEL, including Programme, Admin and Supply; on ensuring effective energy supply to UNHCR premises.

The incumbent ensures that operational responses in all sectors are shaped towards meeting agreed humanitarian standards and sustainability objectives as defined in the comprehensive refugee response approach for Melkadida. (S)he ensures clean and climate-smart energy considerations are mainstreamed and monitored across the operation including regarding Environment, Shelter, Settlement, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. The incumbent builds and maintains effective, ethical, and customer-oriented relations with suppliers and partner organizations; facilitates and promotes dissemination of good practices, lessons learned and information with relevant stakeholders in Government, the private sector, and partner organizations.

Living and Working Conditions:

Accommodation will be provided by the Sub-Office Melkadida with a monthly rental charge of about US$582. All staff living in the UNHCR provided accommodation must pay their accommodation in accordance with the UNHCR Policy of UNHCR Provided Accommodation in the Field issued under the IOM/FOM 020/021/2012 dated 28 Feb 2012 as well as the Administrative Instruction on the Measures in Support of Personnel in High-Risk Duty Station (Non-Family Duty Stations Where Danger Pay Applied), UNHCR/AI/2018/11 dated 15 August 2018. The current R&R cycle is six weeks.

Most accommodations are fully furnished, with a bedroom and living room with an open kitchen. They include their own duvet bed and bed sheet, private bathrooms, desk, AC, lamp and closet. WIFI is available across the compound, and in most of the apartments a private residential WIFI. Cleaning services take place from Monday to Friday.

A laundry room in the compound is available from 7:30 am until 6:00 pm with a laundry attendant who cleans only UNHCR beddings. All staff are advised to do their own laundry or pay a cleaner for the service. There are 2 canteens available within the compound, and all personnel are required to pay for their meals in advance. There are a variety of recreational facilities within the compound, these include a gym, volleyball and basketball courts, ping-pong and pool tables, and a joint TV and leisure time room.

Transportation in and out of Melkadida is usually by UNHAS flights directly to Addis Ababa. Due to road insecurity, road travel to Addis is currently not advised. It is only authorized under unavoidable circumstances.

Given the remote nature of the duty station, there are very few items that can be purchased in Melkadida, particularly food items and other personal items that staff may need. It is therefore advised that you bring such items with you. Food provision in the area is limited, with few vegetables, it is advisable to carry your own food/ food supplements.

According to the UN Security Level System, which ranks security levels from 1 (minimum risk) to 6 (very high risk), Melkadida is classified as Moderate Level 3. UN Somali Region Minimum Operating Security Standards require a curfew for UN staff from 5pm (for vehicles) and 7pm (on foot), except in the case of emergency. Security Briefing is mandatory upon arrival. The weather condition is hot throughout the year. There are two rainy seasons; however, rains have been underperforming and unpredictable over the last years.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

• DE-Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus (HDP),
• DE-Inclusive multi-stakeholder, multi-year planning,
• EN-Energy Programme Development,
• EN-Mini-grid Design,
• EN-Solar Energy Usage Management,
• WA-WASH Facilities Construction (Mgmt/monitoring/evaluat. of all technical & admin issues)

Certifications

• Environment Interventions Emergency – Other, Environment – Other

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

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