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Standard Job Description
Chief of Innovation Section
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Chief of Innovation Section drives and oversees the design and implementation of Innovation programmes and projects that transform how UNHCR delivers its mandate. The Section annually gathers ideas from refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), stateless populations, UNHCR workforce, and partners, applying a transparent and rigorous process to select projects with strong potential for impact. It then funds and oversees these projects through their prototyping journey, evaluates completed solutions, and assesses their potential for large-scale application. The Section also strengthens internal capacity and skills to embed innovation across all levels of the organization.
To ensure sustainable solutions, the incumbent works closely with HQ Divisions, Regional Bureaux, Country Operations, and a wide range of stakeholders, while also strengthening partnerships with governments and the private sector. Partner collaboration is central to modernizing UNHCR’s support to displaced and stateless persons by improving field delivery, systems, and structures. Implementing such programming requires a robust Monitoring and Evaluation framework to generate evidence on the impact of the Section’s work.
The Chief of Innovation Section coordinates the allocation, management, and reporting of partnerships, through both existing accounts and new collaborations. Innovation projects should inspire and engage new and long-standing partners while reinforcing sustainable support for UNHCR’s core needs beyond the innovation portfolio.
As the external face of UNHCR Innovation, the incumbent represents the organization to audiences including business leaders, foundations, academics, and institutions. The role requires strong coordination with internal stakeholders for all private sector and states-related engagements. Given the exposure and influence of these audiences, the incumbent must engage with authority, credibility, and strategic insight in an interconnected global environment.
The Innovation Section’s mission is to drive meaningful change by designing, testing, and scaling innovative solutions to address challenges faced by displaced communities. UNHCR Innovation applies a three-stage model: incubation, acceleration, and scale.
Incubation: Managed through four funds — Refugee-Led Innovation, Digital Inclusion, Data Innovation, Environment & Resilience Innovation — providing seed financing and technical support for early-stage ideas.
Acceleration: The Accelerator advances validated prototypes toward scale through tailored mentorship, networks, and visibility opportunities.
Scale: Partnering with internal and external stakeholders to expand proven innovations across UNHCR operations and refugee-led networks.
This model supports over 200 active innovation projects worldwide, requiring strong outreach, stakeholder engagement, and visual storytelling to foster cross-entity coherence and maximize impact uptake.
Currently, the Innovation Section includes six programmes:
Data Innovation (Incubation)
Environment and Climate Action Innovation (Incubation)
Digital Innovation (Incubation)
Refugee-Led Innovation (Incubation)
The Accelerator (Acceleration)
Innovation Learning Programme (Fellowship)
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
Innovation Strategic Development and Delivery
Advance the enhancement of a refugee-centered Innovation programme that reflects the diversity of UNHCR’s operations.
Lead and inspire the crowdsourcing of new innovative ideas from staff, refugees, IDPs, stateless persons, and partners.
Manage a consultative, collaborative process within country operations and with external partners.
Identify and establish a robust set of innovation projects across priority programmes.
Ensure strong monitoring and evaluation systems are in place for all projects.
Lead the mainstreaming of innovation across the organization and provide support for replicating and scaling initiatives.
Build organizational skills and knowledge in innovation across UNHCR.
Stay abreast of challenges posed by field operations to which innovative methodologies and approaches can be applied.
Stakeholder Management
Work closely with Division Directors, Bureaux and Representatives to ensure innovation projects are communicated, understood, and supported.
Provide a convening function among operations, Divisions, Bureaux, and other internal parties around innovation projects and methodologies.
Maintain strong relationships with refugee-led organizations supported by the Section.
Build strong senior-level relationships across other Innovation Sections and entities in NGOs and sister agencies.
Partnership Development
Identify partners to support UNHCR Innovation programmes, in collaboration with Private Sector Partnerships Service (PSP) and Global Public Partnerships and Private Financing Service (GPS), as well as other internal and external stakeholders, while ensuring holistic leveraging of partnerships to deliver benefits for UNHCR as a whole. Ensure that sustainable, realistic support strategies are in place, whether through expertise or financial contributions.
Engage with private sector actors on behalf of UNHCR Innovation, in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to secure either financial support or core expertise from private sector entities.
Ensure that all partnership agreements involving Innovation comply with existing policies and procedures on partnerships in UNHCR, including due diligence screening, partnership management, in-kind procedures, and clearance of agreements.
Develop a comprehensive engagement and stewardship plan in collaboration with various stakeholders for existing partnerships that involve an innovation component.
Ensure effective implementation of donor-funded Innovation programmes, in liaison with technical teams, HQ, Regions, Country operations and refugee-led organizations.
Share progress updates with the Director of DER and other relevant focal points regularly, confirming progress on project implementation.
Ensure strong donor reporting is in place for all partner projects.
Communicating Innovation
Oversee implementation of a communications strategy that builds political and financial support.
Deliver public lectures and speeches, representing UNHCR Innovation. These public interactions may be televised, live-streamed, or reproduced in print.
Present UNHCR’s Innovation programme (in collaboration with relevant fundraising HQ entities) to the private sector, business leaders, foundations, key individuals, academic institutions, and other organizations that can assist UNHCR Innovation.
Work with DER focal points and private sector fundraising entities to define and launch joint communication and media plans with partners to promote the impact of innovation projects.
Administration and Management
Oversee the Innovation Section's programmes and ensure excellent results.
Assign the work plan and priorities to staff working in the UNHCR Innovation Section.
Ensure strong staff management across the Section including recruitment and performance management.
Ensure platforms are in place that foster innovation and creativity.
Lead risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seize opportunities impacting objectives. Ensure that risk management principles are integrated in decision-making both at strategic and operational levels. Allocate resources for planned treatments with resource requirements in Strategic Plans. Ensure that risks are managed to acceptable levels and escalate, as needed. If a Risk Owner, designate the Risk Focal Point and certify that the annual risk review is completed and ensure that the risk register is updated during the year, as needed.
Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P5 - 12 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 11 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 10 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree
Field(s) of Education
Law; Business Administration; Economics;
Management; Social Science; or other relevant field.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Proven track record of building impactful innovation programmes achieving transformational change for the organization and people forced to flee. Strong experience in delivering global programming and reporting results. Demonstrated leadership experience in designing, overseeing and managing Innovation departments and programmes. Demonstrated leadership experience in innovation-specific strategic partnerships and mobilising diversified funding (grants, private sector, in-kind). Experience in effective communication at senior levels with business leaders and philanthropists. Experience leading medium and large-scale field operations in emergency contexts.
Desirable
Excellent knowledge of UNHCR programme, financial, human resources and administration rules and regulations. Advanced knowledge, experience and skills with the uses and applications of information technology relevant to the functions of the position. Experience in operations and at headquarters.
Functional Skills
*PS-Development of fundraising proposals
*CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community
MG-Strategy Development and Implementation
PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards)
RM-Risk Management
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
Competency Requirements
All jobs at UNHCR require 6 core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The 6 core competencies are listed below.
Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Managerial Competencies
Empowering & Building Trust
Judgement & Decision Making
Leadership
Managing Performance
Managing Resource
Strategic Planning & Vision
Cross-Functional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
Innovation & Creativity
Technological Awareness
All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.
As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.
This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.
Desired Candidate Profile
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):
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Desired languages
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Operational context
To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:
The Chief of Innovation Section reports directly to the Director of DER. It drives and oversees the design and implementation of Innovation programmes and projects that transform how UNHCR delivers its mandate. To ensure sustainable solutions, the incumbent works closely with HQ Divisions, Regional Bureaux, Country Operations, and a wide range of stakeholders, while also strengthening partnerships with governments and the private sector.
The Chief of Innovation Section coordinates the allocation, management, and reporting of partnerships, through both existing accounts and new collaborations. As the external face of UNHCR Innovation, the incumbent represents the organization to audiences including business leaders, foundations, academics, and institutions.
The Innovation Section’s mission is to drive meaningful change by designing, testing, and scaling innovative solutions to address challenges faced by displaced communities.
Additional Qualifications
Skills
CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community, MG-Strategy Development and Implementation, PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards), PS-Development of fundraising proposals, RM-Risk ManagementEducation
Certifications
Work Experience
Competencies
Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Innovation & creativity, Judgement & decision making, Leadership, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Strategic planning & visions, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awarenessUNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Additional Information
Functional clearance