Assistant Protection Officer

Hardship Level

B

Family Type

Family

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

NOA

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Remote work accepted

No

Target Start Date

2024-01-01

Job Posting End Date

December 27, 2023

Standard Job Description

Assistant Protection Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Assistant Protection Officer reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. Depending on the size and structure of the Office, the incumbent may have supervisory responsibility for protection staff including community-based protection, registration, resettlement and education. S/he provides functional protection guidance to information management and programme staff on all protection/legal matters and accountabilities. These include: statelessness (in line with the campaign to End Statelessness by 2024), Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) commitments, age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP) through community-based protection, Child protection, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, gender equality, disability inclusion, youth empowerment, psycho-social support and PSEA, registration, asylum/refugee status determination, resettlement, local integration, voluntary repatriation, human rights standards integration, national legislation, judicial engagement, predictable and decisive engagement in situations of internal displacement and engagement in wider mixed movement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses. S/he supervises protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards.

The Assistant Protection Officer is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (PoC), ensuring that operational responses in all sectors mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. The incumbent contributes to the design of a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the Organization externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor. S/he also ensures that PoC are meaningfully engaged in the decisions that affect them and support programme design and adaptations that are influenced by the concerns, priorities and capacities of them. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection.

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

• Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
• Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
• Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to PoC.
• Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
• Conduct eligibility and status determination for PoC in compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
• Promote and contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
• Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy.
• Contribute to a country-level education plan as part of the protection strategy.
• Provide inputs for the development of protection policies and standards within the AoR.
• Implement and monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Recommend durable solutions for the largest possible number of PoC through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
• Assess resettlement needs and apply priorities for the resettlement of individuals and groups of refugees and other PoC.
• Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
• Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
• Contribute to and facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.
• Assist capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
• Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.
• Intervene with authorities on protection issues.
• Assist the supervisor in deciding priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.
• Assist the supervisor in enforcing compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
• Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
• 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

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P1/NOA – 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Law,

International Law,

Political Sciences

or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Not specified;

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles

Desirable

Completion of the Protection Learning Programme, RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme.

Functional Skills

• PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
• PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)

MG-Project Management

PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards

PR-International Humanitarian Law

PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation

PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement

CO-Drafting and Documentation

PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination

(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

Work Experience

It is essential that the incumbent has minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience in the area of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law, including experience in working directly with Field Offices and has good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles.

The following job experience would be desirable:

• Completion of the Protection Learning Programme, RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme, certification of international protection and mixed movement/ migration related trainings.
• Solid knowledge on Protection issues including mixed movement and ability to coordinate and manage mixed movement related programming in country operations.
• Sound and demonstrated knowledge and experience in interagency coordination.
• Excellent drafting skills and analytic skills.
• Excellent legal research.
• Knowledge of the regional dynamics and protection environment.
• Ability to work with other pillars/ unit at regional and country levels.
• Ability to work with diverse team and within cultural sensitivity environments.

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

,

,

Desired languages

,

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

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

Nature of Position:

In the Bureau, the Assistant Protection Officer works under the direct supervision of the Head of Protection Pillar or the Snr. Protection Officer. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff whose work may include RSD, registration, resettlement, complementary pathways, internal displacement, and education, among other areas.

The incumbent acts as an advisor to senior management in, when not responsible for, designing a comprehensive protection strategy under the area of responsibility (AoR). S/he represents the Organization to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection policy and doctrine.

The Assistant Protection Officer works in coordination with other units under the protection pillar of the Bureau and coordinates quality, and timely preparation of quality protection reports for internal and external ), coordinates through the Head of the Protection Pillar the Regional Protection Working Group (RPWG) including scheduling meetings, taking minutes and ensuring follow up on the action points as well as support to ensure effective coordination of Mixed Movements, data analysis and preparation and dissemination of protection products including quarterly newsletter and protection score card.

In addition, h/she will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with other relevant teams within the operation or the Bureau (including programme; PI and external relations; IM) and with DIP, authorities partner as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions.

Living and Working Conditions:

Despite the security concerns mentioned below, Nairobi is a good duty station for families. It has good medical facilities. Recreational facilities, schools and hotels are of international standards.

Sufficient housing is available, as well as good banking facilities, unlimited access to communication means, such as internet, telephone etc.

There is no malaria in Nairobi, but cholera, malaria and yellow fever occur in other parts of Kenya.

Security Considerations

Nairobi is in UN security level 6, but politically instigated demonstrations and riots may occur at any time.

General crime in Nairobi is high and like many other large cities. A high sense of vigilance and alertness is required .

Skills

Additional Qualifications

Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science

Certifications

HCR Protection Learning Program – UNHCR

Work Experience

Protection, Work Context: Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Operation, Work Context: Mixed Migration

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

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

Compendium

Additional Information

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test. Oral interviews are mandatory.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Functional clearance

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance