Assistant Protection Officer

Grade

NOA

National Professional Officer

Reason

Temporary > Temporary Assignment/ Appointment

E (most hardship)

Non Family with Residential Location

Danger Pay

Budapest Hungary

May 12 2025

Standard Job Description

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 communitybased 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 communitybased protection Child protection GenderBased Violence (GBV) prevention and response gender equality disability inclusion youth empowerment psychosocial 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/disasterrelated 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.

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 crossfunctional and managerial competencies and UNHCRs 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 countrylevel child protection plan as part of the protection strategy.
Contribute to a countrylevel 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 resultsbased 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 capacitybuilding 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.

Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
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.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified;

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

Desirable
Not specified.

Functional Skills
*PRProtectionrelated guidelines standards and indicators
*PRAge Gender and Diversity (AGD)
MGProject Management
PRHuman Rights Doctrine/Standards
PRInternational Humanitarian Law
PRAssessment of IDPs Status Rights Obligation
PRClimate change and disaster related displacement
CODrafting and Documentation
PRGender 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.

Operational context
The Ukraine operation is a dynamic one with the operational footprint centred around two main objectives emergency response to continue addressing critical humanitarian needs as well as early recovery and durable solutions. SO Dnipro is located in the eastern part of Ukraine covering 5 eastern oblasts and is among the top regions in the country in terms of the number of IDPs waraffected people and returnees.

The Assistant Protection Officer is a member of the Protection Unit and reports to the Senior CommunityBased Protection Officer. Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit and in coordination with other UNHCR staff government NGO partners and other stakeholders the Assistant Protection Officer 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 is responsible for overseeing key portfolios of protection case management legal assistance MHPSS GBV and CP ensuring activities are planned designed and comply with established standards and procedures and leveraging opportunities for protection mainstreaming enhanced crosssectoral collaboration and cooperation and strengthened communitybased protection approaches. S/he maintains close and regular engagement with relevant coordination bodies (e.g. Protection Cluster GBV AOR CP AOR legal working group) Government stakeholders national and internal NGOs. S/he contributes to effective partner management including provision of guidance and capacity building and monitoring of ongoing activities.

The Assistant Protection Officer supports the overall operationalization of UNHCR protection strategic directions in the SO Dnipro AOR and contributes to strategic planning discussions and coordination. S/he holds managerial responsibilities.

Desired candidate profile
The Assistant Protection Officer will need to have experience working in mixed settings including working with IDPs conflict affected and returnees a good understanding of how UNHCR works with the cluster system experience of working in emergency settings with a focus on solutions from the start. S/he will need to have field experience and be adept at operationalizing protection as well as committed to promoting the meaningful participation of IDPs and returnees in UNHCR programs. S/he will also need to have excellent drafting skills as well as strong interest in protection analysis and advocacy. Good understanding of UNHCRs footprint in situations of internal displacement particularly its cluster lead responsibilities (Protection CCCM and Shelter/NFI) and response in complex emergencies is an advantage.

The following skills and competencies would give a candidate a strong advantage: strong interpersonal skills; maturity and the ability to effectively manage a team; experience in collaboration with local authorities; and experience of working in a competitive interagency environment. Experience in sectors of protection case management legal assistance child protection GBV and capacity building is an asset.

This position doesnt require a functional clearance

Ukrainian

English

Skills

CODrafting and Documentation MGProject Management PRAge Gender and Diversity (AGD) PRAssessment of IDPs Status Rights Obligation PRClimate change and disaster related displacement PRGender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination PRHuman Rights Doctrine/Standards PRInternational Humanitarian Law PRProtectionrelated guidelines standards and indicators

Education

Bachelor of Arts: International Law Bachelor of Arts: Law Bachelor of Arts: Political Science

Certifications

information