Senior Protection Assistant

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

• Its mission is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees, to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, and to return home voluntarily. UNHCR operates in over 130 countries and has a workforce of more than 18,000 staff members dedicated to helping those in need. The organization works to protect the rights of refugees and displaced persons, providing them with assistance and support to rebuild their lives.

Job Overview:
The Senior Protection Assistant plays a crucial role in the protection of persons of concern (PoC) by conducting Refugee Status Determination (RSD) interviews to assess eligibility for refugee status. This position requires a deep understanding of international protection principles and the ability to undertake country of origin research to support claims. The incumbent is expected to draft comprehensive RSD assessments, particularly for complex cases, and must possess strong interviewing skills, research capabilities, and excellent drafting abilities. The Senior Protection Assistant will work closely with communities of concern, local authorities, and partners to ensure that protection methodologies are integrated into operational responses. This role is vital in ensuring that PoC are actively involved in decisions affecting their rights and solutions to their challenges, thereby contributing to a comprehensive protection strategy.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior Protection Assistant is responsible for a wide range of duties, including: consistently applying international and national law, providing counseling on protection issues to PoC, liaising with authorities for documentation issuance, supporting AGD-based programming, conducting preliminary information gathering and interviews, contributing to child protection and education plans, monitoring Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), participating in individual protection case management, assisting in identifying durable solutions, drafting reports and updating databases, enhancing national and local protection capacities, selecting PoC for interviews, enforcing integrity in service delivery, managing risks, 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, and understanding of refugee protection principles. Candidates should also demonstrate strong analytical and reporting skills, particularly in relation to country of origin information and asylum claims assessment.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a Bachelor of Arts in Law, Refugee Studies, or a related field. A Master of Arts in Human Rights Law is also desirable. Relevant certifications in International Law or Political Science are considered beneficial for candidates.

Experience:
The position requires candidates to have relevant work experience in protection-related roles, particularly in working with persons of concern such as refugees. Experience in conducting interviews, research, and analysis is highly desirable, as is familiarity with the principles and procedures of refugee status determination.

Languages:
Mandatory languages for this position include English and the UN working language of the duty station, which is Arabic. Knowledge of French is also beneficial. For National Professional jobs, proficiency in the local language is required, alongside English and the UN working language.

Additional Notes:
This position is classified under the UNOPS LICA5 category and is not remote. The target start date for the role is February 16, 202

• The position is full-time and involves working in a family-type environment, with a hardship level classified as A (least hardship). Candidates should be prepared for written tests and interviews as part of the selection process.