Emergency Protection Officer (SGBV)

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.

Emergency Protection Officer (SGBV)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

UNHCR's protection mandate for refugees, stateless persons and IDPs includes the respect for the rights of Persons of Concern.   The Emergency Service of the Division of Emergency, Security and Supply, supports operations during emergencies in terms of protection response and humanitarian needs.  Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is often one of the most critical areas during an emergency, as vulnerability of Persons of Concern increases.

Under the framework of Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies and UNHCR¿s commitments as part of the Call to Action five-year roadmap, UNHCR has prioritized SGBV and implements life-saving SGBV prevention and response programmes at the onset of emergencies.  The reduction of SGBV impact affecting women, men, boys and girls must remain central to UNHCR¿s emergency preparedness and response.   To address these broad issues and concerns which have a lifesaving impact at the onset of an emergency and beyond, DESS has created the position of Emergency Protection Officer (SGBV) in the Emergency Service. 
 
Reporting to the Senior Emergency Coordinator (Protection), the  Emergency Protection Officer (SGBV) will, among others: support field offices in setting up of SGBV programs in new emergencies, which would guide field office programing/budgeting to ensure SGBV mainstreaming, and also that potential SGBV risks are addressed at the onset; support capacity building in new emergencies for both UNHCR and partner staff where SGBV is a new or misunderstood concept; standardising the response among all actors including UNHCR, partners and Governments; in IDP situations, support the institutionalisation and strengthening of SGBV coordination mechanisms and ensure that UNHCR and other actors perform in the best interests of affected persons and in keeping with SGBV response best practice; advocate for the prevention and response to SGBV as lifesaving with UNHCR senior management at HQ and in the field, as well as with all stakeholders, ensuring prevention and response mechanisms are prioritised as a life-saving activities; work with other Divisions at HQ (DIP, DPSM, DER) to identify gaps and guide the response architecture, including deployment of staff and other resources.

The incumbent will undertake extended emergency missions going up to six months.  During these deployments, s/he will receive specific ToRs for the mission, including the reporting lines.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability
- SGBV strategy developed as part of the broader protection strategy of the operation.
- Multi-sectoral SGBV prevention and response programs based on needs and capacity assessment results are established and programmed at onset of emergency.
- SGBV coordination mechanisms functioning with all relevant stakeholders and partners.
- Multi-sectoral UNHCR staff and key partners are trained on SGBV prevention and response.
- SGBV referral mechanism is in place for essential response services including clinical management of rape.
- SGBV data collection and reporting functioning within 6 months of emergency.
- Quarterly and end of deployment reports are finalized to facilitate hand-over to Protection staff at the end of their assignment.
- Baseline and endline assessments are completed in close collaboration with the Project Monitoring & RBM expert.

Responsibility
- In the event of an emergency, be ready for deployment within 72 hours.
- Support the country office to conduct initial needs/gaps and capacity assessments on SGBV in close coordination with any on-going joint/common assessments being conducted in the early stages of emergency response.
- Provide support to integrate SGBV prevention and response in humanitarian action plans of all programme areas.
- Contribute to the development of a SGBV strategy in partnership with protection and programme leads in the country operation as part of the overall protection strategy, with particular emphasis on linkages with child protection and education.
- Lead the planning and monitoring for multi-sectoral SGBV programming using the Results Framework and Focus in close collaboration with Programme and different sectors.
- Support emergency preparedness and contingency planning to ensure that preventive and response measures are incorporated in the plan by UNHCR, Government and other partners at the field level.
- In situations of IDPs when UNHCR leads the Protection Cluster, represent, if requested, UNHCR at the Sub-cluster / Area of Responsibility on GBV and ensure that UNHCR protection concerns are taken into due account at the sub-cluster level and in turn, the Protection Cluster provided sufficient support to the AOR issues.
- Establish/strengthen and lead SGBV coordination mechanisms in refugee contexts and with the GBV AoR in     non-refugee complex and natural disaster humanitarian emergencies.
- Establish and/or strengthen new strategic and innovative partnerships for SGBV both with community-based, local, national, and international organizations, with a focus on ensuring continuity and sustainability.
- Propose measures to ensure appropriate SGBV accountability measures in the Job descriptions and Performance management systems of key staff members.
- Provide support in mapping existing services to address SGBV in the various affected areas, including identifying community capacities and structures for potential partnership.
- Put in place a core referral mechanism for response services through consultative development of basic Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and emergency SGBV strategy that is entrenched in the comprehensive emergency protection framework.
- Conduct training on basic elements of SGBV prevention and response, the design of SGBV programmes and coordination mechanisms.
- Advocate with senior management in UNHCR and other humanitarian actors, to ensure prioritization of SGBV prevention and response as a life-saving response.
- Identify potential partners and coordinate with Programme and Protection sections to incorporate SGBV programming in sub-agreements.
- Monitor SGBV programs implemented by UNHCR and partners (both implementing and operational) and adjust programming as required.
- Promote mainstreaming of SGBV measure for reducing risk, promoting resilience and aiding recovery across multiple sectors.
- Support the integration of SGBV programming and monitoring to long-term protection staff.
- In coordination with the ES supervisor, consult with senior management in DIP on policy developments and strategic direction.

Authority
- Represent UNHCR in interagency fora related to SGBV.
- Conduct planning, programming, and monitoring of budget and other resources dedicated to emergency SGBV programs under the supervision of the Representative or Emergency Team Leader and in consultation with DIP.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in International Law, Human Rights, International Development, International Relations, Anthropology, Political or Social Science, with authoritative knowledge of issues relating to refugee women, gender, humanitarian and development issues, and SGBV prevention and response Plus minimum 6 years relevant professional experience, of which two years in the field including managing SGBV projects with strong program/technical and budget management skills. Experience working on SGBV in emergencies is an asset. Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's) plus 5 years or Doctorate Degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 4 years of previous relevant work experience may also be accepted.
- Thorough understanding of SGBV prevention and response in displacement and first-hand knowledge of UNHCR and IASC Guidance on the prevention of and response to SGBV.
- Articulate communicator with strong interpersonal, coordination and representation skills and the ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
- Flexibility and adaptability to conduct extended deployments and work productively and independently in volatile and unstable security environments.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Completion of the Protection Learning Programme, Operations Management Learning Programme, ARC (Action for the Rights of Children), Child Rights, POP (People Oriented Planning)/Gender Studies, SGBV E-Learning; Workshop on Emergency Management, and the Security Management Learning Programme, etc.
- Experience in emergency operations.
- Experience in providing training and in developing training materials.
- Knowledge of other UN languages. C001L3 - Accountability Level 3
C002L3 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C003L3 - Communication Level 3
C004L3 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C005L3 - Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 - Organizational Awareness Level 3
M001L3 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 3
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
X002L3 - Innovation and Creativity Level 3
X004L3 - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Level 3
X008L3 - Stakeholder Management Level 3

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage colleagues to read the country specific security and welfare profiles which can be found on the Intranet under Support Services - Duty of Care (https://intranet.unhcr.org/en/support-services/duty-of-care.html). These profiles have been specifically designed to answer some of the key questions (on security conditions, medical provisions, staff welfare, living and working conditions) potential applicants might have before deciding to apply. Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care. This project is still in the pilot phase, and as such some of the information leaflets are being produced as we speak and might not be available yet. They will be soon, so keep checking. 

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the Add.4 to March 2018 Compendium is Wednesday 5 Septembe 2018 (midnight Geneva time).