Assistant Protection Officer (Gwoza) 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 Number: 10029704
Location: Gwoza, Borno
Grade: NOA
Duration of Contract: One Year
Category: Protection Operational Support
Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment

Context, Duties and Responsibilities

• The Assistant Protection Officer reports to the Protection Officer.
• The Assistant Protection Officer will plan and implement protection activities in their specific location (Gwoza and Bama) in Borno State whilst interfacing with other UNHCR staff and partners, members of the Protection Sector and the wider humanitarian community, including government actors of various backgrounds and capacities, the judiciary, police and other actors involved in civilian protection.
• The incumbent must be able to conduct trainings and field assessment missions, to advocate with diverse interlocutors and to draft documents in English.
• The post requires a mix of managerial, policy, legal and practical skills. The incumbent should have a good experience in the north-eastern Nigeria humanitarian context, human rights law and humanitarian law and repatriation.
• It is hereby noteworthy to indicate clearly that these positions will be based out of Maiduguri in the Local Government Areas (Gwoza and Bama LGAs respectively) and staff are expected to operate in the said LGAs where the security situation is volatile and unpredictable.
• Staff are therefore expected to reside in the existing humanitarian hubs and adhere strictly to UN Security Management Guidelines in place which may be revised from time to time.

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.

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
15th April, 2019 (Midnight).

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