Shelter and Settlements Specialist

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and relationships.

1.      Role and responsibilities

The purpose of the Shelter and Settlements Specialist position is the technical development of the specific shelter programme, its strategic direction and appropriate quality assurance. The Shelter Specialist is also responsible for the technical mentoring, training, and capacity development of relevant staff.

Generic responsibilities

1. Develop Shelter and Settlements strategy, technical guidance and Macro LFAs
2. Ensure compliance with and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures
3. Contribute to fundraising, develop and revise funding proposal, budgets and donor reports
4. Identify trends technical standards and donor priorities
5. Follow up on compliance with contractual commitments within CC, ensure high technical quality and synergies in project implementation
6. Provide technical direction and project implementation support to the implementation team, on various shelter modalities including Settlements-Based Approach, Cash for Rent, and Emergency Seasonal responses.
7. Ensure that key learnings are extracted from CC implementation, and incorporate them in CC and staff development processes
8. Provide systematic training and build capacity of Shelter staff
9. Develop programmatic thematic areas such as Energy, Environment, as well as Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD).
10. Represent NRC in relevant forums/clusters, including with national authorities and donors
11. Promote the rights of IDPs/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy
12. Oversee and be responsible of mainstreaming protection guidelines in the NRC WASH activities as per NRC’s Protection mainstreaming guidelines and ensure that all breaches/concerns reported are properly resolved.

Specific responsibilities

• Develop proposals, project reviews and modifications, including budgets
• Develop the CC strategy action plan including initiatives planned to achieve the strategy, along with CC specific indicators in the Balance Scorecard.
• Ensure that technical guidance and resources are available for the development of the Shelter programme’s implementation, monitoring and learning.
• Consolidate and develop internal and external reports and other materials
• Take the lead on quality monitoring of project deliverables and reporting
• Ensure workplans and spending plans are developed, updated and monitored by supporting Project Coordinators, Managers and Area Managers
• Lead on conducting needs assessments (in collaboration with Area Program teams, Protection team and M&E team), baseline, mid-and end-evaluations
• Provide inputs and participate in needs assessments including risks and needs in thematic areas including energy, environment, and AGD, and adapt programme response accordingly.
• Participate in relevant humanitarian coordination meetings in country
• Actively promote and operationalize synergies between Shelter and other NRC programmes
• Ensure capacity building of project staff, and provide technical direction and project implementation support to Area Managers, Project Managers and Project Coordinators in the field

2.      Competencies

Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following three categories:

1. Professional competencies

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in working as a senior Project/Program Manager and/or Adviser in a humanitarian/ recovery context
• Proven expertise in S&S related issues in temporary settings and urban areas. 
• Previous experience in developing and following up S&S program strategies in response to the Syria Crisis is an asset. 
• University degree or higher education relevant to the assignment. 
• Proven skills and experience in report and proposal writing
• Ability to prioritize needs and carry out multiple tasks simultaneously
• Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Prior experience and proven capability in training and capacity development 
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal.
• Knowledge or Arabic language is an asset. 
• Knowledge of Lebanon context and response is an asset  

2. Behavioural competencies

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioural competencies, the following are essential for this position:

• Handling insecure environments
• Strategic thinking
• Empowering and building trust
• Influencing
• Initiating action and change
• Analysing