Senior Protection Officer

A (least hardship)

FamilyFamily

PR4

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

July 3 2025

Senior Protection Officer

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

The incumbent acts as a key advisor to senior management and leads the development of 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 Senior Protection Officer plans leads and coordinates quality timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern under the AoR. This includes ensuring that operational responses in all sectors are shaped in a protection optic are consistent with and promote respect for relevant international law and UNHCRs doctrine mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. Another important element of the incumbents functions is to ensure that forcibly displaced and stateless persons 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 UNHCRs 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 legal political social economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
- Manage a consultative process with government counterparts partners and forcibly displaced and stateless persons 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 ensure the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations.
- Ensure that the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the Humanitarian Country Teams common humanitarian response plan 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 UNHCRs updated commitments to women and girls and design deliver 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 forcibly displaced and stateless persons into programme design and adaptation.
- Guide the operation in the development and implementation of robust prevention identification and responses to fraud within protection processes and procedures including registration RSD and resettlement ensuring the integrity of interventions across all protection activities.
- Oversee the management of 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 forcibly displaced and stateless persons ; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documents to forcibly displaced and stateless persons (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 eligibility and status determination in the Operation(s) under the AoR ensuring compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
- Promote and implement strategies and measures to identify prevent and reduce statelessness.
- Develop and implement an education plan as part of the protection strategy within the AoR as relevant.
- Develop and implement 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 forcibly displaced and stateless persons 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 forcibly displaced and stateless persons including undertaking supporting and/or overseeing resettlement and complementary pathways activities including implementation of the GCR Three Year Strategy.
- Coordinate the design implementation and evaluation of protection-related programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Develop and implement a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectoral and/or cluster partners.
- Ensure that the Protection Sector or Cluster has an effective information management component that provides disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.
- Research collect and disseminate relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery.
- Develop the protection capacity of national and local authorities partners and civil society to assume their responsibilities vis--vis all forcibly displaced and stateless persons through protection training mainstreaming and related activities.
- Coordinate capacity-development 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.

- Lead risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seize opportunities impacting objectives. Ensure that risk management principles are integrated in decision-making both at strategic and operational levels. Allocate resources for planned treatments with resource requirements in Strategic Plans. Ensure that risks are managed to acceptable levels and escalate as needed. If a Risk Owner designate the Risk Focal Point and certify that the annual risk review is completed and ensure that the risk register is updated during the year as needed.
- Perform other related duties as required.

For positions in Bureaux

- Support the Regional Bureau and Country Operations to reflect the protection and solution angle in support of forcibly displaced and stateless persons with 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 country level to comply with policies 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 UNHCRs 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) coordinate and review UNHCRs country reports to the UN human rights mechanisms.
- Engage in relevant international and regional fora and forge 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.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P4/NOD - 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 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 Political Sciences
or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Management Learning Programme
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Minimum 7 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. Very good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles and of UNHCRs protection strategies and policies. 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
*PR-Age Gender and Diversity (AGD)
PR-Refugee Coordination Model
PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards
PR-International Humanitarian Law
PR-Assessment of IDPs Status Rights Obligation
PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework
LE-Judicial Engagement
PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement
PR-Accountability to Affected People - Principles and Framework
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.

Desired qualifications:
-Experience in GBV and CP case management including training of staff and partners
-Demonstrated experience in setting up CBP structures with a focus on AAP and CwC
-Experience in gender mainstreaming within a UNHCR and UNCT structure
-Strong ability to coordinate with diverse stakeholders including authorities UN agencies donors and NGOs and to engage in evidence-based advocacy for survivors of GBV and CP.
-Strong ability to lead/chair relevant working groups such as GBV CP PWD and the like.
-Strong experience in developing and overseeing implementation of SOPs for general protection matters such as CBP GBV CP AAP and the likes
-Strong experience in overseeing supporting and guiding case management teams- both UNHCR and partner staff
-Experience in PSEA/H training mainstreaming and oversight
-Proven experience in program planning monitoring and reporting in the context of returns and durable solutions for persons with specific needs
-Strong technical knowledge of UNHCR IASC and other Guiding principles on GBV CP AAP PWD and the like and proven experience engaging with partners to implement and facilitate such programs including to test new and innovative models.
-Strong technical knowledge of protection monitoring and reporting and application of different UNHCR protection tools to produce reports monitor risks analyze trends etc.
-Experience working with government institutions (police ministry of social development etc) on general protection matters with a focus on women and children.
-Management of multifunctional team delivering a variety of roles and technical areas of focus.
-Experience in supporting and overseeing teams in field/camp areas.

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Amman is the home to many top-end hospitals and clinics. Due to Jordanian healthcares international appeal nearly all doctors and many support staff speak English. Healthcare here is also very accessible and affordable. The Security Level for Amman and the rest of the country is assessed at Level 2 (LOW). Various hazards in some cases pose a continuing threat to UN staff. Despite stricter traffic legislation adopted in August 2023 in Jordan Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are frequently occurring due to the extensive travel of UN personnel for official or private travel within the country. Poor road conditions reckless driving inexperience mechanical faults and non-adherence to road safety rules and regulations principally account for many road traffic accidents. Flash floods often occur in winter and affect a few parts of the country including the capital Amman and the Dead Sea region. The overall hazards threat is assessed as Moderate.

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

With over 586000 refugees registered with UNHCR in Jordan the pressures and challenges felt in previous years continues further exacerbated by the recent financial challenges. The Kingdom hosts over 530000 Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR in addition to refugees from Iraq Yemen Sudan Somalia & other countries currently living in Jordan. UNHCR Jordan is now running 4 offices (Amman Mafraq Irbid and Azraq). Most refugees live in urban areas and only 16% are accommodated in camps. UNHCR works closely with the Government of Jordan and numerous other national & international partners in providing protection and assistance to refugees and asylum seekers as well as to Jordanian communities affected by the refugee influx.

The Branch Office in Amman covers all refugee camps and urban areas with protection staff located in each field location reporting to their respective head of office; hence there is strong collaboration and coordination along with support and oversight between the BO and the field.

The position reports directly to the Assistant Representative - Protection. The operations protection pillar is diverse and divided into four main pillars: case management (registration RSD and data protection) durable solutions (RST VolRep and complimentary pathways general protection and legal. The position is responsible to oversee and manage the general protection unit which includes community based protection communication with communities gender-based violence (GBV) child protection (CP) in addition to leading/co-leading relevant sectoral working groups. This unit liaises closely with other units especially the legal unit to ensure timely follow up of critical GBV and CP survivors and ensure meticulous case management for the survivors. This unit also supports the office expand national capacities to respond to persons with specific needs such as GBV and CP through different community-based protection mechanisms carried out by governmental and non-governmental local actors. Capacity development and follow up with relevant stakeholders including government officials on accountability to affected population gender-based violence case management child protection risk monitoring PSEA/H and the like are also within the responsibility of this unit.

The Senior Protection Officer mainly assists in the management and oversight of UNHCR s Protection issues as well as CBP and general protection activities in the Camps and urban areas.

The Senior Protection Officer will conduct regular missions to all offices and camps to provide protection support. S/he will supervise a team of up to 15 Protection staff in Amman and support staff in the field.

The Senior Protection Officer will also be tasked to chair/co-chair several protection WGs and sub WG and will be given the task of PSEA/SH focal point along with other thematic areas like persons with disability and gender mainstreaming.

Living and Working Conditions:

Jordan has a total population of 9.4 million people. Amman houses 42% of Jordans population 4.008 million making it the populous city in the country. Amman is categorized as (A) duty station.

Rent in Amman can vary depending on the size of the property itself number of bedrooms and the area of Amman in which it is located. Renting a 3-bedroom apartment can range fromUSD per month.

Amman tends to have a Mediterranean climate; summers are mildly hot winter usually starts around the end of November and continues until mid-March there is occasional snowfall.

The medium for teaching in international schools is English however there are a few French language schools as well. There is a plethora of institutions for children of all ages from pre-school to high school as well universities.

The majority of international educational institutions are in Amman.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

LE-Judicial Engagement PR-Accountability to Affected People - Principles and Framework PR-Age Gender and Diversity (AGD) PR-Assessment of IDPs Status Rights Obligation PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards PR-International Humanitarian Law PR-Protection-related guidelines standards and indicators PR-Refugee Coordination Model

Education

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

Certifications

HCR Management Learning Program - UNHCR

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability Client & results orientation Commitment to continuous learning Communication Empowering & building trust Judgement & decision making Leadership Managing performance Negotiation & conflict resolution Organizational awareness Planning & organizing Political awareness Strategic planning & visions Teamwork & collaboration

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Additional Information

This position doesnt require a functional clearance