Assistant Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer

September 14, 2026

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

B

FamilyUNOPS LICA8

2026-10-011. General Background

Kenya is hosting around 835,793 refugees, residing mainly in refugee camps and some urban areas. The majority are from Somalia and South Sudan. In line with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the national CRRF - SHARE, the Government has made significant progress in their inclusion in national systems, particularly in education and health. The Government is currently formulating a transformative approach towards integrated settlement known as the Shirika Plan. UNHCR assists the Government in managing the refugee situation, facilitates durable solutions for refugees (voluntary repatriation, socio­economic inclusion, complementary pathways and resettlement) and provides support to their host communities. UNHCR also works with other UN agencies to ensure inclusion of refugees and stateless persons in UN programming and promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals.
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:

a) improve the enabling environment for refugees to work through advocacy on the right to/at work, access to economic opportunities and service.
b) 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
c) enhance ongoing livelihoods and economic inclusion programming through evidence-based and market-driven approaches to improve economic inclusion outcomes.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
The incumbent will report to the Deputy Representative-Operations and perform the following duties:

- Explore partnerships to facilitate the economic inclusion of refugees, such as line ministries, private sector and development actors in accordance with UN HCR 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 Poe 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 Poe.
- 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-a-vis other partners.
Perform other related duties as required.

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls
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, NG Os, research institutions and universities.

4. Qualifications and Experience
a. Education
1-year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree.

Fields of Education:
Business Management, Socio-Economics Development Economics/International Economics Rural Development Financial Management or other relevant field.

b. Work 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

EX-Experience with Inter/Non-Governmental Organization (INGO/NGO)
LV-Livelihoods & sub-sectors (value-chain upgrading, microfinance, cash assistance, etc.)
EX-Field experience
MG-Project Management
MG-Strategic Planning
MS-Networking
MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation
Language Requirements
Fluency in English is essential for this job opening.

. Key Competencies
core competencies:

Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness Teamwork & Collaboration Commitment to Continuous Learning Client & Result Orientation

Managerial competencies:
Empowering and Building Trust Managing Resources
Judgement and Decision Making
Cross-Functional Competencies:
Analytical Thinking
Stakeholder Management
Planning and Organizing

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

,

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Remote

No