Grade

GS5

General Service

Reason

Temporary > Temporary Assignment/ Appointment

A (least hardship)

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2024-11-18

2025-11-17

November 10, 2024

Standard 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.

Nature of Position:

UNHCR’s work in the Russian Federation is multi fold. Along with support to the Government and cooperation with partners to strengthen the protection environment and to support the response to the Ukraine crisis, UNHCR works on supporting the legal and social inclusion of refugees from other countries of origins as well as stateless persons. The activities on both asylum and statelessness fronts require proactive and reactive advocacy efforts, legal protection, and community-based protection initiatives to strengthen outreach and interventions. Apart from its traditional counterparts (Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), UNHCR cooperates with the Ministry for Civil Defense, Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief (EMERCOM), the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the RF, the Russian Red Cross and academic institutions, to promote the knowledge of and awareness about global and regional protection challenges, international standards, and UNHCR’s mandate.
Working under the supervision of the Protection Officer, the Senior Protection Assistant will be part of a mobile team that travels on a weekly basis to regions of Russia to meet with Ukrainian refugees as well as with asylum-seekers and refugees from other countries. The position requires flexibility and willingness to travel weekly. The Senior Protection Assistant will have good communication skills to be able to interact with different counterparts, including representatives of state and municipal authorities, NGOs and forcibly displaced people, including persons with specific needs. As the position entails extensive reporting tasks, very good English drafting skills are required. She/he will be required to work in a team in a multicultural environment.

Desired Candidate Profile
– Degree in law.
– Familiarity with international refugee law, UNHCR guidance and protection standards.
– Previous experience in working with refugees/forcibly displaced persons
– Good written and verbal communication skills
– Flexibility and willingness to travel regularly on missions within the Russian Federation
– Good analytical skills
– Proven teamwork and collaboration experience.

Additional information
Candidates must be legally present in the Russian Federation at the time of application, recruitment and hire.
This position is open to applications from internal and external candidates, provided that requirements regarding professional experience, academic qualifications, language, etc. are fulfilled.

Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a test. No late applications will be accepted.

UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

NOTE: An individual whose mother, father, son, daughter, brother or sister is a staff member of UNHCR, including a Temporary Appointment holder or a member of Affiliate Workforce, is not eligible to apply.

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

English

,

Russian

,

,

,

Skills

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

Education

Bachelor of Science (BS): Law

Certifications

International Law – Other, Political Science – Other

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