Deadline for Applications March 15, 2026 Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based) B Family Type (not applicable for home-based) Family Staff Member / Affiliate Type UNOPS IICA2 Target Start Date 2026-02-24 Terms of Reference As we continue to advance our priorities around integration, resilience, and long term sustainability, it is vital that our planning processes be informed by accurate, forward looking, and context appropriate data. The current camp profiles no longer capture the evolving needs, challenges, and aspirations of the communities we support. Emerging concerns including seasonal flooding, environmental pressures, shifting demographic trends, and broader settlement related risks underscore the necessity for a more dynamic and updated analytical foundation. With multiple emergencies unfolding simultaneously across the operation, our teams are navigating increasingly diverse and complex environments. These contexts frequently require coordinated planning on land use, site level infrastructure preparation, adherence to local regulatory frameworks, and alignment with project timelines involving a wide range of external stakeholders. While the teams continue to manage these demands, technical guidance, oversight, and harmonized planning approaches are still essential to ensure consistency and strategic coherence across locations. A dedicated Site Planner would provide this critical layer of direction, overseeing key settlement related components, strengthening operational linkages, and ensuring that decisions are grounded in sound technical standards. The role would also enhance field support through coaching, mentorship, and systematic follow up, helping ensure that planning processes are streamlined and that the operation is protected from avoidable delays, cost implications, or risks of non compliance. Standard Job Description Settlement Planning Officer Organizational Setting and Work Relationships Under the supervision of the Senior Field/Technical Coordinator or the Senior Operations Manager, the Settlement Planning Officer will perform a variety of functions related to the design, management and coordination of humanitarian settlement and infrastructure projects across various settlement typologies. This will be done within the context of UNHCR’s Global Strategy for Sustainable Settlement, Shelter and infrastructure. Working in coordination with other colleagues in the Field such as, protection, health, community services, WASH, education, energy and environment, the incumbent acts as focal point for maintaining effective coordination with any established settlement sector working group. In addition, s/he is responsible for the strategic management and monitoring of the implementation of settlement planning activities, and for collaboration with Administration, Finance and Programme on all programmatic issues within the Area of Responsibility (AoR). S/he shall be working closely with other sections on settlement and general infrastructure related activities and provides functional technical guidance to the team as well as to the technical experts in the Field. The Settlement Planning Officer provides specialised support to emergency and protracted operations in designing and developing sustainable settlements to host forcibly displaced and stateless persons to UNHCR. A settlement should take into consideration the spatial allocation of functions while addressing the needs of the population, the availability of resources, the enhancement of living conditions, the provision of services, enhancing transportation networks as well as provision of recreational spaces. The incumbent will therefore be expected to analyse a variety of settlement options urban, rural, formal or informal and ensure that spatial allocation of lands is decided in support of the protection, access to basic services, livelihoods, and socio-cultural life of displaced people and the host community. The incumbent will also participate and represent UNHCR in negotiations with national and local government authorities regarding land acquisition and site development works. The Settlement Planning Officer (SPO) will ensure that management of multi-sectorial assistance and services in refugee sites are handled effectively and efficiently among all the stakeholders, through a strong collaboration with the Field unit and relevant field staff. The incumbent will contribute in inter-agency coordination structures set up for settlement planning and land related issues within the Area of Responsibility (AoR). The SPO should maintain regular communication with the shelter and settlement team in HQ for technical advice, information, communication and access to updated global tools and resources. 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 Technical Guidance – Conduct assessments and ensure selection of potential sites is done in accordance with the Master Plan approach to settlement planning taking into consideration protection concerns, national legislation, environmental considerations, appropriate density, and access to basic services including water, hydrological concerns, socio/economic issues, and cultural inclusion and HLP matters. – Ensure that settlement layouts respond to natural topography and drainage patterns of the site to reduce construction and maintenance costs. – Ensure that safe and equitable access to basic services is provided for both the displaced and host communities while making particular emphasis on meaningful inclusion of the site community groups (women, youth, elderly and persons with specific needs) in decision-making processes including through governance structures and sectorial focal points. – Work with the relevant technical, programme and supply colleagues in close coordination with implementing and other concerned parties to develop implementation modalities and work plans for the settlement plans. Provide technical inputs and advice to Programme in the process of Implementation Partner Selection and review of PPAs of all sector related partners and partners with construction related activities in their budget. – Provide support in Preparedness through the development of contingency plans for population movements. Develop and update agreed response strategies (MPAs and APAs) for refugee sites, including transition/exit strategy for site consolidation and closures within the AOR. – In close consultation with partners, conduct assessments, provide concrete initiatives and develop specific strategies to make sure that residential areas, key services and infrastructure are not susceptible to the risk of natural hazards such as flash floods and landslides. Coordination and Leadership – Provide strong leadership in ensuring that UNHCR’s operation within the AOR is technically sound in the field of settlement planning to best meet the needs of forcibly displaced and stateless persons. – Liaise with Government, line ministries and relevant authorities and counterparts to ensure strong coordination and partnership. Ensure that settlement plans are aligned with regional, national land use plans and planned developments. – Represent UNHCR in the process of site selection and land negotiations with the national government, local government, local community leaders and the landlords for the settlements within the AOR. In doing this, ensure that the risk of conflict linked to land tenure is addressed and mitigated while continuing to pursue actions that increase the security of tenure for displaced populations. -…