Snr Protection Asst (Comm Based)

This Job Opening is available to eligible UNHCR staff members and external applicants. An applicant who has internal status is a staff member holding an indefinite or fixed-term appointment in any duty station in a specific country that has been appointed by the Deputy High Commissioner or designated representative through the AC or previous joint staff-management bodies (i.e. APPC).

Staff members are expected to serve for a minimum of one year following assignment (or reassignment after reclassification) before being considered eligible to apply for another position

The seniority-in-grade requirement for staff members currently at the G1, G2, G3, and G4 grades to apply for a position at the next higher level is one year excluding periods of service prior to appointment through the AC or previous joint staff management bodies Senior Protection Assistant (Community-Based)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Senior Protection Assistant (Community-Based) is a member of the Community-Based Protection Unit in UNHCR¿s Field Office in Tyre, Lebanon. The position may report to the  Associate Protection Officer (Community-Based), Senior Protection Associate (Community-Based) or another more senior staff member in the Protection Unit. Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, the Senior Protection Assistant (Community-Based) works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities.

The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for part of the protection and/or support staff and supports the application of community-based protection standards, operational procedures and practices in community-based protection delivery at the field level. To fulfill this role the Senior Protection Assistant (Community-Based) may be required, in consultation with his/her supervisor, to spend a substantial percentage of her/his time working outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of persons of concern. The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with persons of concern that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results forms the core of the work of the Senior Protection Assistant (Community-Based).

The incumbent also supports the designing of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with persons of concern. The incumbent may also support implementing and operational partners as well as local communities to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organizational and livelihood concerns, including for persons with specific needs, as well as activities related to child protection, prevention and response to SGBV.  He/She may conduct focus group discussions with refugees as well as participate in the annual Participatory Assessment to identify key issues affecting their communities to inform UNHCR and partner¿s programmatic response. He/she is also expected to interview and refer refugee cases with protection concerns when and as needed.

This position requires someone with experience in partner management and coordination. He/she should have excellent written and oral communication skills including report writing and the ability to exercise diplomacy when communicating information. He/she should be able to work independently with minimal supervision to meet tight deadlines, while always exercising UNHCR¿s Core Values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity. Flexibility, adaptability, teamwork, attention to details, and strong organizational skills are also essential for the successful fulfillment of the roles and responsibilities of this position

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
- Effective support is provided to promote AGD sensitive analysis of community risks and capacities as the essential basis for all of UNHCR¿s work.
- AGD sensitive analysis of community risks and capacities provides the essential basis for all of UNHCR¿s work.
- The participation of persons of concern is assured through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community based approaches, which inform protection and assistance programming and ensure that UNHCR meets its commitments to accountability to persons of concern.

Responsibility
- Assist functional units, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) and senior management to integrate participatory and community-based approaches in the overall protection delivery strategy. 
- Through relationships with persons of concern and network of partners stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment and provide advice to the protection team. Understand the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the persons of concern and advise the protection team accordingly, highlighting the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups.
- Assist in initiatives with host communities to involve national civil society groups in the protection of persons of concern.
- Support implementing and operational partners as well as displaced and local communities to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organisational and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and prevention and response to SGBV.
- Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face.
- Support participatory assessments by multifunctional teams and ongoing consultation with persons of concern.
- Support efforts to build the office capacity for community-based protection.
- Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures
- Ensure community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
- Collect data for monitoring of programmes and budgets from an AGD perspective.
- Draft and type routine correspondence, documents and reports using word processing equipment and maintain up-to-date filing systems.
- Act as interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
- Perform other relevant duties as required.

Authority
- Assist in the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR¿s work.
- Initiate AGD sensitive interventions at the appropriate level on community-based protection issues and to respond to protection concerns and incidents within the office and with persons and communities of concern based on agreed parameters.
- Identify which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.
- Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Completion of the Secondary education; Training in International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights, International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science, Anthropology, International Law or other clearly related disciplines.
- Job Experience: Minimum of 4 years previous relevant job experience.
- Computer skills (MS Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access).
- Fluency in English and working knowledge of another relevant UN language or local language.

(In offices where the working language is not English, excellent knowledge of working language of duty station and working knowledge of English.)

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Knowledge of Administrative/financial rules, procedures, processes in the context of UNHCR offices and Field operations.
- UNHCR learning programmes (PLP).
- Knowledge of MSRP. Please also note that Arabic and English are essential for this Job Opening. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training, etc.)

UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, color or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. UNHCR has a ZERO TOLERANCE policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual harassment. Successful candidates will be subject to mandatory UN Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment clearance check prior to receiving an offer. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees). All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality. Interested qualified internal and external candidates meeting the requirements of the Job Descriptions posted online can apply no later than 24 October 2019 Midnight Geneva Time.