Assistant Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer

Overview

Support the economic inclusion of refugees through partnerships and strategic initiatives.

You have:

• 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree
• Business Management, Socio-Economics Development, Economics, International Economics, Rural Development, Financial Management or other relevant field.
• Experience in facilitating the economic inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, ideally in varied field contexts.
• Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English, for National Professional jobs
• Up-to-date knowledge of emerging trends and innovations in livelihoods and economic inclusion programming.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently with minimal supervision and effectively under pressure in multicultural and challenging environments.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, presentation tools, and documenting best practices.

Deadline for Applications

February 10, 2026Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

BFamily Type (not applicable for home-based)

FamilyStaff Member / Affiliate Type

UNOPS LICA8Target Start Date

2026-04-01Terms of Reference

• Proven ability to build and sustain strategic partnerships with government authorities, private sector actors, NGOs, UN agencies, development partners, and community-based organizations across livelihood-related sectors including job creation, microfinance, skills development and employment, entrepreneurship, agricultural value chains, local economic development, graduation from extreme poverty, and empowerment of women and youth. • Demonstrated experience in project and programme management. • Proven skills in strategic planning, coordination, monitoring, networking, negotiation, and advocacy. • Good knowledge of UNHCR’s programme management cycle and related policies is essential. • Familiarity with the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) approach and demonstrated ability to engage with cross-functional teams to ensure harmonized livelihoods programming. • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently with minimal supervision and effectively under pressure in multicultural and challenging environments. • Strong written and verbal communication skills, essential for engaging internal and external stakeholders including government counterparts, implementing partners, and UN agencies. • Up-to-date knowledge of emerging trends and innovations in livelihoods and economic inclusion programming. • Technologically literate, with proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, presentation tools, and documenting best practices. Familiarity with relevant digital platforms and tools for project management is added value. • Experience working in humanitarian or displacement contexts is highly desirable. • The Assistant Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Officer should be proactive, always looking for new opportunities, and persuasive in mobilizing donors and new partners around new models of economic and social integration

UNHCR strongly encourages qualified female applicants to apply. UNHCR seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities.

UNHCR is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms gender, disability, marital or civil partnership status, race, color, or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

A written test may be administered for this function.

Kindly be informed that this is a local UNOPS position in Nigeria; as such, candidates must demonstrate proof of residency and/or work permit at the time of application.Standard Job Description

Assistant Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Assistant Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer will support 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 additional 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 global momentum, UNHCR is working to translate the objectives of the GCR into impactful results for persons of concern (PoC). Contributing to this global roll-out of the GCR, the Assistant Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer, with support from the Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Unit in the Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS), contributes to 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 including 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 Assistant Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer should be proactive, always looking for new opportunities and persuasive in mobilizing donors and new partners around new models of economic and social integration. Within UNHCR, the Assistant Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer will work under the supervision of the head of livelihoods and closely with multi-functional teams on matters including but not limited to protection, education, cash, partnerships, research and analytics, GBV, solutions, complementary pathways and more. S/he will support the office's involvement with livelihoods and economic inclusion, working with relevant external stakeholders from government line ministries, development actors, private sector, UN agencies, international organisations, NGOs, research institutions and universities.

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 - Explore partnerships to facilitate the economic inclusion of refugees, such as line ministries, private sector and development actors 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 UNHCR PoC in supporting services (business development, micro-finance, training, saving accounts, poverty alleviation and social protection, etc.). - Work with the multi-functional team, more specifically with the Protection Unit, support the assessment of the legal framework for the right to work and rights at work and recommend/implement advocacy initiatives and policy reform to improve UNHCR PoC's economic inclusion, rights and access to work. - 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 wealth ranking surveys utilising community-based strategies to inform targeting, monitoring and facilitation of development programmes. - Conduct 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 UNHCR PoC. - In case UNHCR is implementing specific livelihoods activities, work closely with and provide technical assistance on livelihoods interventions to help ensure they are market-based, and that the role of UNHCR has been strategically determined in consideration of its comparative advantage vis-à-vis other partners.

- 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 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 Business Management, Socio-Economics Development, Economics, International Economics, Rural Development, Financial Management or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses Not specified

Relevant Job Experience Essential Experience in facilitating the economic inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, ideally in varied field contexts. Experience in working in partnership with private sector, NGOs, UN organisations, development actors, and government authorities in sub-sectors relevant to livelihood programming e.g. financial inclusion, employment, entrepreneurship, private sector development, local economic development, poverty reduction, agriculture, livestock, vocational and technical education and training, etc.

Desirable Knowledge about latest development in the livelihoods sector, including broader UN processes on the SDGs and the Global Compact on Refugees.

Functional Skills LV-Strategic Planning and Advocacy for Refugee Socioeconomic Rights MG-Project Management SO-Networking CO-Drafting and Documentation (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.

Required Languages

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

Skills

CO-Drafting and Documentation, LV-Strategic Planning and Advocacy for Refugee Socioeconomic Rights, MG-Project Management, SO-NetworkingEducation

Bachelor of Arts: Business Administration/Management, Bachelor of Arts: Economics, Bachelor of Arts: Financial Management, Bachelor of Arts: International Economics, Bachelor of Arts: Rural Development, Bachelor of Arts: Socio-Economic DevelopmentCertifications

Work Experience

Other information

This position requires Functional Clearance Remote

No

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Potential interview questions

Added 4 months ago - Updated 3 months ago - Source: unhcr.org