Senior Protection Officer

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.

Senior Protection Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The Senior Protection Officer (SPO) is Head of the Protection Unit in a Country or Sub-Office and reports to the Assistant or Deputy Representative for Protection, directly to the Representative or as appropriate, to the Head of Sub-Office. The incumbent has direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff who may include community services, registration, resettlement and education. He/she provides functional protection oversight to information management and programme staff and supervises protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery at the country level. The incumbent also acts as an advisor to senior management in designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the organization to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection policy and doctrine.

The Senior Protection Officer is normally a member of the Office senior management team and is relied upon by the Office to plan, lead and coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern. This includes ensuring that operational responses in all sectors are shaped in a protection optic, mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. Another important element of the SPO's functions is to 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. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
- The protection needs of populations of concern are met through the application of International and National Law, relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles governing humanitarian coordination.
- The operation has a clear and coherent comprehensive protection strategy which incorporates a thorough age, gender and diversity (AGD) analysis and reflects the Organization's global, regional and country level priorities.
- The Participation of persons of concern is assured through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community based approaches.
- National protection capacities are improved through direct engagement, research and advocacy with all relevant external interlocutors.
- Instances of refoulement of refugees, forced return of IDPs, arbitrary deprivation of nationality resulting in statelessness and other protection incidents are immediately identified and addressed through direct intervention and advocacy.

Responsibility
- Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
- Manage a consultative process with government counterparts, partners and persons of concern to develop and implement a comprehensive protection strategy addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, minority groups such as sexual minorities and persons living with HIV/AIDS; and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) priorities with regard to these persons.
- In operations applying the Cluster Approach, ensure the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations.
- Ensure that the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the Humanitarian Country Team's common humanitarian action plan.
- Promote International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct and ensure that all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations fulfil their responsibilities mainstreaming protection.
- Design, deliver and monitor programmes on an AGD basis to address identified protection needs.
- Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues.
- Oversee the management of individual protection cases including those on SGBV and child protection.
- Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to internal and external interlocutors; ensure legal assistance is accessible to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documents to persons of concern (women and civil documentation in particular birth certificates).
- Oversee eligibility and status determination in the country ensuring compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
- Promote and implement measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
- Develop and implement a country-level education plan as part of the protection strategy and ensure partnerships are forged with the Ministry for Education, UNICEF and other partners.
- Develop and implement a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy ensuring programmes use a child protection systems approach.
- Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners.
- Implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Ensure that durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement are sought and provided to the largest possible number of persons of concern.
- Coordinate the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Develop and implement a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
- Ensure that the Protection Sector or Cluster has an effective information management component which: provides disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery.
- Build the protection capacity of national and local government, partners and civil society to assume their responsibilities vis-à-vis all persons of concern through protection training, mainstreaming and related activities.
- Coordinate capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
- Advise and capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and civil society to strengthen legislation and status determination procedures and mechanisms.

Authority
- Approve the protection strategy for endorsement by the Deputy / Representative and Regional Office or Headquarters.
- Chair protection coordination meetings, including Protection Cluster meetings in applicable operations and represent the protection sector/cluster in inter-agency mechanisms.
- Issue advocacy statements on behalf of UNHCR in protection sectoral meetings and/or on behalf of the Protection Cluster in applicable operations.
- Intervene with authorities on protection issues.
- Negotiate locally and as appropriate with resettlement countries and countries of return on behalf of UNHCR.
- Take review decisions on individual cases.
- Enforce compliance of staff and partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Approve expenditures under the UNHCR protection budget and direct transparent and accountable financial and other resource allocation within the Protection Cluster in applicable operations. 

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's) in Law, International Law, political Sciences or related field with good knowledge of International Refugee, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law plus minimum 8 years of previous work experience relevant to the function of which 3 years in the field and 5 years in an international capacity. Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) plus 9 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 7 years of previous relevant work experience may also be accepted.
- Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Diverse field experience desirable.
- Good IT skills including database management skills.
- Completion of the Protection Learning Programme, RSD-Resettlement Learning Programme and Management Learning Programme desirable.
- Knowledge of additional UN languages.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR Senior Protection Officer positions. 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. 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
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
M006L3 - Managing Resources Level 3
M005L3 - Leadership Level 3
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
M004L3 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3
X005L3 - Planning and Organizing Level 3
X004L3 - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Level 3
X007L3 - Political Awareness Level 3 <p>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.</p>
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
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For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage them – before deciding to apply- to read the country specific security and welfare country 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). Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care.

Staff after having applied to High Risk Duty Stations will have access to country specific information webinars with Field Safety Section (FSS) and Staff Welfare Section (SWS) colleagues and provided with a tool to test their psychological preparedness for serving in High Risk Duty Stations. Applicants who applied for a position in a High Risk country will receive, after the deadline for applications has expired, a joint invitation from the Staff Welfare Section (SWS) and the Field Safety Section (FSS) to participate in these webinars. During the Webinars, latest updates on security and well-being will be provided, and FSS and SWS will address questions raised by participants. Applicants are highly encouraged to benefit, when applicable, from all measures as they provide most up-to-date security and well-being information helpful to assess staff’s readiness to serve in a High Risk Duty Station. A Staff Welfare Officer will also be available, if and when required, to discuss with interested applicants the results of the psychological preparedness tool as well as readiness for assignment in High Risk Duty Stations.

¿ Extensive experience on emergency response and development in the context of South Sudanese population.
¿ Legal background and solid experience on Refugee Status Determination especially exclusion analysis.
¿ Conversant with UNHCR guidelines and policies on International Protection and programming. 
¿ Experience in developing, reviewing and implementing comprehensive Protection and solutions strategies.
¿ Conversant with CRRF, REHOPE and STA initiatives.
¿ Substantive experience on inter-Agency coordination including sectorial coordination working groups (Protection, SGBV, Child Protection and Legal)   
¿ Solid experience in managing a large Protection team and dealing with complex protection issues
¿ Excellent leadership, communication, and drafting skills.
¿ Conversant with ProGres version 4 database, MSRP and FOCUS.
¿ Extensive experience in capacity building of Government counterparts, law enforcement officials, judiciary, and other relevant actors on Protection, legal framework, CRRF, REHOPE and STA.
¿ Fluency in English is essential.
¿ Knowledge of the languages spoken by the refugees notably Kiswahili, Maadi, Acholi, Dinka, and Juba Arabic is an added advantage.
¿ Experience working in a hardship and remote location. Adjumani Operation is located in the remote part of northern Uganda and is categorised as Family duty station E.  As of June 2018, Adjumani Operation hosted a total of 436,709 refugees, in three districts notably Adjumani- 236,034, Moyo ¿ 163,721 and Lamwo ¿ 36,954. Adjumani has 18 refugee settlements whilst Moyo and Lamwo have one refugee settlement respectively. Majority of refugees in Adjumani Operation arrived in Uganda in 2016-2017 during the emergency and are mainly from South Sudan. A smaller number fled to Uganda between 1996 and 2013 are from Sudan, Ethiopia and Democratic Republic of Congo.  64% of the refugee population is comprised of children under the age of 18 years. The social characteristics are that in the refugee settlements, most families are headed by women (around 70%) and 49% of the families are large (comprising between 6-10 persons), making the refugee communities highly vulnerable. Pursuant to the Uganda 2016¿2020 Multi Year Multi Partner Protection and Solutions Strategy, UNHCR West Nile in 2018 is focusing on implementation of protection interventions hinged on objectives including: Population has optimal access to education, Community mobilization strengthened and expanded, Protection of children strengthened, Protection from crime strengthened, Access to legal assistance and legal remedies improved, Access to the territory improved and risk of refoulement reduced, Potential for integration realized, Civil registration and civil status documentation strengthened, Community mobilization strengthened and expanded and Risk of SGBV is reduced and quality of response improved.
As part of the aforementioned strategy, Uganda Operation is implementing Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) linked to Uganda Refugee and Host Population Empowerment- (REHOPE) and Settlement Transformative Agenda (STA) initiatives with the objective of enhancing protection deliverables for refugees and host communities through partnership with development and private sectors. This includes enhancing focus on sustainable self-reliance through expansion of vocational training programmes and livelihood opportunities, and promoting peaceful co-existence between communities. In terms of living conditions, Adjumani has limited basic amenities notably accommodation, hospital, schools and a poor road network.  There are no international schools or shopping malls and the nearest major town (Gulu) is 108 km away from the duty station. Adjumani is generally hot and the temperatures range between 29-45 degrees centigrade, and floods are experienced during the rainy season. The host communities are hospitable and supportive of refugees, Partners and UN Agencies. Located in the remote West Nile district of Adjumani about 6-8 hours¿ drive away from Kampala , UNHCR has presence in Pakelle considered to be under a low security level (Security level II). Pakelle is a very peaceful town board with very low crime level reported. UNHCR¿s presence, a few other UN agencies and  many implementing partners gave it prominence as a humanitarian hub of INGOs / NGOs/ CBOs to provide emergency humanitarian refugee protection and assistance. The nearest Police station is 8 Kms  away in Adjumani town with minimum military presence. Adjumani/Pakelle  has poor social, health and recreational amenities. The sub office has settlements spread in the district with a refugee collection centre at Elegu and transit centre in Nyumanzi. The main threats in the district of Adjumani are, and not limited to road traffic accidents, disease prevalence (Cholera , Hepatitis B, malaria and HIV),lightning strikes during rainy seasons, petty thefts and domestic violence. Again the Security management systems have put in place mitigation measures to ensure staff safety and security with collective staff responsibilities. Although English is the only essential language, knowledge of another UN language, like Arabic would be an asset since most of the refugees speak it

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the September 2018 Compendium is Thursday 18 October  2018 (midnight Geneva time).