Deadline for Applications
July 20, 2026
Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)
D
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
UNOPS LICA6
2026-08-01
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. General Background
According to government estimates, Lebanon hosts approximately 900,000 displaced refugees from Syria and other countries. Despite gradual improvements in some socioeconomic indicators, humanitarian needs remain significant. The 2025 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees (VASyR) found that 72 per cent of refugee families live below the poverty line, with 60 per cent living in extreme poverty.
UNHCR implements a diverse portfolio of cash assistance programmes covering basic needs, protection, education, and solutions-oriented interventions. These programmes generate significant volumes of operational, financial, monitoring, and vulnerability data that inform programme design and strategic decision making. The largest of these is the regular Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) programme, which provides monthly support to vulnerable refugee households and serves as a key source of evidence and insights on household vulnerability, expenditure patterns, programme outcomes, and targeting effectiveness.
Cash assistance is delivered through a coordinated inter-agency approach led jointly by UNHCR and WFP. The regular MPCA programme is implemented in close partnership with WFP, ensuring a coordinated and efficient response that maximizes coverage of vulnerable refugee households while generating valuable operational and analytical insights.
In addition to implementing its own programmes, UNHCR co-leads the Lebanon Cash Working Group (CWG). Through the CWG, UNHCR works with UN agencies, NGOs, donors, and government counterparts to promote harmonized approaches to targeting, transfer values, delivery mechanisms, monitoring, accountability, and data sharing.
Given the scale of needs and increasingly constrained resources, robust evidence generation and targeting systems are critical to ensuring assistance reaches those most in need timely. The incumbent will serve within UNHCR’s Cash Based Interventions Unit in Beirut under the overall supervision of the Senior Programme CBI Officer.
The unit leads the design, targeting, delivery, monitoring, analysis, and reporting of UNHCR’s cash assistance programmes and currently comprises one international and four national staff members. Working closely with colleagues from Programme, Protection, Registration, Communication with Communities, Data Management, and other functional areas, the incumbent will contribute to the generation, analysis, visualization, and reporting of data and evidence that support programme design, targeting, monitoring, accountability, and strategic decision making across UNHCR’s cash portfolio, while also supporting inter-agency coordination through the Cash Working Group.
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
The CBI Associate will support the analysis, visualization, and reporting of data related to UNHCR’s cash assistance programmes, including vulnerability assessments, programme monitoring, financial transactions, targeting systems, and statistical reporting. The position will contribute to generating evidence and insights that support the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance through Cash Based Interventions (CBI), while ensuring the integrity and effective use of data systems and operational processes.
The incumbent will:
• Support the management, maintenance, quality assurance, and continuous improvement of databases and information management systems used in UNHCR cash assistance programmes.
• Assist in administering the databases supporting the regular Multipurpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) programme and other cash interventions.
• Produce routine and ad hoc statistical reports, dashboards, visualizations, charts, and analytical outputs to support programme management, operational decision making, and reporting requirements.
• Support the analysis of vulnerability, targeting, monitoring, financial, and operational datasets to generate evidence and insights for programme planning and implementation.
• Contribute to the preparation of regular reports and analyses on cash assistance delivery, coverage, targeting outcomes, and beneficiary profiles.
• Assist with data validation, reconciliation, and quality control processes to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of programme data.
• Support monthly payment reconciliation, refund processing, and related financial verification activities in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
• Conduct data cross-checks to verify beneficiary eligibility, maintain data integrity, and minimize duplication across assistance records.
• Maintain and update beneficiary lists and support the timely processing and delivery of cash assistance to eligible households.
• Support the analysis and follow up of operational cases, including referrals and reports received from protection, registration, and other functional units that may impact eligibility or assistance delivery.
• Liaise with internal units, implementing partners, financial service providers, and other stakeholders to facilitate data exchange, information management, and coordinated implementation of cash assistance activities.
• Support the development and documentation of improvements to databases, reporting tools, data workflows, and business processes.
• Assist in providing training and technical support to UNHCR staff and partners on data systems, reporting tools, and cash assistance processes.
• Promote and apply data protection principles, information security standards, and best practices in the management of beneficiary and programme data.
• Monitor database performance, troubleshoot technical issues, and coordinate with relevant teams to resolve system-related challenges.
• Support field monitoring activities, missions, and visits to financial service providers and partners to verify implementation arrangements and strengthen programme oversight.
• Represent UNHCR in cash assistance related technical meetings, working groups, and coordination forums, as required.
• Contribute to inter-agency information sharing, analysis, and evidence generation efforts supporting coordinated cash assistance responses.
• Escalate complex incidents, data quality issues, and operational risks to the supervisor for guidance and resolution.
• Perform other related duties as required.
3. Monitoring and Progress Controls
• Maintain cash assistance records with agreed data quality standards, ensuring timely updates, validation, reconciliation, and resolution of data discrepancies.
• Produce accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and ad hoc reports, dashboards, visualizations, and statistical analyses that support programme implementation, targeting, monitoring, and management decision making.
• Contribute to evidence generation through analysis of vulnerability, monitoring, financial, and operational data, including the production of analytical briefs, presentations, and programme insights as required.
• Provide technical support, training, and coordination with internal stakeholders, partners, and service providers, while ensuring compliance with data protection standards and contributing to improvements in data systems and reporting workflows.
4. Qualifications and Experience
a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
• For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher
• Relevant university degree in Economics, Statistics, Computer Science, Data science, Database Management is preferred.
• Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
b. Work Experience
Essential
• At least 2 years of relevant professional experience in data management, information management, programme support, monitoring, reporting, or database administration, preferably within humanitarian, development, social protection, or refugee assistance programmes
• Demonstrated experience managing and maintaining databases, conducting data validation and quality assurance, and supporting the analysis of large datasets.
• Experience producing statistical reports, dashboards, visualizations, and analytical products using tools such as Excel, Power BI, SQL, Kobo, ActivityInfo, or similar platforms.
• Experience developing scalable, automated workflows and data pipelines through robust application programming and scripting.
• Experience supporting cash assistance, humanitarian programming, social protection, or other beneficiary management systems, including payment processing, reconciliation, monitoring, or operational reporting.
• Experience coordinating with multiple stakeholders, including partners, service providers, and internal teams, and providing technical support or training on data systems and processes.
Desirable
• Experience with cash based interventions (CBI), social assistance, or humanitarian cash delivery mechanisms.
• Experience with refugee operations, vulnerability assessments, beneficiary targeting, monitoring systems, or inter-agency data management processes
• Familiarity with UNHCR systems and tools, including ProGres, CashAssist or similar information management platforms
c. Key Competencies
Technical Knowledge and Skills
• Demonstrated experience in data management, database administration, data quality assurance, and information management.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including the ability to analyse, interpret, and present complex datasets.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including data cleaning, validation, analysis, and reporting.
• Experience producing dashboards, data visualizations, statistical reports, and analytical products using tools such as Power BI, Excel, SQL, Kobo, ActivityInfo, or similar platforms.
• Demonstrate advanced proficiency in at least one programming language such as Python, R, and SQL.
• Knowledge of data protection principles and information management best practices.
• Strong report writing and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate complex findings to non-technical audiences.
• Experience supporting operational processes involving beneficiary management, financial transactions, reconciliation, or programme monitoring.
Key Competencies
• Analytical thinking and problem solving.
• Attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.
• Planning and organizing skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-functional and multicultural environment.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and discretion when handling sensitive data.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining regular communication with supervisors and stakeholders.
• Experience supporting inter-agency coordination, information sharing, and reporting processes.
• Ability to identify opportunities for process improvement, automation, and innovation in data management and reporting workflows.
• Ability to translate data and analytical findings into actionable operational recommendations.
• Demonstrated adaptability and ability to perform effectively in rapidly changing operational environments.
Desired Candidate Profile:
Nature of the Position:
Lebanon hosts approximately 900,000 displaced refugees from Syria and other countries, with humanitarian needs remaining significant. The 2025 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees found that 72 per cent of refugee families live below the poverty line and 60 per cent live in extreme poverty. UNHCR implements a diverse portfolio of cash assistance programmes covering basic needs, protection, education, and solutions-oriented interventions, generating substantial operational, financial, monitoring, and vulnerability data to inform programme design and decision-making. The regular Multipurpose Cash Assistance programme is the largest of these programmes and provides monthly support to vulnerable refugee households, while also generating evidence on household vulnerability, expenditure patterns, programme outcomes, and targeting effectiveness. Cash assistance is delivered through a coordinated inter-agency approach led jointly by UNHCR and WFP, with UNHCR also co-leading the Lebanon Cash Working Group to promote harmonized approaches to targeting, transfer values, delivery mechanisms, monitoring, accountability, and data sharing.
The position is based in Beirut within UNHCR’s Cash Based Interventions Unit and works under the overall supervision of the Senior Programme CBI Officer. The incumbent will support data analysis, visualization, reporting, database management, quality assurance, payment reconciliation, and evidence generation across UNHCR’s cash assistance portfolio. The role will also contribute to operational decision-making, programme monitoring, vulnerability analysis and targeting, payment processing, accountability, and inter-agency coordination, working closely with Programme, Protection, Registration, Communication with Communities, Data Management, field colleagues, partners, service providers, and other stakeholders.
Desired Candidate Profile:
Essential Attributes:
• Experience in data management, information management, or database administration using data analysis and visualization tools such as Excel, Power BI, SQL, Kobo, ActivityInfo, Python, R, or similar platforms.
• Demonstrated experience managing and maintaining databases, supporting data validation and quality assurance, and analysing large operational datasets.
• Experience supporting operational processes related to cash assistance, beneficiary management, payment processing, reconciliation, monitoring, or operational reporting.
• Experience producing statistical reports, dashboards, visualizations, charts, and analytical outputs to support programme implementation, monitoring, management decision-making, and reporting.
• Strong analytical, reporting, and communication skills, with the ability to present complex data clearly and provide technical support to internal teams, partners, or service providers
Desirable Attributes:
• Experience with cash-based interventions, social assistance, or humanitarian cash delivery mechanisms.
• Knowledge of data protection principles, information security standards, and good practices in managing sensitive beneficiary and programme data.
• Familiarity with refugee operations, vulnerability assessments, beneficiary targeting, programme monitoring systems, or inter-agency data management processes
• Familiarity with UNHCR systems and tools, including ProGres, Project X, CashAssist, or similar information and cash management platforms.
Standard Job Description
Required Languages
,
,
Desired Languages
,
,
Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Certifications
Other information
This position doesn't require a functional clearance
Remote
No