JOB DESCRIPTION

E (most hardship)

Non Family with Residential Location

Non Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay

Nairobi (CO), Kenya

PR3

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2025-12-01

August 8, 2025

Community-Based Protection Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Community-Based Protection Officer is a member of the Protection Team in a Regional Bureau or a Country Office and normally reports to the Senior Community-Based Protection Officer, the Senior Protection Officer, Head of Sub-Office or the Assistant Representative for protection.
For a regional position, the incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for Protection and Community-Based Protection staff in the regional office, and a technical support role for Community-Based Protection staff in the region. For a country-level position the incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for Community-based Protection staff and other protection staff in the operation.
H/he supports the implementation of protection standards and provides advice on community-based protection to senior management and Country Operation(s) in close collaboration with the Division of International Protection and Solutions (DIPS).
The incumbent is relied upon by senior management to support a coordinated approach in the implementation of UNHCR’s rights-based and community-based engagement with all forcibly displaced and stateless persons and contributes to the achievement of UNHCR’s commitments to accountability to affected people.
S/he maintains close working relationships and supports Protection and Community-Based Protection staff in the field, who act as the critical interface between UNHCR and communities of concern, enabling them to provide the AGD-sensitive analysis of community risks and capacities that form the essential foundations of national and regional programmes. The incumbent maintains close working relations with sister UN entities, governmental entities, non-governmental organisations and academic institutions that can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions through people centred, community-based and gender responsive approaches.
The incumbent provides guidance to country operations to strengthen their coordination and advocacy on community-based approaches to protection with governments, partners and other key stakeholders.

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 in the development, implementation and monitoring of a community-based protection strategy reflecting the organization’s global, regional and country level protection priorities, and ensuring systematic application of participatory, rights- , community-based, and gender responsive approaches in protection and solutions planning, programming and strategies.
– Support compliance with UNHCR Age, Gender and Diversity Policy, including ensuring AGD inclusive programming, advocating for gender equality and strengthening accountability to affected populations (AAP).
– Assist with the implementation and integration of community-based corporate policies in multi-year and multi-partner protection and solutions strategies and operations plans.
– Support the systematic application of participatory, community, rights based, and gender responsive protection approaches throughout the phases of the operations management cycle and across the work of the organisation and implement community-based GBV prevention and response as well as community-based child protection programmes.
– Contribute to the appropriate adaptations of programmes as a result of the analysis of feedback received from forcibly displaced and stateless persons, as well as other political, social, economic and cultural developments that impact the protection environment.
– Participate in country level planning exercises and advocates for the mobilization and (re)allocation of funds to the implementation of community-based and gender responsive approaches across programmes and sectors in line with regional and country community-based protection strategies.
– Support the establishment and management of a feedback and response system (including on PSEA) and participate in the analysis of feedback gathered through formal and informal feedback and response systems.
– Support capacity development through training and coaching of staff in the domain of AGD, Accountability to Affected People (AAP), CBP, Gender Equality, Youth, Disability and inclusion of other Diversity elements, and mainstreaming of the CBP approach in other sectors.
– Provide technical guidance and support to ensure data relevant to assess and monitor progress on the implementation and impact of community-based and age, gender and diversity approaches is collected and AGD-sensitive analysis of community risks and capacities is undertaken.
– Support the consolidation of reporting on community-based protection and contributes to reporting on the protection of different AGD groups, including identification of trends and collection and dissemination of good practices.
– Contribute to the development of partnerships with a variety of stakeholders including government institutions, UN, civil society actors, and the private sector inclusive of youth, disability, LGBTI, women rights stakeholders and other diverse groups; for the purpose of advocating for community-based approaches for the protection of displaced persons, including implementation of Outreach and communication with diverse groups.
– For functions at a regional level, support harmonization of CBP strategies in the region and their alignment with global policies, identifies and disseminates good practices, supports exchange of expertise in the region and provides a regional level analysis of trends as well as aggregated reporting on implementation of Community-based and AGD approaches.

– 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 P3/NOC – 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Community Development;
Human Rights;
Cultural Studies;
Social Science;
Anthropology;
or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
2-3 years experience of working in the field with direct engagement with forcibly displaced and stateless persons. Demonstrated expertise in field protection, community development, social surveys/ assessment, counselling, or related areas

Desirable
Very good understanding of displacement and protection issues, particularly GBV prevention and response, child protection, education, gender equality, and the application of the age, gender and diversity approach. Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of position such as: PLP (Protection Learning Programme), OMLP (Operations Management Learning Programme), MMLP (Middle Management Learning Programme), CBPLP (Community-based Protection Learning Programme), CBP e-Learning, and Gender Equality e-learning. Experience in project management, and strategy development and implementation.

Functional Skills
PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
TR-Training – Virtual and face to face
MG-Team building (development/facilitation)
PR-Community-based Protection – Planning, implementing and analysing surveys/assessments
PR-Community-based Protection – Coordination and project management
PR-Community-based Protection – Principles and methodologies
PR-Community-based Protection – Community engagement and capacity building
PR-Accountability to Affected People – 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.

• The candidate must have a very good understanding of displacement and protection issues, particularly GBV prevention and response, child protection, education, gender equality, and the application of the age, gender and diversity approach.
• The candidate must have solid experience in coordinating, managing and leading protection team in refugees operation.
• The candidate should have solid experience in managing protection functions in emergency context.
• The candidate should have experience in UNHCR coordination, and solid experience in different protection functions.
• The candidate should have experience in coordination with different internal and external stakeholders.
• The candidate should have experience in work in high-risk duty station.
• The candidate should have experience in leading and managing big team and provide guidance, capacity building and oversight.

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational health and safety considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

The protection context of Maban is challenging, with a compromised civilian character of the camps, heavy influence by Sudanese politicians on humanitarian assistance delivery, limited access to justice by both refugees and host communities; weak functioning legal system, tensions over use of natural resources, environmental degradation and torrential flooding, youth from both the refugee and host communities redundance due to shortage of employment opportunities, youth projects and empowerment. In addition, severe flooding between July and the end of November can hamper smooth implementation of activities by UNHCR and its partners.

The Protection team in Maban is supervised by the Head of Office starting from July 2025. The Community Based Protection officer will be the only international staff for protection team and will provide support and capacity building to national staff. As guided by the Head of Office, the Community Based Protection Officer will ensure that all protection functions are performed in effective and efficient manner, supervisor a big team of protection which include general protection, CBP, CP, PSEA and registration. In addition to coordination with different UNHCR units and partners in Maban for all issues related to protection.

Living and Working Conditions:

South Sudan is classified as an E non-family, high risk, duty station with a 6-week R&R cycle. UN curfew is from 20:00 to 06:00 in Juba. Movement to and from locations require official vehicle transport.

There are very limited medical facilities in South Sudan, with facilities concentrated in Juba.

All international staff reside in UNHCR provided accommodation which are equipped with furniture, cafeteria, housekeeping services, and a gym or some sports equipment.

In Juba, all basic foods are available in the market ranging from meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables.

There are a few hotels with pools and restaurants where staff can visit, pending security measures in place.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

MG-Team building (development/facilitation), PR-Accountability to Affected People – Principles and Framework, PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD), PR-Community-based Protection – Community engagement and capacity building, PR-Community-based Protection – Coordination and project management, PR-Community-based Protection – Planning, implementing and analysing surveys/assessments, PR-Community-based Protection – Principles and methodologies, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, TR-Training – Virtual and face to face

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

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Add. 2 to the Bi-Annual 2025 Compendium – Part B

Additional Information

This position doesn”t require a functional clearance