Assistant Shelter Officer

The Assistant Shelter Officer supports shelter and infrastructure needs assessments, oversees construction projects, and ensures compliance with standards within the Area of Responsibility. The role involves coordination with multiple sectors and partners to deliver protection-sensitive shelter interventions and contribute to durable solutions in an urban context.

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing and periodically updating a suitable shelter approach within the AoR considering area-based approaches, age and gender, culture, climate, environmental protection and local resources.
• Participate in comprehensive sectoral needs assessments liaising with other sectors such as protection, programme, community services, WASH, administration and supply.
• Contribute to shelter strategies and periodically review them to reflect evolving situations and ensure alignment with national and global policies and guidelines.
• Oversee all construction and infrastructure projects within the AoR ensuring compliance with UNHCR and national standards for the full project cycle.
• Review, identify and monitor shelter programmes within the AoR and initiate responses to address gaps in collaboration with key UNHCR staff, partners and authorities.
• Coordinate shelter solutions with other sectors such as water and sanitation, education and health for synchronized implementation.
• Work with established guidance and standards for coordinated shelter assessments specific to the operational context.
• Monitor and follow up design and construction of infrastructure and facilities to confirm technical soundness and approval by relevant authorities.
• Support implementing partners on technical shelter and settlement issues ensuring compliance with strategies and guidance.
• Disseminate internationally accepted shelter standards and best practices among partners within the AoR.
• Support supervisor to ensure UNHCR's operation is technically sound in shelter, construction and infrastructure development within the AoR.
• Participate in coordination and management of shelter and infrastructure interventions providing technical interventions and services.
• Provide support to Shelter Cluster coordination and align UNHCR's operational footprint with agency goals.
• Participate as technical focal point in coordination meetings with stakeholders including Government counterparts.
• Coordinate with partners to assess and map shelter options considering relevant policies and plans.
• Support Programme in reviewing technical components of Project Partnership Agreements and advise during Implementing Partner Selection.
• Work with Programme as a member of the Multi-Functional Team to ensure protection and assistance needs are met.
• Support Supply team on procurement of construction and infrastructure works and services including drafting bid documents.
• Carry out technical evaluation of bids and review quality of shelter and infrastructure products/works during implementation and completion.
• Collaborate with stakeholders including local authorities, partners and affected communities to achieve adequacy in shelter response and enhance skills development.
• Support risk identification and management in the area of responsibility and raise concerns to supervisors.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Requirements

• For P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree
• Field(s) of Education: Architecture; Civil Engineering; Structural Engineering; Construction Management; or other relevant field.
• Hands-on technical support including experience in assistance delivery in emergencies and relief operations.
• Knowledge of SPHERE standards and ability to use basic survey equipment, digital cameras, GPS receivers and computer equipment.
• Knowledge of AutoCAD and other tools forming a part of the UNHCR settlement planning toolkit.
• Knowledge of UNHCR system and operating modality (desirable).
• Understanding of the humanitarian architecture (desirable).
• IT-Computer Literacy.
• CO-Drafting and Documentation.
• SP-CAD 3D modeling for Settlement Analysis (eg. Infraworks, Civil 3D).
• SP-Shelter and Infrastructure Coordination.
• SP-Autocad for Settlement Planning.

Skills

• Technical Support in Emergencies
• Assistance Delivery
• SPHERE standards
• Survey equipment use
• Digital photography
• GPS Operation
• Computer Literacy
• AutoCAD
• UNHCR Settlement Planning
• UNHCR Operations Knowledge
• Humanitarian Architecture Understanding
• CO-Drafting
• Documentation
• 3D Modeling
• Infraworks
• Civil 3D
• Shelter Coordination
• Infrastructure Coordination
• Settlement planning

Languages

English, Spanish