Community-Based Protection Associate

  • Location:
  • Salary:
    negotiable / YEAR
  • Job type:
    FULL_TIME
  • Posted:
    14 hours ago
  • Category:
    Peace and Security
  • Deadline:
    17/12/2025

JOB DESCRIPTION

Hardship Level

E (most hardship)

Family Type

Non Family with Residential Location

Family Type

Non Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay

Residential location (if applicable)

Budapest, Hungary

Grade

GS6

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Remote work accepted

No

Target Start Date

2025-01-01

Deadline for Applications

December 30, 2024

Standard Job Description

Community-Based Protection Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Community-Based Protection Associate is a member of the Protection Unit and may report to the Protection Officer, Community-Based Protection Officer, or another more senior staff member in the Protection Unit. Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, the Community-Based Protection Associate works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for part of the protection and/or support staff and supports the application of community-based protection standards, operational procedures and practices in community-based protection delivery at the field level. To fulfil this role, the Community-Based Protection Associate is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of PoC. The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with PoC that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results, form the core of the work of the incumbent. S/he also supports the designing of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with PoC.

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
– Assist functional units, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) and senior management to integrate participatory and community-based approaches in the overall protection strategy and operational procedures.
– Through relationships with PoC and network of partners, stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment and provide advice to the protection team. Understand the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC and advise the protection team accordingly, highlighting the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups.
– Work with host communities to identify opportunities for national civil society involvement in improving the protection of PoC.
– Work with implementing and operational partners as well as with displaced and local communities to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organisational and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and prevention and response to GBV.
– Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face.
– Support participatory assessments by multifunctional teams and ongoing consultation with PoC.
– Assist in planning and monitoring of programmes and budgets, with an AGD perspective
– Build office capacity for community-based protection through training and establishing systems for community mobilization and participation of PoC.
– Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures.
– Ensure community understanding of UNHCR’s commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
– Act as an interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
– Contribute to the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR’s work.
– Initiate AGD sensitive interventions at the appropriate level on community-based protection issues and to respond to protection concerns and incidents within the office, with external interlocutors, groups and individuals based on agreed parameters.
– Identify and select which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.
– Intervene with authorities on protection.
– Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
– Recommend and prepare payments to individual cases.

– 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

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G6 – 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Development, Human Rights, International Law
International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science,
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified.

Desirable
UNHCR learning programmes (PLP). Knowledge of MSRP.

Functional Skills
IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
*IT-Computer Literacy
UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
PR-Community-based Protection – Principles and methodologies
CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community
PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate)
TR-Capacity Buidling
(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

Operational Context

The Ukraine operation is a dynamic one with the operational footprint centred around two main objectives – emergency response to continue addressing critical humanitarian needs, as well as early recovery and durable solutions. SO Dnipro is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, covering 5 eastern oblasts, and is among the top regions in the country in terms of the number of IDPs, war-affected people and returnees.
The Community-Based Protection Associate is a member of the Protection Unit and may report to the Senior Community-Based Protection Officer, Assistant Protection Officer, or other senior staff member in the Protection Unit. Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, the Community-Based Protection Associate works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families, and communities. The incumbent supports staff and the application of community-based protection standards, operational procedures, and practices in community-based protection delivery at the field level and in Collective Sites. To fulfil this role, the Community-Based Protection Associate is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of IDPs, conflict affected and returnees. S/he contributes to the development and maintenance of constructive relationships with communities that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results, form the core of the work of the incumbent. S/he also supports the designing of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with communities.

Desired Candidate Profile

The Community-Based Protection Associate will need to have experience working in mixed settings, including working with IDPs, conflict affected and returnees, good understanding of how UNHCR works with the cluster system, experience of working in emergency settings with a focus on solutions from the start. S/he will need to have field experience and be adept at operationalizing protection as well as be committed to promoting the meaningful participation of IDPs and returnees in UNHCR programs. S/he will also need to have excellent drafting skills with an interest in protection analysis and advocacy. Good understanding of UNHCR’s footprint in situations of internal displacement, particularly its cluster lead responsibilities (Protection, CCCM and Shelter/NFI) and response in complex emergencies is an advantage.

The following skills and competencies would give a candidate a strong advantage: strong interpersonal skills; maturity and the ability to work under minimum supervision; record of strong coordination skills; and experience of working with protection and CCCM clusters. Experience of working in sectors of child protection, GBV, community mobilization and support to capacity building of local initiative will be of great value.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

Ukrainian

,

English

,

Desired languages

,

,

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

Living and Working Conditions:

 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community, IT-Computer Literacy, IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate), PR-Community-based Protection – Principles and methodologies, TR-Capacity Buidling, UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures

Education

Certifications

Community Development/Social Work – Other, Development Studies – Other, Human Rights – Other, International Law – Other, Political Science – Other, Social Sciences – Other

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Managing performance, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

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

Compendium

Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements