Deadline for ApplicationsSeptember 9, 2025
Hardship LevelC
Family TypeFamily
Family TypeFamily
Residential location (if applicable)
GradeNOA
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeNational Professional Officer
ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment
Target Start Date2025-10-01
Standard Job Description
Assistant Durable Solutions Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Assistant Durable Solutions Officer can serve as a focal point for solutions related issues in a region, and reports to a more senior Protection, Resettlement or Durable Solutions staff. The incumbent may have supervisory responsibility for durable solutions staff.
The incumbent is relied upon to ensure the implementation of a durable solutions strategy, and to contribute to ensuring a conducive environment leading towards finding durable solutions. S/he works closely with protection and programme staff. Fostering an environment to enhance partnerships is a critical element of the work, as are activities designed to strength the involvement of refugee communities and their hosts in the design and implementation of solutions strategies.
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 UNHCRยฟs core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.
Duties
- Provide counselling to refugees and other persons of concern (POC) to identify the most appropriate durable solution and to enable them to make a well-informed decision.
- Interview candidates for voluntary repatriation and prepare documentation for their return.
- Interview and prepare Resettlement Referral Forms (RRF), in line with Resettlement SOPs.
- Interview candidates for local integration and prepare the appropriate documentation for onward submission to local authorities or partners.
- Assist in updating the electronic database for resettlement, voluntary repatriation and local integration, in line with Standard Operating Procedures.
- Process documentation to ensure that POC receive the documents required for their durable solutions in a timely manner.
- Prepare statistical and ad-hoc reports to ensure accurate information is available and shared with relevant offices and partners.
- Interview and advise on the appropriate durable solution to be provided to POC. Prepare documents relating to durable solutions.
- Enter information into available database, in line with SOPs.
- 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
Political Science;
Social Science;
Law;
International Relations;
or other relevant field.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Good knowledge of refugee issues and Human Rights doctrine. Very good reporting and writing ability.
Desirable
Diverse field experience. Knowledge of ProGress database software.
Functional Skills
*CO-Drafting and Documentation
*IT-Microsoft Office Productivity Software
(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 UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees and other forcibly displaced people. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org).
Meheba Refugee Settlement was established in 1971 during the refugee influx from Angola and is in Kalumbila District in North-Western Province. The settlement covers an area of 720 sq./km demarcated into eight blocks from A-H and further divided into land for the settlement of refugees and โlocal integration areaโ designated for former refugees. It is located 10 kms from the Kalumbila District Administration Centre, and 75 kms South-West of Solwezi, the provincial capital of the North-Western Province. The settlement hosts refugees, newly arrived asylum-seekers as well as former refugees from Angola and Rwanda. While one-third of the settlement has been designated to accommodate asylum-seekers and refugees, two thirds have been designated for the settlement of former refugees from Angola and Rwanda, for whom the cessation clauses were invoked but who opted to and were permitted to remain in Zambia. Health, education, protection, community and security services are provided by Government staff who reside in the settlement.
Zambia has adopted a comprehensive refugee response approach as envisioned by the New York Declaration of 2016, which guides the countryโs refugee management. The National Refugee Policy and its associated Implementation Plan (launched in 2024) aims to explicitly include refugees in government plans and services, transform refugee settlements into economic hubs, and enable refugeesโ access and contribution to markets in refugee-hosting districts. Zambia is taking a whole-of-government approach to put this into action. Integrated local area development plans include forcibly displaced people in two refugee hosting districts (Kaoma and Kalumbila). Refugees have access to land for cultivation and public services like education and health, and have some level of access to the national social protection system (e.g., social services, health insurance and some labour market interventions). The recently approved $30 million World Bank Zambia Refugee and Host Communities Project will further support legal and policy harmonization, inclusion in a new national digital identity management system, infrastructure, and economic opportunities at Meheba settlement in Kalumbila district. This inclusive approach, and the progressive National Refugee Policy, are enabling factors to advance Sustainable Responses to Forced Displacement in refugee and host communities and move away from piecemeal humanitarian interventions.
The UNHCR Zambia Multi-Country Office covers Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe. UNHCR supports the Governments of Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe to provide an enabling protection environment that allows asylum seekers, refugees and former refugees to be protected, be self-reliant and achieve durable solutions.
The three countries have adopted a comprehensive refugee response approach as envisioned by the New York Declaration of 2016 and the Global Compact on Refugees of 2018, which guide the countriesโ refugee and asylum responses. The framework envisages an all-of-society approach with solid investment and support from the international community to meet both immediate life-saving humanitarian needs and long-term solutions through development action.
As of 31 July 2025, Zambia hosts some 111,916 forcibly displaced persons (82,192 refugees; 11,615 asylum seekers and 18,109 former refugees and others of concerns) in three refugee settlements and other urban areas including Lusaka. The vast majority live in the three refugee settlements, namely Mayukwayukwa (27,051), Meheba (45,973), Mantapala (9,480), and some (28,757) have settled in urban locations. The Government of the Republic of Zambia coordinates asylum and refugee management through the office of the Commissioner for Refugees in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security and in close collaboration with other government departments and the inter-governmental steering committee established for this purpose, with the direct support of UNHCR. UNHCR in Zambia has three field offices/units (one in Solwezi, one in Kawambwa, one in Kaoma) and a Representation Office in Lusaka.
Malawi hosts some 240,461 forcibly displaced persons (35,143 refugees; 23,263 asylum-seekers and 182,051 internally displaced persons). Most of refugees in Malawi live in the heavily congested Dzaleka Refugee Camp which has 14, 123 households located near the capital Lilongwe and was set up in 1994 to accommodate just between 10,000 and 12,000 people. While maintaining open borders for people seeking safety, the Government of Malawi has historically taken a restrictive approach to managing refugee situations by making several reservations to the 1951 Refugee Convention. Its domestic legal framework reflects these reservations and consequently refugees face restrictions on their freedom of movement through the encampment policy, experience limited access to self-reliance opportunities.
Zimbabwe hosts some 23,790 forcibly displaced persons (9,294 refugees; 13,480 asylum seekers and 1,016 others of concern). The Government of Zimbabwe has made several pledges at the Global Refugee Forums in 2019 and 2023, including commitments to transform Tongogara Refugee Camp into a settlement and service center. Tongogara refugee camp is located in a region prone to climate-related shocks with risks human-wildlife conflict (drought and floods).
Nature of the Position
As the lead of the Protection Team, closely guided by the Head of Field Office, the Assistant Durable Solutions Officer supports the operation to take advantage of existing opportunities and explore new opportunities towards a range of durable solutions for refugees and former refugees in North-Western, Zambia. The Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will report to the Head of Office.
The Government of the Republic of Zambia has, in January 2024, launched a new National Refugee Policy and Implementation Plan which includes important commitments towards local long-term solutions for both refugees as well as former Angolan and Rwandan refugees in Zambia. These commitments are also reflected in Zambiaโs pledges to the implementation of the Global Refugee Compact at the most recent Global Refugee Forum. In collaboration with a wide range of partners, including government agencies and via the UNCT, the Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will contribute to UNHCRโs efforts to support the government to implement the new Policy, including by using UNHCRโs convening capacity to bring new partners to this effort, encouraging and guiding the governmentโs actions in this regard and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders in government, civil society, among others. This will be done, for example, by leveraging the opportunity to effect essential key legislative and procedural changes (e.g., changes to Refugees Act of 2017 and alignment with Immigration and Deportation Act of 2010, which is also under review) and by improving registration/data collection/civil registration and ensure inclusion of that data into government data systems (interoperability of systems); support government to strengthen birth registration increase.
The Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will build on commitments made in the Global Compact on Refugees to support the development and maintenance of strategic partnerships with all relevant actors, not limited to UN agencies, development agencies, civil society, peacebuilding actors and more. This will require an analysis of risks and obstacles to solutions for priority areas of engagement.
The Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will assist in the development, implementation and adherence to protection, resilience and solutions strategies and to advise on all solutions topics. These include: voluntary repatriation (refugees) or return and sustainable reintegration; local integration and other local solutions; relocation, resettlement and complementary pathways for admission to third countries; Global Compact on Refugees commitments and opportunities; housing, land and property; statelessness (in line with the campaign to End Statelessness by 2024); age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP) through community-based protection. This will be done through initiatives such as humanitarian admissions programs, family reunification, private sponsorship, and opportunities for labour mobility and education.
The Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will assist the Field and Country Office in fostering an environment to enhance partnerships and to strengthen the involvement of refugee communities and their host communities in the design and implementation of solutions strategies, not limited to maintaining close working relations with UN sister entities, other intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organisations on durable solutions matters, including participation in consultative processes to promote all durable solutions.
The Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will assist with the development of communications strategies with populations of concern to ensure that they are engaged to identify the most appropriate solutions; including the enhancement of two-way communications, participatory assessments, intention surveys and other forms of community-based assessments are undertaken.
Finally, the Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will work collaboratively with staff who are already working on facilitation of voluntary repatriation of those refugees who may choose to return to their countries of origin in safety and dignity.
Desired Candidate Profile
The candidate must have demonstrated prior experience working with marginalized communities and vulnerable communities to find practical solutions to the challenges they face. Experience working in a forced displacement context will be considered favourably. Strong organizational, planning and project management skills are a requirement of the position. The candidateโs skill set must include demonstrated experience, the ability to work with national authorities and partners in a collaborative and efficient manner. The work requires monitoring and evaluation skills, familiarity with online planning and results monitoring systems. Coordination and partnership development experience and skills is a requirement.
Demonstrated planning, project management and monitoring and evaluation skills are critical for this position, as is the ability to manage competing priorities effectively. Demonstrated experience in collaborating with national authorities, knowledge of national public policy and implementation frameworks and government structures across different sectors is required. The demonstrated ability to support partnership development and coordination is needed. Willingness to travel to remote field locations is a requirement. The candidate must be skilled in grant proposal development and writing.
The candidate should demonstrate readiness to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and the ability to meet deadlines while maintaining the highest professional standards.
The candidate must have excellent English communication skills and be an effective and clear communicator orally and in writing and possess computer skills such as full familiarity with Excel, the use of digital/online planning and reporting tools. The candidate should demonstrate readiness to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and the ability to meet deadlines while maintaining the highest professional standards.
The candidate must have strong teamwork and collaboration skills, ability to orient oneself to clients and obtain results, be aware of the organizationโs strategic direction and planning and experience leading teams.
The candidate must have a sound understanding of risk-based approaches to work, fraud mitigation and prevention, duty to report suspicions of fraud, as well as documentation of suspected or reported incidents of fraud by clients, colleagues, partners, or third parties.
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):
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,
Desired languages
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,
Operational context
Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:
Nature of Position:
Living and Working Conditions:
Additional Qualifications
SkillsCO-Drafting and Documentation, IT-Microsoft Office Productivity Software
EducationBachelor of Arts: International Relations, Bachelor of Arts: Law, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Bachelor of Arts: Social Science
Certifications
Work Experience
CompetenciesAccountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration
UNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Compendium
Additional InformationOnly short-listed candidates will be contacted, and candidates may be required to sit for written test and/or oral interview.
Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance