JOB DESCRIPTION

D

Family

Family

NOA

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2025-09-01

August 4, 2025

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 UNHCR¿s 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.

Operational Context
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. 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).
In Zambia, UNHCR supports the Government of Zambia to provide an enabling protection environment that allows asylum-seekers, refugees and former refugees to be protected, be self-reliant and achieve durable solutions. UNHCR has been present in Zambia since 1967. UNHCR in Zambia has three field offices/units (one in Solwezi, one in Kawambwa, one in Kaoma) and a Representational Office in Lusaka.
Zambia is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, reaffirming its commitment to international refugee protection standards. The country”s asylum and refugee response are governed by the Refugees Act of 2017, which provides the legal framework for refugee status determination, rights, and obligations of refugees, as well as their access to protection and assistance in Zambia. In addition, Zambia”s National Refugee Policy and its Implementation Plan provide a structured approach to refugee management, promoting self-reliance, inclusion in national systems, and durable solutions in line with international and regional commitments.

As of 30 June 2025, Zambia hosts some 111,262 forcibly displaced persons (82,017 refugees; 11,159 asylum seekers and 18,086 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 (GRZ) coordinates asylum and refugee management through the office of the Commissioner for Refugees (COR) 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 Representational Office in Lusaka.

Mayukwayukwa Refugee Settlement was established in 1966 during the refugee influx from Angola and is located 80 kms from the Kaoma District Administration Centre, and 193 kms from Mongu, the provincial capital of the Western Province. The settlement hosts refugees, newly arrived asylum-seekers as well as former refugees from Angola and Rwanda. While one part of the settlement has been designated to accommodate asylum-seekers and refugees, another has 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 country’s 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 refugees’ 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) in line with the 8th National Development Plan. The recently approved engagement between Parrogate Ginneries Limited and UNHCR to facilitate the inclusion of refugee, former refugee, and host community farmers in Mayukwayukwa into existing local and global value chains for crops and seed cotton in Zambia, holds significant potential for stabilizing farmers’ income sources and promoting their socio-economic inclusion, ultimately contributing to a sustainable response. Also, the recent agreement between Zambia and JICA for the ‘HOPE Phase 2’ project for $2,8 million aims to further promote productivity and integrity through infrastructure and economic opportunities for refugees, former refugees and host communities in Meheba and Mayukwayukwa settlements.
These inclusive approaches, 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.

Nature of the Position
The Assistant Durable Solutions Officer (NOA) will report to the Head of Field Office in Kaoma and will work in close collaboration with the Durable Solutions Associate. The candidate will support the operation to take advantage of opportunities and explore new ones towards a range of durable solutions for refugees and former refugees in Western Zambia.
The Government of the Republic of Zambia has, in January 2024, launched its new National Refugee Policy and Implementation Plan which includes important commitments towards long-term solutions for both refugees as well as former Angolan and Rwandan refugees in Zambia. These commitments are also reflected in Zambia’s pledges at the Global Refugee Forum in 2023 towards the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees. In collaboration with a wide range of partners at the field level, including government agencies, the Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will contribute to UNHCR’s efforts to support the government to implement the new Policy, including by using UNHCR’s convening capacity to bring new partners to this effort, supporting and guiding the government’s actions in this regard and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders in government, civil society, the private sector, among others. This will be done, for example, by leveraging opportunities and changes linked to the World Bank IDA 20 Project, including legislative and procedural changes (e.g., changes to Refugees Act of 2017, and the Immigration and Deportation Act of 2010, which is under review), improved registration/data collection/civil registration; socio-economic interventions aimed at self-reliance and resilience for refugee, former refugees and host communities.
The Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will support the operation to advance commitments made by Zambia at the Global Refugee Forum. This will involve a focused effort on driving forward the key pledges to enhance local integration and self-reliance in Mayukwayukwa settlement, such as ”Empowering Refugees through Diversified Livelihoods” (including integration into the Farmer Input Support Program – FISP), ensuring ”Comprehensive Inclusion in Education,” securing ”Inclusion in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIMA),” and expanding ”Access to Electricity and Sustainable Energy.”
This will require mapping and analysis of the work of relevant partners in the area and the development of these partnerships, identifying obstacles to solutions and self-reliance to target priority areas for action, working with teams in the country office to develop grant proposals/concept notes for resilience and solutions programs in close coordination with different development partners and the private sector and UNHCR.
The Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will support the operation advance the overall direction outlined in the operation’s Multi-Year Strategy with a focus on the development of partnerships that will promote refugee and former refugee socio-economic inclusion for long-term local solutions.
The Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will, in close coordination with the Country Office in Lusaka, map talent/skills in the community and support forcibly displaced people take advantage of complementary pathways in third countries, including in the Southern Africa region, through initiatives such as humanitarian admissions programs, family reunification, private sponsorship, and opportunities for labour mobility and education. Further, the Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will seek to advance local integration for forcibly displaced people. The incumbent will work collaboratively with staff who work on facilitation of voluntary repatriation for those refugees who may choose to return to their countries of origin in safety and dignity. The incumbent will support the identification of refugees in need of resettlement to a third country for reasons related to protection needs that cannot be addressed in Zambia.
The Assistant Durable Solutions Officer will assist with the development and implementation of communications approaches with forcibly displaced population to ensure that they are well-informed and supported to identify the most appropriate solutions. Two-way communications, participatory assessments, focus-group discussions, intention surveys, helpdesks and other forms of community-based mechanisms for community communication will be established.
The candidate is expected to: provide information and counselling to refugees, former refugees, and other displaced populations, to identify the most appropriate solutions and to enable them to make a well-informed decisions that lead to self-reliance; interview candidates for voluntary repatriation and prepare documentation for their return, in line with Voluntary Repatriation SOPs; interview and prepare Resettlement Referral Forms (RRF), in line with Resettlement SOPs; identify and establish links to strengthen socio-economic inclusion by way of facilitating residency procedures and requirements, private sector linkages, inclusion in government programs when available to forcibly displaced persons, as well as identifying and providing them with training opportunities to support their self-reliance.
The candidate will: interview candidates for local integration and prepare the appropriate documentation for onward submission to local authorities or partners, in line with Local Integration SOPs; assist in updating the electronic database for resettlement, voluntary repatriation and local integration, in line with Standard Operating Procedures; process documentation to ensure that forcibly displaced people 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 available durable and local solutions opportunities for forcibly displaced people; prepare documents relating to durable solutions; enter information into available database, in line with SOPs; draft and submit reports relating to durable solutions; support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility; support risk-based decision making 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.

Desired Candidate Profile
The candidate must have demonstrated prior experience working with marginalized and vulnerable communities on development or humanitarian programmes 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 candidate’s 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 knowledge of national public policy and implementation frameworks and government structures across different sectors is required. 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 the ability 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 must have strong teamwork and collaboration skills and must be client and results oriented. 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.

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

Living and Working Conditions:

 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

CO-Drafting and Documentation, IT-Microsoft Office Productivity Software

Bachelor of Arts: International Relations, Bachelor of Arts: Law, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Bachelor of Arts: Social Science

Certifications

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Additional Information

This position is open for all nationalities; however, candidates must demonstrate a proof of residency and work permit for Zambia in order to be considered for the post.

This position doesn”t require a functional clearance