Senior Data Management Assistant

Hardship Level

E (most hardship)

Family Type

Non Family with Residential Location

Family Type

Non Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay

Residential location (if applicable)

Addis Ababa,Eth Fed Dem Rep

Grade

GS5

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Target Start Date

2025-08-01

Deadline for Applications

July 6, 2025

Standard Job Description

Senior Data Management Assistant

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The position is normally supervised by a more senior staff member who provides the Senior Data Management Assistant with regular guidance and support. Subject to the nature of the task/assignment, s/he will work independently on routine tasks, while will follow instructions of the supervisor for more complex issues. The position has no supervisory role.
Contacts are mainly with the colleagues in the same duty station to exchange information and to discuss the work plans. External contacts are not frequent. In the Field locations, under supervision of the manager, the incumbent may play a liaison role with the national and local authorities for gathering and exchange of data.

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
- Enter data mainly related to asylum seekers, refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR into the computer database.
- Prepare reports and project documents by providing information, preparing tables and drafting routine correspondence and reports.
- Assist in compilation of data and interpreting the statistics for various reports.
- Assist in the development of forms for data collection and analysis, if requested.
- Act as interpreter in the exchange of routine information and translate routine documents and correspondence as and when required.
- May be required to collect GIS data, update maps and undertake field trips to project sites.
- Decide on the data recorded in database.
- Decide on appropriate resolution to incidents and escalate issues to the supervisor if incident cannot be resolved within the scope of responsibility.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
G5- 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Electronic Data Processing Information Technology
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified

Desirable
Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position.

Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
DM-Data Management
DM-Data collection methodologies
DM-Database 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.

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

 The incumbent is expected to have advanced administrative-level knowledge of UNHCR’s PRIMES ecosystem, including proGres, BIMS, RApp, GDT, AMP, DRCS, DPST, and PRIMES Analytics. The staff member should demonstrate the ability to manage, troubleshoot, and support registration and data tools both in the office and during field missions. Familiarity with SQL and FetchXML will be preferably required for writing and executing queries to support data validation, cleaning, and reporting.
 The candidate must be able to lead and support L1 and L3 registration, new arrival registration, and emergency registration exercises, including mass registration and verification campaigns, while supervising, guiding, and shadowing staff to ensure consistency, accuracy, and adherence to UNHCR registration standards.
 Experience in the design and deployment of KoboToolbox forms, mobile data collection workflows, and digital field tools is critical.
 Strong coordination skills are essential, as the candidate will need to work closely with RRS the government agency responsible for refugee registration as well as WFP and cooperating partners, particularly in relation to food distribution planning and beneficiary list preparation.
 The candidate must have proven capacity to deliver rapid technical support and troubleshoot issues during registration or data collection, both remotely and on site. They must also be capable of providing structured training and on the job coaching to RRS registration and data management staff, WFP cooperating partner staff, and new UNHCR data personnel.
 Experience in supervising field teams during mass registration, verification and ensuring the reliability of population data to support protection and durable solutions programming while managing competing priorities.

Personal Qualities:
 Adaptability and resilience: He/ she should be capable of working in a challenging and sometimes volatile operational context, including emergency situations.
 Cultural sensitivity: An understanding and appreciation of the local culture in the region and a respectful approach to working with diverse population.
 Strong teamwork and collaboration: The ability to effectively work in a team and foster a collaborative work environment.
 Integrity and ethical conduct: Highest standards of professional and ethical behavior in all data management activities.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

,

,

Desired languages

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational health and safety considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/trav

Nature of Position:

The armed conflict in Sudan, which started in April 2023, has led to over 23,000 forcibly displaced persons crossing into Ethiopia through the Metema Point of Entry (PoE) on the eastern Sudanese border. The refugees are settled in the Aftit refugee settlement, West Gondar Zone, Amhara Region. The refugees and asylum seekers are largely of Sudanese and Eritrean origin, with a small pocket of other nationalities, including South Sudanese. UNHCR has been on the ground from the onset – providing life-saving assistance, addressing various protection needs, and ensuring effective referrals to appropriate services as needed.

Similarly, the conflict in northern Ethiopia led to difficult humanitarian conditions, including limited access to basic social and life-saving services for camp and urban refugees in the Tigray region. As a result of the conflict, many refugees moved from the Mai Ani and Adi Harush camps to the Alemwach refugee settlement, North Gondar Zone, in Ethiopia’s Amhara region.

UNHCR has a presence in Gondar and is working very closely with the Government of Ethiopia’s Refugee and Returnees Services (RRS), local authorities, and several humanitarian partners to respond to the needs of refugees and asylum seekers in the region. UNHCR has been actively engaged in the humanitarian response in the Amhara Region, providing comprehensive support across multiple sectors to ensure the protection of refugees and asylum seekers.

The operational response is principally focused on screening and recording persons seeking international protection, addressing critical life-saving needs, including food and healthcare access, establishing a protection desk to handle diverse protection issues, and facilitating referrals to relevant services. There are two refugee-hosting settlements, Aftit and Alemwach, in West Gondar and North Gondar Zones, respectively. In addition, the Metema Transit Center (TC), 5km from the Point of Entry (PoE) on the Ethiopian-Sudan Border at Metema Yohannes, is set up to respond to the influx from the Sudan Emergency. 

There are pockets of refugee returnees coming in from Sudan through the Metema Point of Entry. The current security situation in the region continues to be challenging and move further in-country to their places of initial displacement or other regions. Over 2,840 refugee returnees have been recorded at the Metema PoE, as of March 2025.

A substantial number of Eritrean refugees who were forced across the border from Sudan had started and were at various stages of resettlement processes before crossing over to Metema. In addition, UNHCR remains engaged in seeking other complementary pathways as part of the solutions orientation to the plight of the refugees and asylum seekers in the operation.

The Senior Data Management Assistant will be based in Gondar Field Office and report to the Assistant Protection Officer in the Field Office. The incumbent will play a critical role in supporting the implementation of UNHCR’s registration, identity management, and population data systems at the field level, in collaboration with the Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS).

As part of the multiyear Registration and Identity Management Strategy (2023 - 2026), the Ethiopia Operation is undertaking a phased scale up of digital registration and identity management activities, using PRIMES tools including proGres, BIMS, RApp, PING ,DRCS, GDT, DPST and PRIMES Analytics. The Data Management Associate will be responsible for the technical support and administration of these systems in Aftit and Alemwach refugee settlements.

The incumbent will support field-level registration teams (UNHCR, RRS, and partners), ensuring timely data entry, quality control, error correction, and system maintenance. The Senior Operational Data Management Assistant will coordinate with RRS to strengthen data accuracy, provide hands on technical support during field activities, and troubleshoot issues in real time. S/he will also be responsible for extracting, validating, and cleaning data for protection, assistance, and reporting purposes.

The Senior Data Management Assistant will also coordinate with the Country Office and Global Service Desk (GSD) for system updates and problem resolution. The role includes periodic training and capacity building for RRS, cooperating partners, and UNHCR staff on registration systems, data management standards, and digital tools.

The role requires frequent interaction with protection, programme, and information management colleagues, as well as coordination with cooperating partners and WFP to ensure accurate food distribution lists and assistance targeting. Additionally, the incumbent should maintain regular coordination with the UNHCR Country Office in Addis Ababa, GSD, and other technical units to resolve issues, receive guidance, and support new rollouts or software updates.

The incumbent will spend 60-70% of his/her time in deep-field directly supporting registration and other data management activities between Aftit and Alemwach refugee settlements.

The candidate must routinely run quality control queries, validate collected data, and support RRS in maintaining accurate, reliable, and up-to-date population figures.

Living and Working Conditions:

Gondar is a category E, non-family, high-risk duty station. The UNHCR Field Office has an office on the ground. however, staff members are expected to arrange their own living accommodation. Generally, there are few UNDSS-approved hotels; tap water is not reliable and quality is not guaranteed, hence the need to drink bottled or boiled drinking water as alternatives. Water storage containers are a necessity. The R&R cycle is 6 weeks, and national staff are eligible for SCWS (9 in 10). The electricity supply could be unstable, depending on the season, resulting in blackouts. The office relies on WiFi for internet connectivity. Staff need to be aware therefore that internet may not be accessible after working hours.

In Genda Wuha, West Gondar Zone, where the Aftit refugee settlement is located, temperatures vary between seasons. During the hot season between March and May, temperatures could rise to as much as 43 degrees centigrade. The rainy season starts from about June to October and experiences strong winds and periodic storms.

In Dabat, North Gondar Zone where the Alemwach refugee settlement is located, temperatures are a bit low and could vary from 10o C to 25o C during the day. Nighttime temperatures could drop to as low as 5oC.

The incumbent will be based in Gondar Office, sometimes spelled as Gonder, is a city and woreda in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Gondar is north of Lake Tana on the Lesser Angereb River and southwest of the Simien Mountains. As of 2016, Gondar has a population of 299,969. Gondar previously served as the capital of both the Ethiopian Empire and the subsequent Begemder Province. The city holds the remains of several royal castles, including those in the Fasil Ghebbi UNESCO World Heritage Site for which Gondar has been called the "Camelot of Africa".

Staff members should be prepared to operate under challenging conditions with limited resources. There are both Government hospitals and private health providers in Gondar including pharmacies. There is a referral medical hospital in Gondar but limited equipment.  However, for severe medical conditions, patients are referred to Addis for treatment.  Staff with medical conditions should come with at least 3 months of prescribed medication. The town has a central market where most of the common items can be found. 

Although there are functioning banks in Gondar, transacting in dollars is not possible. Staff are also advised to always have a cash reserve on them. It is recommended that first time travelers to the duty station dispense sufficient funds from the ATMs in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. Ethiopian regulations do not permit the transportation of more than $ 4,000 or its equivalent into the country.

The security situation is fluid, and staff members should always get the latest travel advice and support prior to travel to Gondar. There is an existing curfew.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

DM-Database Management, DM-Data collection methodologies, DM-Data Management, IT-Computer Literacy

Education

Certifications

Electronic Data Processing - Other, Information Technology - Other

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

UNHCR Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

 Position is opened to ONLY Ethiopian nationals
 Women are strongly encouraged to apply in order to promote gender-balance within UNHCR.
 Candidates may be subjected to assessment (written or oral interview).

Functional clearance

This position doesn't require a functional clearance