Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

A (least hardship)

Family

UNOPS LICA4

2024-10-01

September 5, 2024

Desired candidate profile

The Protection assistant will be based at the Multi-country office in Bangkok, and will be a member of the “Kanchanaburi” Protection team covering the border camps in Ratchaburi (Tham Hin camp) and Kanchanaburi (Ban Don Yang camp). Under the supervision of the Protection Officer, the Protection Assistant will:

– Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports;
– Coordinate and make direct contact with a broad range of stakeholders including government counterparts, law enforcement agencies, camp management, NGOs, CBOs, refugee community representatives and refugees.
– Conduct protection counselling sessions monthly in each camp, following-up on a wide range of protection issues, including gender-based violence (GBV), child protection and resettlement.
– Provide legal services and facilitate access to the Thai justice system (counselling victims, assisting in filing complaints, attending interviews with police/public prosecutors, participating in court sessions, etc.).
– Carry out registration activities monthly in the camps.
– Perform detention monitoring visits.
– Actively participate in protection meetings (including Protection Working Group and Child Protection meetings).
– Take part in child protection activities, including drafting assessments for unaccompanied and separated children, as well as other children at risk, and collaborating closely with the child protection partner.
Operational context

Thailand hosts along the Thai-Myanmar border some 82,000 displaced persons (refugees) from Myanmar over the last three decades. UNHCR Offices are engaged in a range of activities to support the Royal Thai Government (RTG) in ensuring their international protection and seeking solutions to the protracted refugee situation. Frequent travel to the border camps in Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi is expected.

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Relevant professional experience in the area of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law, including experience in working directly with refugees and a wide range of stakeholder, including authorities. Experience in Child Protection is highly desirable for the role. Excellent analytical and drafting skills.

Required languages
Required: Fluency in English
Desirable: Knowledge of Karen or Burmese language
Competencies

– Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNHCR; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially;
– Multi-stakeholder management: ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially authorities.
– Case management: Experience managing protection and legal cases; experience in working with refugees and/or in related field would be an advantage.
– Teamwork and respect for diversity: strong team spirit; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age;
– Planning and organizing: ability to establish priorities and to plan; and to handle multiple concurrent activities;
– Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to communicate with authorities, and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds;
– Flexibility: adaptability and ability to work in remote conditions, with frequent travel to the border camps required, involving little comfort;

Location: Bangkok

Contract: until end 2024 (with possibility of extension)

Standard Job Description

Protection Assistant Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague. The incumbent provides functional and administrative support to the protection unit on protection related liaison, correspondence, monitoring, case management and reporting activities. The Protection Assistant also supports the protection unit in designing a comprehensive protection strategy and in providing quality, timely and effective protection responses to persons of concern (PoC). S/he may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on correspondence and/or protection issues as guided by the supervisor. The Protection Assistant also facilitates the involvement of PoC 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. – Observe and respect protection related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). – Provide functional and administrative support in all protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners. – Provide functional and administrative support in implementing participatory approaches, needs assessments, monitoring, reporting and case management. – Support assessments on durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement. – Facilitate liaison with competent authorities for the issuance of personal and other relevant documents. – Assist in drafting reports, routine correspondence, updating relevant databases and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR). – Select PoC for preliminary interviews and decide which relevant information to share. – Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners. – Perform other related duties as required. Minimum Qualifications Years of Experience / Degree Level For G4 – 1 year relevant experience with High School Diploma; or Bachelor or equivalent or higher Field(s) of Education Not applicable Certificates and/or Licenses Protection (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential) Relevant Job Experience Essential: Not specified. Desirable: Not specified. Functional Skills PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework IT-Computer Literacy (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.

Required Languages

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

Skills

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

Education

Certifications

HCR Learning Program – UNHCR, HCR Protection Induction Prog – UNHCR, HCR Protection Learning Program Statelessness – UNHCR, HCR Protection Learning Program – UNHCR, HCR Thematic Protection Learning Program – UNHCR

Other information

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No