General
Description of assignment title
Environment Assistant
Assignment country
Chad
Duty stations
Goz Beida, Iriba
Work location
On UN premises
Expected start date
25/05/2026
Duration
12 months
(with possibility of extension)Long-term benefits and allowances
Sustainable Development Goal
13. Climate action
Host entity
UNHCR
Modality
Onsite
Type
National
Volunteer category
Specialist UCoS from Apr2026
Work schedule
Full-time
Number of Assignments
2
Details
Mission and objectives
The Office of the 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)
Context
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), established on 14 December 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly, is mandated to protect refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and stateless persons, and to promote durable solutions to displacement. UNHCR has been present in Chad since 1979 and works in close collaboration with the Government of Chad, UN agencies, development partners, international financial institutions, NGOs, and the private sector. Chad is currently one of the countries most affected by forced displacement in Africa, hosting over 2 million refugees and asylum seekers, primarily from Sudan, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, and Cameroon. The massive influx of Sudanese refugees since April 2023 has significantly increased pressure on fragile ecosystems, limited natural resources, and overstretched infrastructure, particularly in eastern provinces already affected by climate variability, land degradation, and energy poverty. UNHCR Chad’s interventions are guided by the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) adopted by the Government in 2018, promoting a Humanitarian Development Peace Nexus approach. The operation’s Multi-Year Strategy prioritizes resilience-building, sustainable service delivery systems, environmental protection, climate action, and strengthened inclusion of refugees in national systems, while preserving social cohesion with host communities. In alignment with UNHCR’s Global Strategy for Sustainable Energy (2019–2025), the UNHCR Strategic Framework for Climate Action, and the Policy on Environmental Sustainability, UNHCR Chad is scaling up development-oriented interventions focused on: – Transitioning from diesel-based to solar-powered systems (including water pumping and electrification of public facilities); – Promoting access to clean cooking solutions and reducing reliance on firewood. – Supporting environmental restoration, reforestation, and sustainable natural resource management. – Strengthening environmental governance and climate resilience in refugee-hosting areas. These initiatives are implemented in partnership with national authorities, development actors (including the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Union, BMZ and others), and private sector stakeholders. As the portfolio of development projects expands, ensuring robust environmental and social risk management in line with UNHCR By strengthening environmental and social safeguard oversight, the UNV assignment will contribute to minimizing environmental degradation, mitigating social risks, enhancing accountability, and ensuring that development interventions deliver sustainable and equitable benefits for both refugees and host communities, in line with UNHCR Chad’s multi-year strategic vision.
Task description
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Associate Field Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Environment Assistant will: • Support the environmental and social screening of development and energy-related projects in refugee-hosting areas in line with UNHCR environmental policies, national regulations, and applicable donor safeguard frameworks. • Assist in the monitoring of the implementation of Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) and mitigation measures by partners and contractors. • Contribute and support the monitoring of reforestation activities and sustainable natural resource management with local authorities (e.g. Energy and Environment Delegations), refugees and host communities. • Conduct regular field visits to project sites to verify compliance with environmental and social standards and identify potential risks or gaps. • Contribute to the preparation of environmental assessments (rapid environmental assessments, simplified ESIAs, checklists) where required. • Ensure proper documentation, tracking, and archiving of safeguard-related reports and follow-up actions. • Support the monitoring and follow-up of energy and environmental activities implemented by UNHCR partners, ensuring alignment with UNHCR’s Sustainable Energy Strategy, Climate Action Framework, and the Operation’s Multi-Year Strategy. • Assist in enforcing minimum technical and environmental standards applicable to energy, electrification, clean cooking, and natural resource management interventions. • Consolidate environment and energy awareness raising plan in refugees camps and host communities. • Contribute to the rollout of sustainable energy initiatives, including solarization of infrastructure, public lighting, and clean cooking solutions, with attention to environmental sustainability and community acceptance. • Coordinate and promote with local authorities, environmental restoration, reforestation and sustainable natural resource management plans in Sila Region, in accordance with UNHCR environmental policies, Chad legal environmental framework (loi n°014), and applicable donor safeguard frameworks (e.g PARDERCA project). • Participate in desk reviews of past initiatives to identify lessons learned, best practices, and sustainability challenges • Support liaison with relevant government entities (e.g., Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Energy, local authorities) and technical stakeholders on environmental compliance and sustainable energy matters. • Assist in organizing and documenting coordination meetings, technical working groups, and consultations related to energy and environmental programming. • Facilitate community-level consultations to ensure that environmental and social considerations are integrated into project design and implementation. • Contribute to the preparation of donor reports, technical briefs, and internal updates related to environmental and energy activities. • Consolidate environmental monitoring data and support the development of dashboards or tracking tools as required. • Document good practices, case studies, and innovative approaches in sustainable energy and environmental management. • Support the integration of environmental sustainability and climate risk considerations into Nexus and development-oriented projects. • Contribute to the identification of green livelihood opportunities linked to energy and environmental interventions (e.g., clean cooking value chains, solar maintenance, sustainable biomass production). • Provide technical input to emergency responses related to energy and environment when required. • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor. Results/expected outputs: • As an active UNHCR Chad Nexus project management team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNHCR Chad and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: o Environmental and social safeguards effectively integrated into the design and implementation of development and Nexus projects in refugee-hosting areas. o Environmental and social screening tools systematically applied across relevant projects, with mitigation measures identified, monitored, and documented. o Improved compliance of partners and contractors with UNHCR environmental policies, Chad environment legal framework, and applicable donor safeguard requirements. o strengthened coordination with relevant government counterparts and technical stakeholders on environmental sustainability and energy-related matters. o Environment and energy awareness raising plans in refugee’s camps and host communities elaborated and implemented. o Reforestation activities and sustainable natural resource management with local authorities are successfully implemented. o Timely and quality technical inputs provided to project proposals, donor reports, and internal strategic documents related to environment and sustainable energy. o Regular field monitoring reports produced, highlighting risks, corrective actions, and recommendations to enhance sustainability and social inclusion. o Environmental and energy-related data consolidated and made available to support evidence-based decision-making within the Nexus and Project Management Unit. o Increased awareness among partners and communities on environmentally sustainable practices and climate-resilient approaches. o Good practices, lessons learned, and case studies documented to inform future programming and scale-up of sustainable solutions
Eligibility criteria
Age
18 – 80
Required experience
3 years
Nationality
Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.
Assignment requirements
Relevant experience
3 years
Languages
French, Level: Fluent, Required English, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable
Required education level
Bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences, Environmental Engineering, Natural Resource Management, Climate Change, Environmental and Social Safeguards, Sustainable Development, or other closely related field;
Competencies and values
• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNHCR; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNHCR procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; • Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNHCR in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNHCR’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.
Skills and experience
• At least three (3) years of professional work experience at the national and/or international level in environmental management, environmental and social safeguards, climate resilience, sustainable energy, or related programmes; experience in development or humanitarian contexts is an asset, as is experience working with the UN or other international development organizations. • Demonstrated knowledge of environmental and social risk management frameworks (e.g. Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP), environmental screening tools); familiarity with UNHCR and WFP environmental policies, the UN system, or international financial institution safeguard frameworks (e.g. World Bank ESF) is an advantage; • Technical understanding of sustainable energy solutions (solar systems, clean cooking technologies, rural electrification), natural resource management, and climate adaptation approaches is desirable; • Excellent oral and written communication skills in French; good working knowledge of English is highly desirable; strong drafting, analytical, and reporting skills; • Accuracy and professionalism in technical documentation, data collection, and report preparation; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, including government authorities, implementing partners, refugee and host communities, and development actors; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging and resource-constrained environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision and manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines; • Sound security awareness and ability to comply with UN security procedures; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and email/internet; NEAT+; familiarity with data management tools; knowledge of GIS tools is an asset;
Area(s) of expertise
Legal affairs, Energy and environment , Development programmes
Driving license
–
Other information
Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.
Living conditions and remarks
In terms of working and living conditions, GozBeida is a small town that has only very basic infrastructures with very limited leisure and recreational facilities. There are no banking facilities in Goz Beida. The nearest bank facility is in Abeche where ATMs are also operational. Malaria is prevalent and all staff need to be vigilant by taking the relevant measures. There are also very limited health facilities available locally. Finding good accommodation in Goz Beida remains a challenge. Therefore, UNHCR managed to provide and facilitate accommodation to UNHCR International staff. Iriba and Goz beida are located in eastern Chad, near the Sudanese border, and serves as an important operational hub for humanitarian and development activities. Living conditions are basic due to the remote and semi-arid environment, with high temperatures for most of the year and limited infrastructure. Accommodation is modest, electricity relies mainly on generators or solar systems, and internet connectivity can be unstable. Security conditions are generally stable but require strict compliance with UN security procedures, and the duty station is classified as non-family. Access to healthcare, banking, and recreational facilities is limited, and adaptability to a hardship environment is essential. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.
Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Scam warning
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.
