Protection Officer (NOC)

This Job Opening is available to eligible UNHCR staff members and external applicants. National Professional Officers should be nationals of and be locally recruited within the country of their employment. US Citizenship is required for this position. Protection Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

In the Bureaux, the Protection Officer works under the direct supervision of the Senior Protection Coordinator or Senior Protection Officer. In the Field, the incumbent normally reports to the Representative, Deputy or Assistant Representative (Protection), Head of Sub Office or Senior Protection Officer as appropriate. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff whose work may include RSD, community-based protection, registration, resettlement, complementary pathways, internal displacement and education, among other areas. In HQ, the incumbent may report to a Senior Protection Officer, Chief of Section or Deputy Director and may supervise other protection staff.

The incumbent acts as an advisor to senior management in, when not responsible for, designing a comprehensive protection strategy under the area of responsibility (AoR). S/he represents the Organization to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection policy and doctrine.

The Protection Officer coordinates quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern under the AoR. S/he ensures that persons of concern of all age, gender and diversity groups are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying and implementing appropriate solutions to their problems. To undertake this role effectively, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with other relevant teams within the operation or the Bureau (including programme; PI and external relations; IM) and with DIP, communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions.

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

- Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues.
- Stay abreast of and report as relevant on legal political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
- Engage relevant national authorities and structures in identifying and expanding opportunities in view of developing or strengthening national asylum/RSD systems. 
- Facilitate a consultative process with government counterparts, partners and persons of concern to develop and implement a comprehensive protection and solutions strategy addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation and/or gender identities (LGBTI persons), persons living with HIV/AIDS; gender equality and Gender Based Violence (GBV) priorities with regard to these persons.
- In operations applying the Cluster Approach, seek to ensure the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations. 
- Support senior management to ensure the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team¿s common humanitarian response plan where applicable, as well as with the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees and the Three Year Strategy on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways.
- Promote relevant International, Regional 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 in mainstreaming protection.
- Promote the implementation of the AGD policy, including UNHCR¿s updated commitments to women and girls, and, design, deliver I and monitor programmes on an AGD basis to address identified protection needs.
- Develop, implement and monitor community-based protection strategies and ensure systematic application and integration of participatory and community-based approaches in protection and solutions planning, programming and strategies.
- Support the establishment of feedback and response systems and the incorporation of feedback received from persons of concern into programme design and adaptation. 
- Support the operation to develop and implement robust prevention, identification, and responses to fraud within protection processes and procedures, including registration, RSD, resettlement and complementary pathways, ensuring the integrity of interventions across all protection activities.
- Assist UNHCR management at country level to comply with polices and commitment on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.
- Oversee and manage individual protection cases including those on GBV 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 (including women and others in need of civil documentation, in particular birth certificates).
- As designated Data Protection Focal Point, assist the data controller in carrying out his or her responsibilities regarding the Data Protection Policy (7.2 DPP).
- Oversee and undertake eligibility and status determination within the AoR ensuring compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
- Promote and implement effective strategies and measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness within the AoR.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of an education plan as part of protection strategy within the AoR as relevant.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of a child protection plan as part of the protection strategy within the AoR 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.  
- Work to safeguard the rights of persons of concern in the context of mixed movements as relevant.
- Coordinate the preparation of, 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 and complementary pathways are sought and provided to the largest possible number of persons of concern, including undertaking and/or overseeing resettlement and complementary pathways activities.
- Contribute to the coordination of the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Contribute to and facilitate 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.

For positions in Bureaux

- Support the Regional Bureau and Country Operations to reflect the protection and solution angle in support of persons of concern within regional processes.
- Support Country Operations in the development of strategies to build and further develop national asylum/RSD systems with a view to ensuring their fairness, efficiency, adaptability and integrity, favourable protection environment and solutions.
- Assist UNHCR management at regional and country level to comply with polices and commitment on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.
- Support Country Operations and ensure they meet their complementary pathways objectives and resettlement quotas.
- In close collaboration with DIP, (a) contribute to the development of background and general normative, policy, and legal positions, in compliance with UNHCR¿s global protection policies and standards; (b) contribute to the development of strategies at the regional and country level on the usage of law and policy approaches, including legislative and judicial engagement and UN human rights mechanisms ¿and/or regional ones ¿ and other protection frameworks, and integrated human rights standards in protection strategies and advocacy; and (c) support coordination and review of UNHCR¿s country reports to the UN human rights mechanisms.
- Engage in relevant international and regional fora and contribute to forging regional partnerships to advocate for key protection and mandate issues, and engage in cross-cutting  protection-related matters, including mixed movement, internal displacement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses, as well as Statelessness, in cooperation with DIP and where relevant RSD.

- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Law, International Law, International Refugee Law, International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law, Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, Political Sciences or other relevant field.

(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses

Protection Learning Programme
RSD Learning Programme
Resettlement Learning Programme

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential
Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience in the area of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law, including experience in working directly with Field Offices. Good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles. Excellent legal research, analytical skills and drafting.

Desirable
Diverse field experience. Good IT skills including database management skills.

Functional Skills

*PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
*LE-International Refugee Law
*PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination
PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework
PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards
PR-International Humanitarian Law
LE-Judicial engagement
PR-Protection and mixed-movements
PR-Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Operations & IDPs Status/Rights/Obligation
PR-Climate change and disaster-related displacement
PR-Community-based Protection
PR-Accountability to affected people 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.

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 Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies:
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies:
Managing Performance
Judgement and Decision Making
Empowering and Building Trust

Cross-Functional Competencies:
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Planning and Organizing
Political Awareness Please note that person interested in applying must be US national at the time of the application, selection process and hire. Only those shortlisted candidates will be contacted. CVs/Resumes will not be accepted by email. ONLY THOSE APPLICATIONS SENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM WILL BE CONSIDERED.
========================================================================================================
See below for this postion's Operational Context
======================================================================================================== The U.S. Protection and Solutions team at UNHCR Washington implements strategic activities aimed at strengthening protection and solutions for asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons in the United States. UNHCR's protection activities include: engagement, advocacy and legal/technical advice to U.S. policy makers on refugee and statelessness law, policy and practice to encourage and support compliance with international law and global best practice; protection monitoring; protection operations at the U.S. southern border; coordination with other UNHCR operations in the W. Hemisphere (especially in Mexico and C. America) to advise on U.S. asylum policy and harmonize protection responses; provision of legal information to individuals navigating the U.S. asylum system; and implementing programmatic partnerships with NGO partners.

The Protection Officer is a senior member of the Protection and Solutions team, is a key contributor to strategy and partnership development, and serves as UNHCR's lead on engagement and advocacy with U.S. asylum authorities at the technical level, including capacity-building and advisory services. The Protection Officer must produce high-quality, timely policy analysis and briefing notes on protection issues to inform UNHCR advocacy positions, external messaging, internal communications and reporting. The Protection Officer is the principal liaison with the UNHCR field team at the U.S. southern border, harmonizing capital-level and field-level engagement with government and civil society counterparts. The Protection Officer manages critical relationships with national NGO stakeholders and other partners. The Protection Officer works closely with colleagues in the External Relations, Communications, Programme and Info. Management teams within the office. This position directly supervises other UNHCR staff. Successful candidates will have substantial expertise in U.S. asylum law, a sound knowledge of the refugee protection context in the W. Hemisphere and would preferably have previous experience working in humanitarian response in a domestic and/or an international context. Demonstrated experience working in sensitive political contexts and working constructively and collaboratively with government counterparts is required. Professional proficiency in Spanish and/or other relevant languages (Haitian Creole, French, others) is desirable. As this is a National Officer position, U.S. citizenship is required.

Normal living and working conditions in the duty station (Washington DC) and during domestic travel. Mission travel to locations with staff security restrictions (such as northern Mexico) may be required. The closing date for submission of application is Tuesday, 5 July 2022 (Midnight Geneva time // 6 PM EST). No late applications will be accepted.

HOW TO APPLY:
Internal candidates: Your application must be submitted by: MSRP - Self-Service - Recruiting - Careers - USA - NAME OF THE POSITION
External candidates: Candidates must submit their application through UNHCR's official application site: www.unhcr.org/careers.html
In case of technical problems, please login with a different browser
For any technical problems encountered during the online application, please contact the Global Service Desk (hqussd@unhcr.org) prior to the deadline to allow sufficient time to resolve the issues. For any questions regarding the selection process, please contact Human Resources (usawaadm@unhcr.org)

CVs/Resumes will not be accepted by email. ONLY THOSE APPLICATIONS SENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM WILL BE CONSIDERED.

We are committed to maintaining diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity and culture.  Persons belonging to minority groups, persons with special abilities, men and women, are encouraged to apply for vacancies. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

We do not confirm receipt of applications or report on the status of the process. Only qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview and possibly a written test.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).