Senior Protection Assistant

Overview

Monitor protection standards and provide support to persons of concern in line with international standards.

You have:

• 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher
• International Law; Political Science; (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
• Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Deadline for Applications

July 14, 2026Grade

GS5Staff Member / Affiliate Type

General ServiceReason

Temporary > Temporary Assignment/ AppointmentHardship Level

DFamily Type

Family<p></p><p></p>Residential location (if applicable)

Target Start Date

2026-08-01Target End Date

2026-12-31Standard Job Description

Senior Protection Assistant

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Senior Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague. The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff.

The Senior Protection Assistant provides quality, timely and effective protection support to persons of concern (PoC) and identifies opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and safeguards in operational responses. S/he contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on protection issues as guided by the supervisor.

The Senior Protection Assistant also ensures that PoC are involved in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.

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 - Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct. - Provide counselling on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation. - Support activities in protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners. - Conduct preliminary information gathering and interviews in support of eligibility, status determination, durable solutions and social needs assessment. - 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 for PoC as part of the protection strategy. - Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities. - Participate in individual protection case management including cases of GBV and child protection. Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents. - Assist in identifying durable solutions for PoC in voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement. - Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners. - Draft reports, routine correspondence, update relevant databases and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR). - Contribute to initiatives to enhance national and local protection capacities. - Select PoC for preliminary interviews and decide which relevant information to share. - Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners.

- 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 Education & Professional Work Experience Years of Experience / Degree Level G5 - 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education Not applicable

Certificates and/or Licenses International Law; Political Science; (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience Essential: Not specified. Desirable: Not specified.

Functional Skills IT-Computer Literacy PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework (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

*** IMPORTANT: The position is advertised under External Temporary Appointment (ETA) modality, which is indented to cover for a short-term staffing gap. Successful candidate will be requested to resign from their current contractual modality (e.g., FTA, ICA or others) to undertake such Temporary Appointment. ***

1. General Background

Following several influxes of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar into Bangladesh, the number of registered refugees across 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar District is approximately 1,197,411 as of May 2026. The absence of recognized legal status renders refugees vulnerable to arbitrary arrest and detention, mistreatment, and exploitation, including trafficking. In response, UNHCR and its partners provide protection case management and free legal services within the camps. Reports of high number of serious protection incidents in the camps underscore the need to strengthen prevention and response mechanisms. At present, UNHCR is addressing these challenges through a protection and solutions strategy that includes engaging Government authorities and partners to strengthen the protective environment for refugees, including by expanding outreach activities, referral mechanisms, advocacy for respect for refugees’ basic rights, and implementing a range of protection interventions.

The Senior Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague. The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff.

The Senior Protection Assistant provides quality, timely and effective protection support to refugees and identifies opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and safeguards in operational responses. S/he may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on protection issues as guided by the supervisor.

The Senior Protection Assistant also ensures that PoC are involved in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.

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.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment • 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. • Provide counselling on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation. • Conduct preliminary information gathering and interviews in support of eligibility, status determination, durable solutions and social needs assessment. • Conduct individual protection case management including developing case management plans and managing referrals to different service providers. Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents. • Maintain the integrity of files and other materials related to cases and record information and data accordingly into the UNHCR proGres database. • Coordinate protection activities in the camp when assigned as the Protection Sector focal point organizing coordination meetings and protection interventions. • Execute the duties as the Protection Emergency Response Unit (PERU) focal point when assigned to the role. • Monitor the activities of Protection volunteers and provide the necessary support to fulfil their duties. • Assist in identifying durable solutions for the largest possible number of PoC through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement. • Comply with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities. • Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD-based programming with implementing and operational partners. • Draft reports, routine correspondence, update relevant databases, and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR). • Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions, and NGOs to strengthen national protection-related legislation and procedures. • Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners. • Perform other related duties as required.

3. Desired Candidate Profile To be successful in this role, the candidate needs to have the following: • Knowledge of international and national refugee law, and UNHCR/IASC protection standards, policies and codes of conduct. • Experience in individual protection case management, including interviewing, case management planning, and referrals to service providers; and protection monitoring. • Demonstrated experience working with proGres database or similar case management/data systems, • Experience coordinating protection activities in a refugee camp setting with multiple humanitarian actors, • Demonstrated ability to engage with refugees, local authorities, and implementing partners.Functional Clearance

This position doesn't require a functional clearance****Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level)****

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Additional Qualifications

Skills

IT-Computer Literacy, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and FrameworkEducation

Certifications

International Law - Other, Political Science - OtherWork Experience

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Potential interview questions

Added 10 days ago - Updated 5 days ago - Source: unhcr.org