JOB DESCRIPTION

Hardship Level

A (least hardship)

Family Type

Family

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

GS6

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Target Start Date

2025-09-01

Deadline for Applications

July 16, 2025

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

The operation in Chile has a workforce of approximately 25 people, composed of staff members (both national and international) and affiliates. The National Office (NO) is based in Santiago de Chile and falls under the scope of the Multi-country Office (MCO) Argentina, located in Buenos Aires, which also covers Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Chile has consolidated as a leading destination country for the forcibly displaced in Latin America, hosting 1.6 million foreigners, which accounts for 8.8% of the total population, according to the latest Census of 2024. This sustained growth over the past decade positions Chile as the second country in Latin America with the highest proportion of foreign-born population, following Costa Rica (10.2%). Among foreigners, Venezuelans make up 41.6%, followed by Peruvians (14.5%), Colombians (12.3%), Haitians (9.1%), and Bolivians (8.7%)—together accounting for nearly 86% of all refugees and migrants residing in the country. Chile has also provided protection to individuals fleeing conflict and persecution from Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, offering a safe space to rebuild their lives.

Chile is one of the highest-receiving countries of people with and for whom UNHCR works in the region, with more than 677,922 individuals forcibly displaced (considering people forced to flee and a small group of 1,688 people at risk of statelessness). These numbers include over 660,420 people in need of international protection, 13,366 asylum seekers and 2,448 refugees (statistics as of December 2024).

UNHCR works together with the national government institutions, civil society organizations, municipalities, refugee led organizations and the private sector to ensure access to protection, humanitarian assistance, and durable solutions for all those who have sought safety in the country.

Lately the country has seen an escalation in the negative perception of the phenomenon of human mobility among the Chilean population. Recent surveys have positioned human mobility as detrimental to the country; one of the main reasons why people forced to flee, and others in need of international protection are often subjected to discrimination and physical violence, sexual aggression, and exploitation, as well as victims of smuggling and trafficking.

In regions more affected by the recent arrival of refugees and migrants, such as the northern part of the country and the metropolitan region, host communities have faced serious challenges and constraints accessing public services such as health facilities, and spaces at schools for children. Services that were already limited before having now become scarcer due to the increase of population. Communities sometimes associate these situations to the increase in foreign population living in their neighborhoods. To the latter, we can add the occurrence of incivilities that make respectful coexistence difficult as some of the main challenges of community work in Chile.

The Community-Based Protection Associate is a member of the Protection and Solutions Unit and will report to the Protection Officer.

The Community-Based Protection Associate works directly with organizations and communities to promote peaceful coexistence, and to identify the risks they face and leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. This position requires previous experience in participatory processes with community based and non-governmental organizations, with proven knowledge about gender equality and intersectionality approach. Experience working with migrant, refugee-led and women organizations and their networks is desirable. Familiarity with messaging apps and other communication tools is valued.

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

English

,

Spanish

,

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