Assistant Protection Officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created in 1950, during the aftermath of the Second World War, to help millions of Europeans who had fled or lost their homes. We had three years to complete our work and then disband. Today, over 65 years later, our organization is still hard at work, protecting and assisting refugees around the world.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Assistant Protection Officer

Position No: 10029704
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Category: Protection Operational Support
Grade: NOA
Duration of Contract: One Year
Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment

Context, Duties and Responsibilities

• The Assistant Protection Officer reports to the Protection Officer.
• He/she provides functional protection guidance to information management and programme staff; and monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards.
• S/He is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern; and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors. 
• S/he will contribute to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the organization externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor. 
• S/he also will ensure that persons of concern are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems by building and maintaining effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection assistance partners. 

The incumbent will have the following responsibilities:

• Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
• Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
• Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to persons of concern. 
• Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
• Promote and contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
• Contribute to a country-level child protection and education plan as part of the protection strategy.
• Provide inputs for the development of global / regional international protection policies and standards.
• Implement and monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Manage individual protection cases including those on SGBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Promote and find durable solutions for the largest possible number of persons of concern through 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.
• Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
• Contribute to and facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.
• Contribute to capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
• Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.

Requirements
Essential Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: University degree in Law, International Law, political Sciences or related field.
• Job Experience: Minimum 2 years relevant professional experience.
• Excellent knowledge of English and working knowledge of another UN language.

Desirable Qualifications & Competencies:

• Diverse field experience desirable.
• Good IT skills including database management skills.
• Completion of the Protection Learning Programme.

Application Closing Date
Midnight, 6th November, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online