Senior Protection Associate 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: Senior Protection Associate

Job Requisition ID: JR2206094
Location: Takum, Taraba
Grade: GS5
Job Type: Full time
Hardship Level: D
Family Type: Non Family with Residential Location
Staff Member / Affiliate Type: General Service
Target Start Date: 2023-02-01-08:00

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.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience:

• 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;

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.

Desired Candidate Profile:

• The applicant should hold an educational bachelor's degree from a recognizable university.
• The candidate should have previous humanitarian work experience with UN agencies, NGOs, Red Cross movement or CBOs.
• The applicant should have a good command of spoken as well as good writing/drafting English language skills.
• The applicant should have computer skills such as Microsoft word, excel etc.
• The applicant should possess or have experience in interview skills.

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

• English

Desired Languages:

• Hausa

Nature of Position

• The conflict in southern Cameroon began in October 2016, with mass protests in most anglophone towns demanding for independence '. On October 1, 2017, the Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC) declared the independence of southern Cameroon, which they named 'Ambazonia
• Since then, the Government of Cameroon, opposed to this split, has used military force to suppress the mass protests or indeed any dissent.
• Those affected and displaced by the ongoing conflict continue to cross the border into neighboring Nigeria in search of safety, stability and a better life.
• The majority of the Cameroonian from the Anglophone region live in four different states in Nigeria: Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River and Taraba. To respond adequately to the protection needs of the refugee in Taraba, UNHCR has since 2020 opened a Field Office in Takum town. This office administratively and technically reports the suboffice in Ogoja, Cross river state. The office is headed by an expatriate staff.
• The Senior Protection Assistant reports directly to the head of Field Office. 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 units.
• The Senior Protection Assistant assists the office to attain its goal of providing quality, timely and effective protection support to persons of concern (PoC) and identifying 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. the incumbent will play a pivotal role in raising awareness of the PoCs on their social and community responsibilities. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.

Living and Working Conditions

• Takum is one of 16 (sixteen) Local Government Areas (LGAs) that constitute Taraba state. Taraba is a state in Northeastern Nigeria, named after the Taraba River, which traverses the southern part of the state. Taraba's capital is Jalingo. Takum borders the Republic of Cameroon in the south, Ussa Local Government to the west, Donga Local Ggovernment to the north. Districts within Takum LGA are Abuja, Kwambai, Jenuwa, Rogo, Dutse, Kashimbila, Bete, Chanchanji and Bika.
• The duty station classification for Takum is DNon-Family. This classification that ranges from A to E denotes the global working and living conditions in various areas. With duty stations in category A being the best and E the most difficult. Categories are reached through an assessment of the following six discrete factors: health, security, local conditions, isolation, climate and housing. In Takum; only but basic medical facilities exist to manage/stabilize urgent cases (for 24h) before possible evacuation to Jalingo (5 hours' drive) and then to Abuja by air (2 hours flight).
• Takum is a small-town that has recently been plagued by ethnic clashes arising from tribal/cultural succession conflicts. conflicts also arise from agriculturalist and herdsmen conflicts especially during dry seasons when cattle roam the bushes in search of pastures, and they find their way into crop gardens. there are also banditry activities along the main highways into Takum. robberies have occurred and kidnaps for ransom have been experienced.
• Public transport is by taxis, trucks and motorcycles for short in town movements. all these are not considered safe and reliable by the United Nations.
• Because of the frequent security incidents, international staff have only been cleared to be accommodated in the UNHCR guesthouse.
• The nearest airports are a 5-hour drive to Jalingo (only domestic flights) and Enugu (9-hours' drive through Ogoja).
• Internet and mobile telephone services in Takum are erratic. The office has, however, installed a V-sat and microwave internet link with high-speed internet capacity. This helps ease communication problems both national and international for users while in the office premises.
• There is no functioning courier service in the area. for domestic deliveries, public transport means are commonly used.

Additional Qualifications
Education:

• BA: Law

Certifications:

• International Law Other, Political Science Other

Work Experience

• Annual Budget OL in Operation/Office, Number of Workforce in Operation/Work Setting, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees

Skills:

• Accountable, Humanitarianism, Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs), Proactive Approach, PR-Protection monitoring and information management, Taking Initiative

Competencies:

• Client & results orientation (Good 4), Negotiation & conflict resolution (Acceptable 3)

Application Closing Date
20th December, 2022.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: Female candidates are encouraged to apply.