Senior Protection Assistant

Job Posting Organization:
The job is posted by UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which was established in 195

• The organization is dedicated to protecting the rights and well-being of refugees and displaced persons worldwide. UNHCR operates in over 130 countries and has a workforce of more than 18,000 staff members. Its mission is to ensure that everyone has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another country, and to return home voluntarily, integrate locally, or resettle in a third country. UNHCR works to safeguard the rights of refugees and other displaced persons, providing them with essential support and assistance.

Job Overview:
The Senior Protection Assistant plays a crucial role in monitoring and ensuring the delivery of protection standards and operational procedures in line with international standards. This position requires the incumbent to provide functional protection support to information management and program staff, ensuring that persons of concern (PoC) receive timely and effective protection services. The Senior Protection Assistant is expected to contribute to the design of a comprehensive protection strategy and engage with local authorities and partners on protection issues. A key aspect of this role is to ensure that PoC are actively involved in decision-making processes that affect their rights and solutions to their problems. This position demands strong interpersonal skills to build effective relationships with communities, local authorities, and protection partners, ensuring that the needs and voices of PoC are prioritized in all protection-related activities.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Protection Assistant is responsible for a wide range of duties, including but not limited to: consistently applying International and National Law along with applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policies and standards; providing counseling on protection issues to PoC; liaising with competent authorities for documentation issuance; supporting protection-related programming with partners; conducting preliminary information gathering and interviews for eligibility and status determination; contributing to measures against statelessness; participating in child protection planning; monitoring Standard Operating Procedures for protection activities; managing individual protection cases, including GBV and child protection; assisting in identifying durable solutions for PoC; drafting reports and updating databases; enhancing national and local protection capacities; selecting PoC for interviews; enforcing integrity in service delivery; managing risks and opportunities; and performing other related duties as required.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a minimum of 2 years of relevant experience with a High School Diploma, or 1 year of relevant work experience with a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Essential functional skills include IT literacy, knowledge of protection-related guidelines, standards, and indicators, and familiarity with refugee protection principles and frameworks. Candidates should demonstrate a strong understanding of the legal and operational context of refugee protection and community engagement.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a High School Diploma as a minimum, with a Bachelor’s degree or higher being advantageous. Relevant fields of education include International Law and Political Science, with certifications in these areas being essential for the role. Candidates are expected to have a solid understanding of the legal frameworks governing refugee protection and community-based approaches to support.

Experience:
The position requires candidates to have at least 2 years of relevant experience in protection-related roles, particularly in contexts involving refugees and displaced persons. Experience in community engagement, protection programming, and collaboration with local authorities and partners is highly desirable. Candidates should demonstrate a proven track record of effectively managing protection cases and implementing protection strategies in challenging environments.

Languages:
For this position, knowledge of English is mandatory, along with proficiency in the UN working language of the duty station, which is Arabic in this case. Knowledge of local languages is also beneficial and may enhance communication with PoC and local communities.

Additional Notes:
This position is classified under the UNOPS LICA5 category and is not home-based. The target start date for the role is March 1, 202

• The position is full-time and does not require a functional clearance. UNHCR emphasizes a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, and discrimination, and all staff members are expected to contribute to a safe and respectful working environment. The organization encourages qualified female applicants to apply and does not charge any fees during the recruitment process.