Assistant Protection Officer

H (no hardship)

FamilyFamily

NOA

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

June 16 2025

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.

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
- 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.

- 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
*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.

The incumbent to the position must have:
a)excellent knowledge on the work & mandate of UNHCR and the Organizations global regional and country level latest priorities policies and approaches on refugee protection forced displacement asylum mixed movements sustainable responses access to rights and integration.
b)excellent knowledge of International Refugee Law Human Rights Law European law and Jurisprudence (CJEU European Human Rights Court) and the national legal framework and the ability to apply the relevant legal principles in the Greek context in alignment with international and regional standards.
c)deep understanding knowledge and insight analysis of the legal political humanitarian and social protection context in the country and of regional developments affecting Greece including on the protection and solutions for most vulnerable refugees (child protection gender-based violence trafficking smuggling. education/vocational training and community-based protection).
d)demonstrated solid knowledge and field experience on strengthening national capacities and systems building through a multidisciplinary approach across all protection and programmatic interventions in areas related to border management identification screening and reception asylum processing access to rights and to livelihoods for the most vulnerable refugees including children/unaccompanied and separated children and youth GBV victims disabled and their inclusion into national systems and strategies and institutional frameworks in a gender age and diversity inclusive manner and in coordination with the field HQ/DIP and RBE.
e)Demonstrated experience in advocating for and supporting national policy institutional and legal reforms on areas related to vulnerable refugees through expert advice specialized training strategic partnerships advocacy community-based and rights-based approaches and participation of refugee communities.
f)solid experience in liaising and engaging strategically at senior level with government officials MMA/SGVPIP MSCF/labour/education/health ministries police and border authorities NGOs academia national human rights institutions legal practitioners at central and local level and with UN agencies donors regional European organizations and human rights institutions (EU Council of Europe FRA FRONTEX EUAA) and other relevant stakeholders. Possessing a wide network of contacts at national and regional level with key authorities actors and institutions including other ministries and with the European Union institutions (DG Home/SG Reform) as well as experience on developing funding proposals and on the implementation of EU-TSI funded projects will be an asset to rendering UNHCRs advocacy positions and stance more impactful.
g)solid experience in supporting the Government in the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and related EU/EC legal and policy developments in areas relevant to UNHCRs mandate and in particular on child protection/other vulnerable categories.
h)excellent analytical skills.
i)excellent and command of the English and Greek languages both written and oral and a proven ability to present complex matters to a range of audiences including authorities partners refugees and donors.

This is a National Professional Officer position. National Professional Officers should be of the nationality of the country where the office concerned is located. Given the centrality of this position in the Greek operation the successful candidate must speak and write Greek at mother tongue standard.

Greek

English

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

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

Currently some 142000 asylum-seekers and refugees are hosted in Greece. In 2024 some 62000 people arrived either by sea or land. UNHCR provides expert advice to the State and evidence-based information that helps inform programmes and policies for asylum-seekers and refugees. Access to international protection identifying durable solutions and support to vulnerable asylum-seekers and refugees such as unaccompanied children and survivors of gender-based violence are UNHCRs key also works with national and local authorities the private sector civil society and refugee communities to advance protection solutions and inclusion develop support networks and create employability and training opportunities for refugees. The Office retains a readiness to respond to emergencies and new arrivals with a focus on immediate support to the most vulnerable. UNHCR Greece plays a strong advocacy role since continued support is needed particularly from EU countries and EU institutions in providing immediate protection to those most at-risk through sufficient resources ensuring capacity in the country and responsibility-sharing. UNHCR will continue to assist Greek authorities in responding to both short and long-term challenges.

Position Specifications

Under the direct supervision of the Assistant Representative for Protection the incumbent will be responsible in advancing UNHCR Greeces 2025-20027 protection strategic priorities in line with the HCs Strategic Directions 2022-2026 and the Regional Strategic Directions 2024-2028. UNHCR Greeces protection and solutions strategy includes access to territory and asylum for those seeking international protection and identifying durable solutions to strengthen national systems with a specific emphasis on advancing sustainable responses the integration of asylum-seekers and refugees and the realization of their rights with a cross-cutting focus on assisting vulnerable refugees the implementation and operationalization of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and the Governments renewed focus on increasing legal employment opportunities for third-country nationals including forcibly displaced youth.

The incumbent will be required to provide strategic legal policy technical and operational guidance on protection issues and thematic areas under his/her responsibility (CP GBV education CBP inclusion in national systems PSEA) to the operation Government partners external actors and other relevant stakeholders. Attention will be given to the adoption of a more national human-rights centred migration and asylum management predictable and effective responses to mixed movements in line with European and international standards and UNHCRs route-based approach for the most vulnerable increasing Governments response capacity and influencing policy institutional and legal changes through expert advice monitoring specialized training strategic partnerships and advocacy.

Strategic focus and prioritization will be needed on strengthening national capacities and systems building in areas related to border management identification screening and reception asylum processing access to rights for the most vulnerable including children/unaccompanied and separated children and youth GBV victims disabled and their inclusion into national systems and CP/GBV/Education strategies and institutional frameworks access to livelihoods community-based protection and reach-out and participation of refugee communities.

The incumbent will be required to keep senior management abreast about the legal political and humanitarian situation in the country protection opportunities and challenges and provide policy guidance and interventions while ensuring global and regional coherence. The incumbent will carry out his/her protection and management functions in a complementary and inter-linked manner and to ensure coordination across sections within the Greek Operation (protection solutions external relations public information and program) the Regional Bureau Headquarters/DIP and to support results-based planning and strategic use of resources and maximize results EU-and national funding opportunities and reporting requirements.

The incumbent will require building and maintaining a wide network of contacts at national level with key authorities actors and institutions and liaising and engaging strategically at senior level with government officials MMA/SGVPIP other relevant ministries/MSCF/labour/education/health police authorities NGOsacademia national human rights institutions legal practitioners at central and local level and with UN agencies donors regional European organizations and human rights institutions (European Union Council of Europe FRA FRONTEX EUAA) and other relevant stakeholders. Engagement with government and EU counterparts (DG Home and SG Reform) in the implementation of EU-TSI funded project for unaccompanied youth and in liaising with DIP and RBE on key related policy/advocacy issues and developments impacting the Greek context will be required.

The incumbent will be required to oversight the outreach and communication with communities strategy and activities of the operation and to ensure a community-based and rights-based approaches in a gender age and diversity (ADG) inclusive manner across all protection and programmatic responses. It is expected that he/she will provide guidance on community-based approaches to protection to UNHCR staff governments partners and other key stakeholders and support a coordinated approach in the implementation of UNHCRs rights-based and community-based engagement with asylum-seekers and refugees and contribute to the achievement of UNHCR Greeces commitments to accountability to affected people.

Living and Working Conditions:

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens is a family duty station classified as H by ICSC. Public Transportation and medical facilities are well-developed and easily accessible. The educational institutions at all levels as well as international schools are available. The climate can be described as Mediterranean with hot and dry summers and cool and mild winters.

In accordance with UNDSS security risk assessment the whole Greek operation is classified as Security Level 2 (low). Security Clearance is required for travelling in the country. For more detailed information please consult the continuously updated living conditions booklet on Intranet.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Analytical Skills

Education

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

Certifications

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability Client & results orientation Commitment to continuous learning Communication Judgement & decision making Negotiation & conflict resolution Organizational awareness Political awareness Stakeholder management Teamwork & collaboration

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Additional Information

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and will have to undergo an oral interview.

Functional clearance

This position doesnt require a functional clearance