JOB DESCRIPTION

Hardship Level

C

Family Type

Non Family

Family Type

Non Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

NOA

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Target Start Date

2025-08-01

Deadline for Applications

July 22, 2025

Standard Job Description

Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer is a member of the Protection Unit in a Country Operation 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 Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer 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 Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of persons of concern (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
– Be fully informed about community structures and the protection and security situation of the PoC and develop strong links with a cross-section of members of refugee/IDP/stateless communities, using an AGD approach.
– 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 senior management.
– Ensure that the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC are reflected in the protection strategy, planning processes and operations plan addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups.
– Support a consultative process with government counterparts at local levels, partners and PoC to develop and implement integrated strategies that address the key protection priorities, including, for example, child protection, education and GBV, and solutions approaches.
– Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners and implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on all community-based protection related issues.
– Support the design, implementation and evaluation of protection centred and solutions oriented programming with implementing and operational partners guaranteeing that community-owned activities are integrated.
– Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures
– Promote confidence building and conflict resolution among PoC, authorities and host communities.
– Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with PoC, host communities, local authorities and partners. In operations applying the humanitarian cluster system, contribute the development of an AGD-compliant strategy on which the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded and covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations.
– Support the Operation’s work to fully integrate the protection strategy into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team’s common humanitarian action plan where applicable.
– Contribute to the Protection team’s information management component which: provides disaggregated data on PoC and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery and provide technical advice if necessary.
– Support the inclusion of participatory, community-based protection and AGD approaches in strategies and plans in the Country Operation.
– Support community understanding of UNHCR’s commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
– Support PoC to develop structures that enhance their participation and protection.
– Contribute to the design of project submissions and the budget for endorsement by the supervisor.
– Intervene with authorities on community-based protection issues.
– Negotiate with local counterparts, partners and PoC.

– 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 P1/NOA – 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights,
International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science,
Anthropology, International Law

or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Some professional working experience.in the areas of community services, social work (e.g., gender, GBV programs, women’s empowerment and protection, work with refugees) or/and human rights or related tasks in government, NGO or international organisation.

Desirable
Proven communication skills, both oral and written. Demonstrated knowledge of community communication and engagement approaches. Understanding of and demonstrated competencies in forced displacement and protection, particularly GBV prevention and response, child protection, education, gender equality, and the application of the Age, Gender and Diversity Policy.

Functional Skills
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
IT-Computer Literacy
DM-Database Management
PR-Coordination in Forced Displacement situations
PR-Child Protection Prevention and Response Programming
PR-Gender Equality
PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention programming
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) response programming
(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

Strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential for this role, as the incumbent will be expected to build trust and maintain effective relationships with refugee communities, often in complex and sensitive environments.

Demonstrated experience in engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including humanitarian/development partners, government authorities, and community representatives is crucial to ensure coordinated and inclusive protection responses.

The ability to monitor, assess, and interpret protection trends and risks is vital. The incumbent should be capable of synthesizing complex information and translating it into concise reports and actionable recommendations. A proactive approach to identifying protection gaps and proposing practical, context-appropriate solutions is key to success in this position.

In addition, strong managerial competencies are required, particularly in leading teams, coordination of protection activities, and ensuring accountability. Experience in designing and delivering training or capacity-building initiatives for staff and partners is also highly desirable, as it contributes to strengthening the overall protection response and sustainability of interventions.

Important notes:

– When completing the application, candidates are required to list all of their language skills – including their mother tongue. The three broad levels are A1/A2 (“Basic User”), B1/B2 (“Independent User”), and C1/C2 (“Proficient User”)

– Shortlisted candidates will be required to undergo a written test. Only successful candidates will be invited for the interview.

– Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

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

English

,

,

Desired languages

Arabic

,

Kurdish

,

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:

The Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer is a key member of the Protection Unit within UNHCR’s Iraq operation and reports to the Community-Based Protection Officer, or another senior staff member in the unit. Under the overall guidance of the Protection Unit, the incumbent supports the implementation of UNHCR’s community-based protection strategy, with a particular focus on the coordination with key Government entities such as Ministry/Directorate of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA/DOLSA), development actors, and other stakeholders to enhance that refugees and asylum seekers have equitable access to national services on par with Iraqi citizens.

The incumbent plays a central role in strengthening community engagement by maintaining a trusted networks with refugee and host communities. Through participatory assessments, focus group discussions, and community consultations, the Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer ensures that UNHCR Iraq protection planning is informed by the needs and capacities of persons we serve. The role involves close collaboration with the Ministry of social Affairs (MOLSA), Directorate of Social Affairs (DOLSA) at Field Levels, and other national institutions to advocate for the inclusion of refugees in national protection, social welfare, and their frameworks. The incumbent also provides technical guidance to senior management on community-based protection approaches, contributes to the development of operational plans and SOPs, and supports the capacity-development of UNHCR staff, partners, government counterpart and community members.

Additionally, the Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer enhances the role of Community Reference Groups (CRGs) as a main community linkage and support community-led initiatives when relevant. The incumbent leads efforts to improve two-way communication with communities and develops culturally appropriate outreach materials. In exceptional occasion, the incumbent coordinates with development and humanitarian partners to ensure timely referral of individuals with heightened protection risks.

The Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer will play a key role in advancing UNHCR’s commitment to the localization agenda. In this capacity, s/he will work closely with refugees and refugee-led organizations to strengthen their self-representation structures. This support is designed to empower communities to proactively and effectively identify and address issues of concern, including protection risks by enhancing their capacity to engage with existing government departments as well as operational protection actors and advocate for their rights and needs.

The Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer ensures that refugees’ communities are meaningfully engaged in the decisions that affect them, and s/he supports programme design based on the concerns, priorities and capacities of the communities.

Living and Working Conditions:

Iraq is currently at a turning point, leaving behind the effects of three decades of political turmoil and armed conflicts that deeply impacted its people. Since the end of large-scale military operations in 2017, Iraq has been experiencing relative stability and is advancing towards sustainable development. These developments notwithstanding, there remain protracted humanitarian and development needs.

Iraq generously hosts over 336,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, 90% of whom are Syrian and live in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.  Close to 83% of refugees in Iraq live in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Of these, some 32% live in nine refugee camps while the majority live in urban areas.

With the evolving situation in Syria, refugees and asylum-seekers in Iraq are closely following developments. In the first quarter of 2025, some1,000 refugees registered with UNHCR returned home. Overall, 12 percent of Syrian refugees in Iraq have expressed their intention to return home this year.

UNHCR works with the Government of Iraq and partners to support the access of refugees and asylum-seekers to protection and their inclusion in public services, such as education and healthcare, as well as their access to economic opportunities and in advancing solutions.

Iraq also has over 1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). While the majority live in urban settings or informal settlements across the country, as of end March 2025, some 108,000 live in 20 IDP camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.  In early 2024, the Government of Iraq announced its intent to close the remaining IDPs camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. While many IDPs hope to return to their homes at some point, many may be unable or unwilling to do so because of their specific profiles or the situation in their areas of origin. UNHCR supports the efforts of pursuing durable solutions for IDPs, including the closure of camps, as solutions, including voluntary return, local integration and relocation are available to IDPs, enabling them to make decisions on a voluntary and well-informed basis.

In the evolving context in Iraq, UNHCR has transitioned from a purely humanitarian response to a response that supports development approaches. UNHCR’s multi-year strategy 2025-2029, therefore envisions that forcibly displaced populations and stateless persons in Iraq have improved access to legal protection as well as full and inclusive access to quality basic and protection services in national systems as well as economic opportunities.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

DM-Database Management, IT-Computer Literacy, PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD), PR-Child Protection Prevention and Response Programming, PR-Coordination in Forced Displacement situations, PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention programming, PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) response programming, PR-Gender Equality, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework

Education

Bachelor of Arts: Anthropology, Bachelor of Arts: Cultural Studies, Bachelor of Arts: Human Rights, Bachelor of Arts: International Development, Bachelor of Arts: International Law, Bachelor of Arts: International Social Work, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Bachelor of Arts: Social Science

Certifications

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Managing resource, Organizational 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