Associate Protection Cluster Coordination Officer

E (most hardship)

Non Family with Residential LocationNon Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay

Budapest Hungary

NOB

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

June 18 2025

Associate Protection Cluster Coordination Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
In complex humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters where UNHCR is designated as the Protection Cluster Lead Agency under the Cluster Approach UNHCR performs a dedicated coordination strategy development and advocacy function through the positions of P5/P4 Protection Cluster Coordination Officer and the supporting positions of P3 Protection Cluster Coordination Officer and/or P2 Associate Protection Cluster Coordination Officer.

These latter P2 level positions normally report directly to the P5/P4 Protection Cluster Coordination Officer. The UNHCR Representative has final accountability for the performance of UNHCR as Cluster Lead Agency.

The Associate Protection Cluster Coordination Officer supports UNHCR to work within the framework of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the Cluster Approach. The position reinforces UNHCR Protection Cluster Lead Agency functions by providing support to the role of Cluster Coordinator in ensuring UNHCRs leadership within a diverse protection community.

The Associate Protection Cluster Coordination Officer is expected to facilitate the work of the Protection Cluster through the provision of support in analysis organization and reporting. This includes the provision of active support as applicable to sub-clusters or working groups of the Cluster which may be coordinated by other Agencies. As a result the incumbent supports an inter-agency team in an environment that requires high standards of accountability facilitation negotiation and conflict resolution skills in which respect the principles of partnership and collaboration are essential.

The Associate Protection Cluster Coordination Officer supports the Protection Cluster Coordinator in Inter-Cluster Coordination mechanisms for advocacy and facilitation of protection mainstreaming and cross-cutting issues of age gender and diversity in the humanitarian response and early recovery activities.

The Associate Protection Cluster Coordination Officer works closely with multi-functional Protection Cluster Support staff in the areas of data and information management needs assessment profiling registration reporting and advocacy.

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 UNHCRs core values of professionalism integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Support the Protection Cluster to ensure that protection informs and shapes the overall humanitarian response and that the protection response is integrated into the Humanitarian Country Teams common humanitarian action plan.
- Organize and facilitate meetings in line with the Principles of Partnership ensuring that cluster meetings are consultative and results-oriented.
- Facilitate coordination with government counterparts and other relevant authorities
- Facilitate the coordination and conduct of Protection Cluster or Inter-Cluster level protection needs assessments including participatory assessments of affected populations.
- Provide inputs to development of common funding criteria resource mobilisation and prioritization within the Protection Cluster for inclusion in Consolidated Appeals and pooled funds processes.
- Assist in the delivery of protection training activities for Protection Cluster members other local partners and relevant authorities.
- Coordinate initiatives to build the protection capacity of the national and local government partners and civil society.
- Through Cluster-wide consultative processes provide input into the development of global protection policy and standards led by the Global Protection Cluster.
- Support reporting and information sharing within the Protection Cluster and at the inter-cluster level.
- Support and facilitate the Protection Cluster information management strategy and mechanisms.
- Ensure that the Protection Cluster produces regular updates and briefing notes on the protection concerns in the affected population response activities challenges and recommendations.
- Help foster a consistent interpretation and application of international law and related UNHCR and IASC legal standards and protection policies.
- Promote the Protection Clusters adherence to international human rights instruments the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as well as other relevant international and regional instruments; in cooperation with the Humanitarian Country Team support local interventions when violations of international protection standards and principles occur.
- Promote and help strengthen national legislation relevant to internal displacement and durable solutions.
- Draft reports and prepare advocacy statements on behalf of the Protection Cluster - for clearance by Senior management.
- Organise and facilitate cluster meetings work and cooperate with focal points sub-groups/working groups and ad hoc/task-related bodies for specific issues.
- Facilitate negotiation with the Humanitarian Coordinator/Resident Coordinator the Humanitarian Country Team and cluster members on the prioritization and inclusion of project proposals and common funding criteria for inclusion in inter-agency funding appeals.

- 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

Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Law; International Law; Political Sciences;
or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
HCR Coordination Lrng Prog;

Tri-Cluster Knowl/Coord Skills;

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

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law.

Desirable
Not specified.

Functional Skills
LE-Human Rights Law;
LE-International Refugee Law;
(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.

Essential:
The successful candidate should have excellent knowledge of International Humanitarian Law Human Rights Law and Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement; experience in a protection function in IDP context; coordination and advocacy experience experience in liaison with the Government counterparts; training facilitation skills.

Desired:
Very good drafting skills; knowledge of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle ability to conduct protection analysis experience in reviewing project proposals; experience in developing training materials; familiarity with cluster tools.

The selection process may include a written test and candidates may be required to undergo a written assessment.

English

Ukrainian

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station please visit: of Position:

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been present in Ukraine since 1994 and substantially increased its presence and response after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The geographical presence within Ukraine has significatively expanded to deliver the emergency response. The country office is located in the capital Kyiv and sub- and field offices are currently located in Dnipro Kyiv Lviv Odesa and Kharkiv.

The war in Ukraine has caused death and suffering on a dramatic scale. In 2025 more than 12.7 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection according to the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. Some 3.7 million people are internally displaced while around 6.8 million refugees from Ukraine are recorded across Europe and beyond. Some 75000 people including some of the most vulnerable notable older people and people with disabilities live in collective sites spread across the country. Ukraine also hosts asylum-seekers and refugees and is home to thousands of people who are stateless or at risk of statelessness.

The massive destruction of civilian infrastructure with the energy sector being particularly targeted has made life extremely challenging for millions of people who have lost their homes and livelihoods and has severely disrupted access to electricity water heating as well as critical services including healthcare education and social protection services. Humanitarian access continues to be hampered particularly in frontline areas as well as to areas under temporary occupation of the Russian Federation. Civilians remain exposed to serious risks to their physical security and integrity particularly in eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. The risk of GBV including sexual violence continues to prevail alongside family separations loss of housing and properties as well as identity and civil documentation. Populations displaced or otherwise affected by the war live in situations of deprivation following the loss or damage of their housing loss of income and often become dependent on an overstretched social protection system.

The Government of Ukraine maintains a strong lead role in responding to the needs of its population and UNHCR supports the Government and its central and local institutions to provide protection shelter/housing cash and in-kind assistance to displaced and other people impacted by the war. Currently UNHCR has MOUs with five-line ministries the First Ladys foundation as well as the Office of the Ombudsman 19 regional state administrations and agreements with 14 partners to deliver assistance and support the localization of the response.

Under the leadership of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator UNHCR operates as part of the Inter-agency humanitarian response working in close coordination with local authorities and humanitarian partners. UNHCR is leading three clusters - Protection Shelter and NFIs and CCCM. The strategic orientation of UNHCRs response is to reach people particularly those with specific vulnerabilities who remain in frontline and heavily affected areas with immediate relief while supporting displaced people and those who have remained in their homes or returned with protection advice housing support livelihoods advice and cash assistance to enable their recovery and attainment of durable solutions.

Protection needs to be truly at the center of this response as the highest critical needs of the population caused by the international armed conflict are in the area of protection. Since Ukraine is a highly sophisticated country with a strong government leadership and well-established administrative social protection and digital systems it is essential to design and deliver UNHCRs protection programs in a way which simultaneously addresses immediate needs and supports the further development of sustainable and inclusive national protection systems.

With the EU having voted to confirm Ukraines accession to the EU at the end of 2023 Ukraine will also embark on a series of substantial and long-term reforms in numerous sectors including justice and home affairs which presents an opportunity to contribute to strengthened and more inclusive protection asylum and statelessness reduction systems. Working closely with government authorities local community representatives and partners from the embassies UN civil society and international financial institutions amongst others is thus key to ensuring that UNHCRs response is closely aligned with and complementary of national and local strategies and recovery plans.

As the war continues new urgent humanitarian needs are created every day alongside protracted ones and peoples and communities efforts to recover and rebuild their lives in war-torn communities. Among the IDPs and refugees from Ukraine the majority express a hope and desire to return to their homes as soon as the security situation allows. The protection needs of the population thus need to be analyzed and addressed both from a humanitarian as well as from an early recovery and durable solutions perspective with UNHCR playing a leading role in this work.

In complex humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters where UNHCR is designated as the Protection Cluster Lead Agency under the Cluster Approach UNHCR performs a dedicated coordination strategy development and advocacy function through the positions of P5/P4 Protection Cluster Coordination Officer and the supporting positions. The NOB Associate Protection Cluster Coordination Officer based in Dnipropetrovsk will report directly to the P3 Protection Cluster Coordination Officer (East) and will support the coordination of protection response at sub-national level. The incumbent will cover designated oblasts in the East as consulted with the P3 PC Coordination Officer and will be required to travel on missions to these oblasts to build and maintain relations with Government counterparts and partners as well as to chair oblast level protection meetings. Under the supervision of the P3 Protection Cluster Coordination Officer in Dnipro and in line with the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and Protection Cluster tools the incumbent will be responsible for the implementation of cluster functions for the protection cluster at sub-national level while adapting to the revised sub-national humanitarian architecture particularly linking up with the Humanitarian Operational Coordination Groups and enabling absorption of CCCM functions and activities. This will include supporting protection service delivery contributions to Protection Clusters decision-making planning and strategy development protection advocacy monitoring and reporting contingency planning/ preparedness for protection response. The incumbent will focus on capacity building of partners at sub-national level on protection and specific Protection Cluster guidance and tools including referrals and service mapping. He/she will work with operational partners of other clusters to mobilize protection response to identified gaps and enhance protection mainstreaming and promote good programming particularly in the areas of AAP gender and age and disability inclusion to ensure that protection informs and shapes the overall humanitarian response at sub-national level particularly in the frontline areas.

Living and Working Conditions:

Security:

The international armed conflict in Ukraine is ongoing and the Russian Federation Armed Forces temporarily occupy parts of Donetsk Luhansk Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. The frontline is the primary area of kinetic military operations particularly in the eastern and southeastern regions and north of Kharkiv. Cruise missiles ballistic missiles aero-ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been targeting vital civilian and military sites including airports since the start of the invasion. As a result commercial air travel is suspended and vehicles and trains are the only modes of transportation. Since 2023 there has been an increase in attacks targeting civilian infrastructure throughout the country.

Whilst the UN has not been targeted directly the threat of collateral damage continues to remain in place with cases of UNHCR IPs reporting collateral damages and several humanitarian workers recorded as been killed and injured since the start of the full-scale invasion. The UN Security Management System (UNSMS) applies a comprehensive Security Risk Management (SRM) process to identify security threats and evaluate risk levels. The security risk levels are regularly reviewed. Currently the most significant threats and hazards are associated with the international armed conflict with current risk levels ranging from high to Very High or Unacceptable in areas with ongoing hostilities.

This has resulted in a decrease of humanitarian space making it difficult and sometimes impossible to access people in need in frontline areas. When assessing risk levels the security personnel and the UNHCR Representative as part of the countrys Security Management Team adhere to the SRM process as defined by the UNSMS. In general the projected risk level in all three SRM areas where the UN/HCR operates is High.

Therefore applicants for positions in Ukraine should be prepared to work in a highly dynamic security environment where unexpected events occur frequently. Air raids are common and staff may be required to work from bunkers or underground car parks metro stations and other locations for extended periods. Power and water outages are to be expected and will make life more challenging during the winter months. Depending on the evolution of the war disruptions to public services such as shops banks and restaurants may occur. Curfews are in place throughout the country and mission travel must be authorized by the Representative or designated managers subject to the completion of mandatory BSAFE SSAFE and IFAK training and security clearance procedures. Private trips within the country are prohibited for international staff.

The Field Security Unit works closely with UNDSS and other interlocutors of the UNSMS to ensure that program activities can be implemented within the acceptable level of risk by following the required measures and procedures set up and approved by the Designated Official. Due to the countrys evolving operational and security environment UNHCR needs to maintain strong security contingency preparedness supporting its mandate of providing protection and assistance to people in need.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

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

Certifications

Coordination Skills Workshop - Other TriCluster Knowledge/Coord Skills - Other

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability Analytical thinking Client & results orientation Commitment to continuous learning Communication Empowering & building trust Judgement & decision making Organizational awareness Political awareness Stakeholder management Teamwork & collaboration

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Additional Information

This position doesnt require a functional clearance