JOB DESCRIPTION

D

Non Family with Residential Location

Non Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay

Nairobi (CO), Kenya

GS5

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2025-08-01

July 27, 2025

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.

La/le Senior Protection Assistant, G5, est basé(e) à Goma et travaille sous la supervision directe du/de l’Assistant Protection Officer, NOA. Elle/il collabore étroitement avec les autres membres du personnel du HCR au sein des différentes Sections/Unités, ainsi qu’avec un large éventail de parties prenantes telles que les autorités, les autres agences des Nations Unies, les organisations non-gouvernementales (ONG) internationales, nationales et locales, les acteurs de développements, etc., ainsi que les personnes relevant du mandat du HCR elles-mêmes, sur des sujets d’intérêt commun visant à renforcer la protection et les solutions en faveur de ces dernières.

La/le Senior Protection Assistant, G5, contribue à renforcer les interventions dans les domaines identifiés comme prioritaires par la Sous-Délégation de Goma, en particulier en appuyant les activités relatives à la protection générale des personnes relevant de la compétence du HCR, ainsi qu’à leur autonomisation et aux solutions durables – dont le rapatriement volontaire – en leur faveur dans la province du Nord Kivu. Il est ainsi attendu qu’elle/il ait déjà de l’expérience dans les domaines susmentionnés. Selon les besoins, elle/il appuiera d’autres activités ayant trait au secteur de la Protection et sera par ailleurs activement engagé(e) dans la préparation et la réponse aux urgences.

La/le Senior Protection Assistant, G5, doit avoir un haut niveau d’intégrité. Elle/il doit être motivé(e), flexible et capable de gérer des priorités concurrentes. Elle/il doit également posséder un très bon esprit d’équipe et d’excellentes compétences en matière d’analyse, d’organisation et de communication. Elle/il doit aussi avoir de très bonnes capacités rédactionnelles et parler couramment le français. La/le Senior Protection Assistant, G5, doit déjà avoir une certaine expérience en matière de plaidoyer, coordination, renforcement de capacité et, plus généralement, de gestion de projets et de programmes dans des contextes ayant trait aux personnes en situation de déplacement forcé et aux personnes apatrides, ou à risque de l’être, en considérant les approches basées sur le droit, la communauté, et l’âge, le genre et la diversité (AGD). Une bonne connaissance du contexte de l’Est de la RDC et une expérience préalable dans cette zone seraient un avantage.

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

Living and Working Conditions:

Additional Qualifications

Skills

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

Certifications

International Law – Other, Political Science – Other

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Additional Information

This position doesn”t require a functional clearance