Associate Capacity Building Officer

Location: Genf

Deadline for Applications July 23, 2026

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)
H (no hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS IICA1

Target Start Date Terms of Reference

Title:

Associate Capacity Building Officer Duty station:
Geneva, Switzerland Section/Unit:
Sustainable Responses Service (SRS Capacity Building Team)
ICA Level: IICA-1

Duration:
From: starting asap to: 31/12/20261. General BackgroundUNHCR’s mandated responsibility for finding solutions to refugee situations has long required stronger cooperation with development partners and the inclusion of forcibly displaced and stateless persons within development planning and programming instruments, including national development programmes. However, conventional humanitarian responses are increasingly challenged by the growing scale, complexity, and protracted nature of forced displacement, compounded by state fragility, poverty, and climate change.

To address these challenges, UNHCR has established the Sustainable Responses Service (SRS), which aims to advance approaches that reduce protection risks and empower affected communities until durable solutions are achieved. This service focuses on maximizing self-reliance and access to basic rights through earlier and more predictable development assistance, greater inclusion of forcibly displaced and stateless persons in host communities, and enhanced whole-of-government leadership.

The role of humanitarian-development collaboration in increasing socioeconomic opportunities and delivering comprehensive, sustainable solutions for refugees, forcibly displaced persons, and host communities is widely recognized in the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). To successfully transition from short-term aid delivery to more sustainable approaches and operationalize the GCR, UNHCR must strengthen its capacity to engage meaningfully with development actors and work with national governments to promote inclusive responses.

To promote engagement with development actors, UNHCR has invested in employing Economists, Development Officers, focal points, and technical leads from diverse development-related and thematic backgrounds. These roles are critical for supporting joint analysis, planning, and programming with development actors and governments. They also play a key role in raising awareness and building capacity within UNHCR on development programming and processes at the country level.

Much of the knowledge gathered at country and regional levels is only now being consolidated and analyzed. UNHCR is therefore investing in documenting experiences and systematically strengthening knowledge management and staff capacity. Key areas for capacity building include:

Enhancing understanding among HQ divisions, Regional Bureaus, Development Officers, and country-level staff on how to engage effectively with development actors.

Building knowledge of programming cycles of priority development partners.

Strengthening awareness of protection considerations that development actors must integrate when programming and implementing in forced displacement contexts.
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment The Associate Capacity Building Officer, under the supervision of the Partnership Officer, Capacity Building and Knowledge Management, will contribute to implementing capacity building and knowledge management projects, with particular focus on designing, organizing and facilitating the development of learning products and tools. In specific, the incumbent will contribute to:
1. Facilitate the development of learning tools (onboarding package, community of practice, and e-Learning) for UNHCR staff engaging with development actors, by:a. Supporting SRS and the Bureaux to document, film, analyse, and draft key case studies – outlining the progress, lessons learnt, and suggested approaches of working to support sustainable inclusion approaches with development actors. The role will play a key authoring role in producing case studies, composing and editing videos, and creating a multimedia/digital Development Playbook;b.

Designing and developing learning tools and platforms (including…