Senior Protection Officer

Only candidates who are not nationals of the country of assignment are eligible to apply to this position

Hardship Level

E (most hardship)Family Type

Non Family with Residential LocationResidential location (if applicable)

Addis Ababa,Eth Fed Dem RepGrade

PR4Staff Member / Affiliate Type

Professional### * Staff members will not normally serve in International Professional positions in the country of their nationality. In addition, in case of a first appointment upon recruitment, the assignment must be outside the staff member’s country of nationality.

In practical terms this means that you are not eligible to apply for International Professional vacancies advertised in the country where you are national of.

Reason

Regular > Regular AssignmentRemote work accepted

NoTarget Start Date

2024-01-24Job Posting End Date

February 14, 2024Standard Job Description

Senior Protection Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships In the Bureaux, the Senior Protection Officer works under the direct supervision of the Bureau Deputy Director or Head of Bureau Protection Service or Senior Protection Coordinator. In the Field, the incumbent normally reports to the Representative, Deputy or Assistant Representative (Protection) or Head of Sub Office as appropriate. The incumbent has direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff whose work may include RSD, community-based protection, registration, resettlement, internal displacement, complementary pathways, and education, among other areas. In HQ, the incumbent may report to a Chief of Section or Deputy Director and may lead a Unit and/or supervise other protection staff.

The incumbent acts as a key advisor to senior management and leads the development of 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 Senior Protection Officer plans, leads and coordinates quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern under the AoR. This includes ensuring that operational responses in all sectors are shaped in a protection optic, are consistent with and promote respect for relevant international law and UNHCR's doctrine, mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. Another important element of the incumbent¿s functions is to ensure that persons of concern of all age, gender and diversity groups are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying and implementing appropriate solutions to their problems. To undertake this role effectively, the incumbent 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, communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions.

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 - Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues. - Stay abreast of legal, political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment. - Manage a consultative process with government counterparts, partners and persons of concern to develop and implement a comprehensive protection and solutions strategy addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation and/or gender identities (LGBTI persons), persons living with HIV/AIDS; gender equality and Gender Based Violence (GBV) priorities with regard to these persons. - In operations applying the Cluster Approach, ensure the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations. - Ensure that the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the Humanitarian Country Team's common humanitarian response plan as well as with the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees and the Three Year Strategy on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways. - Promote relevant International, Regional and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct and ensure that all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations fulfil their responsibilities in mainstreaming protection. - Promote the implementation of the AGD policy, including UNHCR¿s updated commitments to women and girls, and design, deliver and monitor programmes on an AGD basis to address identified protection needs. - Develop, implement and monitor community-based protection strategies and ensure systematic application and integration of participatory and community-based approaches in protection and solutions planning, programming and strategies. - Support the establishment of feedback and response systems and the incorporation of feedback received from persons of concern into programme design and adaptation. - Guide the operation in the development and implementation of robust prevention, identification, and responses to fraud within protection processes and procedures, including registration, RSD, and resettlement, ensuring the integrity of interventions across all protection activities. - Oversee the management of individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection. - Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to internal and external interlocutors; ensure legal assistance is accessible to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documents to persons of concern (including women and others in need of civil documentation in particular birth certificates). - As designated Data Protection Focal Point, assist the data controller in carrying out his or her responsibilities regarding the Data Protection Policy (7.2 DPP). - Oversee eligibility and status determination in the Operation(s) under the AoR, ensuring compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles. - Promote and implement strategies and measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness. - Develop and implement an education plan as part of the protection strategy within the AoR as relevant. - Develop and implement a child protection plan as part of the protection strategy within the AoR, ensuring programmes use a child protection systems approach. - Monitor and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners. - Work to safeguard the rights of persons of concerns in the context of mixed movements as relevant. - Coordinate the preparation of, implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities. - Ensure that durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement and complementary pathways are sought and provided to the largest possible number of persons of concern including undertaking, supporting, and/or overseeing resettlement and complementary pathways activities, including implementation of the GCR Three Year Strategy. - Coordinate the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related programming with implementing and operational partners. - Develop and implement a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners. - Ensure that the Protection Sector or Cluster has an effective information management component which provides disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems. - Research, collect and disseminate relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery. - Develop the protection capacity of national and local authorities, partners and civil society to assume their responsibilities vis-à-vis all persons of concern through protection training, mainstreaming and related activities. - Coordinate capacity-development initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights. - Advise and capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and civil society to strengthen legislation and status determination procedures and mechanisms.

- Lead risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seize opportunities impacting objectives. Ensure that risk management principles are integrated in decision-making both at strategic and operational levels. Allocate resources for planned treatments with resource requirements in Strategic Plans. Ensure that risks are managed to acceptable levels and escalate, as needed. If a Risk Owner, designate the Risk Focal Point and certify that the annual risk review is completed and ensure that the risk register is updated during the year, as needed. - Perform other related duties as required.

For positions in Bureaux

- Support the Regional Bureau and Country Operations to reflect the protection and solution angle in support of persons of concern with regional processes. - Support Country Operations in the development of strategies to build and further develop national asylum/RSD systems with a view to ensuring their fairness, efficiency, adaptability and integrity, favourable protection environment and solutions. - Assist UNHCR management at country level to comply with policies and commitment on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures. - Support Country Operations and ensure they meet their complementary pathways objectives and resettlement quotas. - In close collaboration with DIP, (a) contribute to the development of background and general normative, policy, and legal positions, in compliance with UNHCR¿s global protection policies and standards; (b) contribute to the development of strategies at the regional and country level on the usage of law and policy approaches, including legislative and judicial engagement and UN human rights mechanisms ¿and/or regional ones ¿ and other protection frameworks, and integrated human rights standards in protection strategies and advocacy; and (c) coordinate and review UNHCR¿s country reports to the UN human rights mechanisms. - Engage in relevant international and regional fora and forge regional partnerships to advocate for key protection and mandate issues, and engage in cross-cutting protection-related matters, including mixed movement, internal displacement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses, as well as Statelessness in cooperation with DIP and where relevant RSD.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level For P4/NOD - 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education Law, International Law, International refugee Law,

International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law,

Refugee and Forced Migration, Political Sciences or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses Protection Learning Programme RSD-Resettlement Learning Programme Management Learning Programme (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience Essential Minimum 7 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. Very good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles, and of UNHCR¿s protection strategies and policies. Excellent legal research, analytical skills and drafting.

Desirable Diverse field experience. Good IT skills including database management skills.

Functional Skills *PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators *PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) PR-Refugee Coordination Model PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards PR-International Humanitarian Law PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework LE-Judicial Engagement PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement PR-Accountability to Affected People - Principles and Framework 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

The Senior Protection Officer works under the direct supervision of the Head of Sub Office, S/he has direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff whose work include RSD, screening for new arrivals, protection monitoring, community-based protection, registration, resettlement, internal displacement, complementary pathways, and education, among other areas.

The incumbent is expected to have strong competencies of a skillful leader in guiding and supporting protection staff, addressing various operational challenges. He/she should possess a good level of maturity to be able to lead discussions with colleagues from numerous partner organizations. The incumbent to the position will be required to demonstrate competencies in operational leadership, inter-agency coordination, protection programming and management of assistance protection that have been acquired from previous field experience and operations, particularly in emergency situations as well as supervision of a protection team.

The incumbent should have relevant professional experience in refugee protection, protection monitoring, protection emergency response, protection monitoring, engagement with human rights mechanisms, inter-agency coordination, international humanitarian law, including experience in working directly with Branch and Field Offices.

The incumbent will need to have the capacity to build and maintain effective interfaces with other relevant teams within the operation (including Clusters coordinators, programme; Technical unit and external relations; information management), with people we work for, authorities, protection, and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions. Considering the context, he/she shall be able to liaise with the country of origin and reinforce the existing cross-border collaboration and ensure the implementation of the Tripartite Agreement.

He/shall understand the need of data and ensure that data is used to support the multisectoral response and to inform UNHCR’s programming as well as other partners.

As the incumbent will be the deputy of the Head of Sub Office, he/she shall be able to demonstrate skills in leadership, political awareness and sensitivity, collaboration in working with all stakeholders, team building.

He/She is supposed to be the OIC in the absence of the Head of Sub-Office. She/he should have the ability to lead the protection Unit and supervise beyond the protection staff.

The incumbent should have Knowledge of Programme Management, COMPASS, and the Resource Allocation Framework (related to HR matters).

Due to the nature of the work, the incumbent is expected to have experience in capacity development of team members, a pro-active mature attitude to address complex and dynamic operational context arising from operational emergencies, as well as the ability to deliver under stressful environments.

Ability to promote duty of care related interventions through innovative and creative solutions for both staff and senior management is an added value.Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

French,

,

Desired languages

,

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

Southern Chad, on the border with the Central African Republic, has been hosting refugees from the Central African Republic from 2003 to 2023 following several political and institutional crises; 12,4178 refugees have been accommodated in camps and in villages outside the camps in 4 provinces of the South. The operation in the South is therefore mainly concerned with the integration of refugees in Chad, except for a few emergencies due to instability in the north of CAR; the last emergency was in Sido in November 2023, which is covered by the Maro field office.

The South also received Chadian returnees from CAR in 2014 and since then these populations have been waiting for a durable solution, in particular concerning their citizenship linked to their right to documentation (identity card).

The strategy for 2023, i.e. to focus on integration, has been influenced by a context of increasing security instability in the South (and East), exacerbated by growing poverty (linked to, but not limited to, inflation), climate change (insufficient rainfall in 2023) and increasing competition for scarce resources.

Consequently, in 2024, in view of the declining budget, the strategy will focus more on strengthening development/integration activities by reinforcing the active presence of the government and development actors in the South, and on active emergency preparedness, given the instability of the borders between the CAR and Chad.

The Operation is responding to an emergency situation of some 11,000 refugees from CAR in the Moyen Chari region, who are being relocated from the border to an existing site in Maro. Due to funding constraints, the Sub-Office is being asked to reprioritise it's 2024 OL (already under pressure) to respond to this emergency. This is a serious challenge for the Sub-Office.

UNHCR has 7 partners in the South, including 2 government partners (CNARR for camp management and ANATS for civil documentation) covering protection and assistance; one of the main protection projects is related to border and protection monitoring (monitoring of detention centres), which is essential in terms of information provision.

The position of Senior Protection Officer is based in the Gore Sub-Office, which covers 3 field offices in Maro, Moissala and Haraze in the 4 different provinces. In terms of staffing. The sub-office and field offices have a total staff of 77, including 22 protection officers (14 in Gore).

Living and Working Conditions:

Gorè remains isolated due to poor road infrastructure and is located 112 km south of Moundou, which is accessible by road. All road travel times increase significantly during the rainy season. The majority of international staff live in the UNHCR Gorè Guest House, which provides food, accommodation, laundry, fitness, TV and security. There are also a limited number of bungalows provided by private landlords. There are limited medical facilities in Gorè (UNDP local dispensary with a full-time nurse and the local Gorè District Hospital) which are not equipped to deal with serious medical cases. Therefore, evacuation by road to Moundou and then by UNHAS flights to Ndjamena is the continued approach. Candidates with medical conditions requiring regular treatment or medical supervision are therefore advised to consult the Medical Section on the suitability of taking up a post in Gorè. In addition, due to the tropical wet and dry climate, malaria is a frequent health challenge for all colleagues, partners and villagers. Applicants for this position should be psychologically prepared for the above context. The rest and recreation cycle is every 8 weeks. There are no banking facilities in Gorè, and funds are withdrawn in Moundou. There is unlimited access to communication via internet (including WhatsApp and Skype) and PAMA phone. Food is being brought in from Moundou and abroad by colleagues returning from leave. The overall situation in the south and south-east and in the camps remains calm, although armed escorts are used as a precaution for missions in remote areas. The civilian nature of the camps has so far been maintained and secured by the DPHR team (government organisation responsible for the security of humanitarian personnel). The provinces of Logone Oriental, Mandoul, Moyen Chari and Salamat, under the responsibility of the UNHCR Gore Sub-Office, are classified as Level II in the United Nations Security Classification System. The risk of spillover of insecurity from northern CAR to southern Chad is minimal due to the security cordon established by the Chadian authorities. However, illicit cross-border trafficking remains a widespread phenomenon. Overall, there are no major security constraints in the area of operations, where the general level of crime is low.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

MG-Client Relationship Management, MG-Resource Management, PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate), PR-Durable Solutions/Comprehensive Solutions Strategies implementation, PR-Managing large influx of Persons of Concern, PR-Mixed migratory movement management, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicatorsEducation

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

HCR Protection Induction Prog - UNHCR, HCR Protection Learning Program - UNHCR, International Protection - OtherWork Experience

Annual Budget OL in Operation/Office, Number of Persons of Concern Served, Number of Workforce in Operation/Work Setting, Workforce to Supervise, Working with Persons of Concern: Asylum Seekers, Working with Persons of Concern: RefugeesCompetencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Leadership, Managing performance, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Political awareness, Strategic planning & visions, Teamwork & collaborationUNHCR Salary Calculator

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

Compendium

Add. 3 to Bi-annual Compendium 2023 - Part BAdditional Information

Functional clearance

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

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Added 5 months ago - Updated 5 months ago - Source: unhcr.org