Assistant Protection Officer

- This position is advertised and open for internal candidates (Group 1 & Group 2) and external candidates. - Interested internal candidates holding Fixed-Term position and Group 2; Temporary Appointment, AWF in UNHCR, may apply.
- Interested external candidates may apply.
- We are committed to apply the Recruitment and Assignment of Locally Recruited Staff (RALS) Assistant Protection Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Assistant Protection Officer reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. Depending on the size and structure of the Office, the incumbent may have supervisory responsibility for protection staff including community-based protection, registration, resettlement and education. S/he provides functional protection guidance to information management and programme staff on all protection/legal matters and accountabilities. These include: statelessness (in line with the campaign to End Statelessness by 2024),  Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) commitments, age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP) through community-based protection, Child protection, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, gender equality, disability inclusion, youth empowerment, psycho-social support  and PSEA, registration, asylum/refugee status determination, resettlement, local integration, voluntary repatriation, human rights standards integration, national legislation, judicial engagement, predictable and decisive engagement in situations of internal displacement and engagement in wider mixed movement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses. S/he supervises protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards.

The Assistant Protection Officer is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (PoC), ensuring that operational responses in all sectors mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. The incumbent contributes to the design of a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the Organization externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor. S/he also ensures that PoC are meaningfully engaged in the decisions that affect them and support programme design and adaptations that are influenced by the concerns, priorities and capacities of them. 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.

Operational Context
Egypt¿s geographical location and political stability result in a large number of foreign nationals moving to the country as migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.  According to the Government, an estimated 6M foreigners reside Egypt.  Of these, more than 270,000 are registered by UNHCR as refugees and asylum seekers.  Since 1954, UNHCR Egypt has been assuming most protection functions (including registration and RSD) on behalf of the Government; as a result, UNHCR Egypt is the largest RSD operation globally. This entails having a large staffing component involved in registration, RSD and resettlement.  UNHCR also provides material assistance (CBI, health, education, livelihoods).

Given its proximity to Europe, Egypt is a country that generates migrants, and a transit and destination country for many migrants and refugees.  In view of this, European countries and the EU have a keen interest in making sure that Egypt improves its migration management and the asylum environment.  In 2021, the Government, together with the UN (namely the Resident Coordinator¿s Office, IOM and UNHCR), launched a Joint Platform for Migrants and Refugees.

The Field Office in Alexandria covers the entire North Coast region of Egypt including major urban centers where significant numbers of refugees and asylum seekers reside. Reception of PoCs and identification of urgent protection needs take place in UNHCR offices in Cairo and Alexandria, where PoCs will access registration, orientation on protection and counselling services.  Protection counselling of PoCs with serious protection risks takes place at UNHCR¿s Alexandria office to provide comprehensive protection and durable solutions.  Given its strategic location and PoC presence, FO Alexandria will be maintained and reinforced in the foreseeable future.


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
- 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 PoC.  
- Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
- Conduct eligibility and status determination for PoC in compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles. 
- Promote and 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 as part of the protection strategy.
- Provide inputs for the development of protection policies and standards within the AoR.
- Implement and monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
- Recommend durable solutions for the largest possible number of PoC through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
- Assess resettlement needs and apply priorities for the resettlement of individuals and groups of refugees and other PoC.
- 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. 
- Assist 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.
- Intervene with authorities on protection issues.
- Assist the supervisor in deciding priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.
- Assist the supervisor in enforcing compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Law, International Law, Political Sciences 
or other relevant field.
(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles

Desirable
Completion of the Protection Learning Programme, RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme.

Functional Skills
*PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
*PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
MG-Project Management
PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards
PR-International Humanitarian Law
PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation
PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement
CO-Drafting and Documentation
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination
(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.


All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.


This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. 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. Competencies as defined in Job Profile - For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language. - Fixed Term Appointment (FTA),  For one (1) year with possibility of extension. 
- Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and will have to undergo an oral interview. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
- Only Egyptian nationality or valid work permit residence of the country can apply, no relocation fees apply.
- UNHCR follows a strict non-smoking environment policy.
- We encourage the applicants to apply with enough time prior to the deadline. To avoid any technical issues prevents the applicants from submitting their applications.
- In case of any technical issues, it is advisable to take a screen shot proves the incident and send it to the HR unit to support.
- For Internal candidates (FTA contracts). You should make sure that your MSRP profile is updated by the education and mother tongue language before you apply to any position as internal candidate. In case you need any support in this regard you should contact HR unit. - The closing date for submission of application is 23 May 2022 (Cairo local time).