Protection Associate
Coordinate effective protection responses for forcibly displaced persons.
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Overview
Coordinate effective protection responses for forcibly displaced persons.
You have:
- 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher.
- Full oral and written proficiency in both English and French is mandatory; excellent drafting skills in both languages are required.
- Background in international law, political science, refugee protection, or related field.
- Familiarity with UNHCR protection frameworks, AGD approaches, and Protection Learning Programme training is an advantage.
Deadline for Applications
March 19, 2026Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)
A (least hardship)Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
FamilyStaff Member / Affiliate Type
UNOPS LICA6Target Start Date
2026-04-01Terms of Reference
- General Background (Brief description of the national, sector-specific or other relevant context in which the individual contractor will operate)
The Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa (RBWCA), based in Dakar, oversees UNHCR operations in 23 countries. It maintains offices in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria and national offices in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and Togo. The multi country office in Cameroon covers Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome et Principe and the Republic of Congo.
The Bureau is accredited to regional intergovernmental bodies, including ECOWAS and ECCAS, and engages closely with UN regional entities. With both Anglophone and Francophone countries, the region requires bilingual, context-specific engagement across diverse political and operational environments.
As of end 2025 the region hosts more than 21.9 million forcibly displaced and stateless persons, with needs rising due to expanding conflict in the Sahel, political instability, and the Sudan crisis, which has driven large refugee inflows into Chad and CAR. The region is also a major corridor for mixed movements, necessitating a route‑based approach across the West Atlantic African Route and the Central Mediterranean routes to support alternatives to perilous journeys across deserts or seas, by addressing the protection needs and seeking sustainable solutions for people on the move in a comprehensive manner.
As part of the Protection and Solutions team in the Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa, the Protection Associate coordinates quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of forcibly displaced and stateless persons. The role also identifies opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards across all operational sectors. In addition, the Protection Associate monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices to ensure alignment with international norms and provides functional protection support to information management and programme teams.
As part of its efforts to diversify partnerships, UNHCR in West and Central Africa is strengthening its collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation. Following the announcement of a new phase in the partnership between UNHCR and the Foundation, the Regional Bureau supported the design of a multi-country project that aims to help more than half a million refugees and displaced youth across Africa complete their education, enable 200,000 young people to transition into dignified employment by 2030, and reinforce community-led initiatives. The Regional Bureau plays a pivotal role in providing oversight, ensuring coordination, and advancing policies that help States and partners promote harmonized protection initiatives and expand access to documentation that fosters inclusion and self-reliance.
- Purpose and Scope of Assignment (Concise and detailed description of activities, tasks and responsibilities to be undertaken, including expected travel, if applicable)
Working under the supervision of the Senior Protection Officer, the Protection Associate will provide operational support for the implementation of the Mastercard Foundation/UNHCR regional programmatic activities related to protection and inclusion of refugees, working closely with technical units (Protection, Development, Policy, Education) in the Bureau to ensure smooth coordination of activities, compliance with work plans, timelines and accountability requirements.
The work covered by the incumbent will include: • Supporting the organisation of regional level multistakeholder meetings and workshops on key protection and inclusion thematics in line with priorities identified with the Mastercard Foundation; • Collecting, consolidating and analysing protection information from country operations related to project progress, as well as preparing internal reports, monitoring notes and protection-related guidance. • Identifying and implementing activities for cross-learning and the exchange of good practices in key areas such as access to documentation, stateless prevention, subregional inclusion policies and durable solutions. • Contributing to the development and dissemination of visibility materials related to the above-mentioned activities.
- Monitoring and Progress Controls (Clear description of measurable outputs, milestones, key performance indicators and/or reporting requirements which will enable performance monitoring)
• Finalized reports of regional workshops that include actionable recommendations. • Monitoring reports and analytical products produced in line with reporting requirements agreed with Mastercard Foundation. • Capacity-building activities delivered. • Visibility materials developed and disseminated.
- Qualifications and Experience
a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
Background in international law, political science, refugee protection, or related field.
b. Work Experience
Essential 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher
Desirable Familiarity with UNHCR protection frameworks, AGD approaches, and Protection Learning Programme training—is an advantage.
c. Key Competencies
Required Demonstrated knowledge of international protection principles, including refugee protection frameworks. Demonstrated ability to build trust and collaboration with diverse actors, including authorities, civil society, and vulnerable populations. Full oral and written proficiency in both English and French is mandatory; excellent drafting skills in both languages are required. Demonstrated commitment to team collaboration, positive interpersonal relationships, and sensitivity to diverse cultural contexts are essential.
A written test may be included in the selection process.Standard Job Description
Required Languages
French,
English,
Desired Languages
,
,
Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Master's: International Law, Master's: Political ScienceCertifications
Work Experience
Other information
This position doesn't require a functional clearance Remote
No
Potential interview questions
| Describe a time you built trust with a diverse group of stakeholders. | This question assesses your collaboration skills with diverse actors. | Provide a specific example highlighting your approach and outcomes. |
| How would you handle conflicting priorities in a multi-stakeholder environment? | This examines your ability to manage complexity in stakeholder engagements. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Can you explain international protection principles and their relevance in your work? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What strategies would you implement to enhance cross-learning and good practices? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Share an example of a successful report you prepared. What made it effective? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How do you ensure sensitivity to diverse cultural contexts in your work? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What would you do if you identify a gap in protection processes during your work? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Describe a time when you facilitated a multi-stakeholder meeting. What challenges did you encounter? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
Added 3 months ago
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Updated 2 months ago
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Source:
unhcr.org
