Hardship Level H (no hardship) Family Type Family Family Type Family Residential location (if applicable) Grade PR2 Staff Member / Affiliate Type Professional Reason Regular > Regular Assignment Remote work accepted No Target Start Date 2025-01-01 Deadline for Applications November 28, 2024 Standard Job Description Associate Protection Officer Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Associate 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 Associate Protection Officer is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern, 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 persons of concern 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 persons of concern. 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 UNHCR's 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. - Promote International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct. - Foster their consistent and coherent interpretation and application through mainstreaming in all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations. - Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to persons of concern. - Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation. - Conduct eligibility and status determination for persons of concern 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 to ensure programmes use a child protection systems approach. - Contribute to a country-level education plan. - Implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities which integrate AGD sensitive procedures. - Oversee and manage individual protection cases, including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners. - Recommend durable solutions for the largest possible number of persons of concern 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 persons of concern. - Participate in the organisation and implementation of participatory assessments and methodologies throughout the operations management cycle and promote AGD sensitive 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. - Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems. - Promote and integrate community-based approaches to protection and contribute to capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights. - Support activities in the area of risk management related to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, fraud, case-processing, data protection, and human rights due diligence at country level. - Participate in initiatives to capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures. - Intervene with authorities on protection issues. - Negotiate locally on behalf of UNHCR. - Decide priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals. - Enforce 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 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 Not specified. (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk are essential) Relevant Job Experience Essential Professional experience in the area of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law. Good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles. Desirable Field experience, including in working directly with communities. Good IT skills including database management skills. Functional Skills PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination 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 (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 Candidate Profile Experience with refugee integration, such as access to employment, preferably in a urban context is strongly preferred. Experience with resettlement or complementary pathways is desirable. Candidates must have strong English drafting and analytical skills and exposure to advocacy and policy formulation. Past collaboration with government authorities and stakeholders within civil society is strongly preferred. Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):,, Desired languages,, Operational context Occupational Safety and Health Considerations: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel Nature of Position: In the UK, UNHCR provides guidance on refugee and statelessness law and policy to the UK government, legal practitioners, non-governmental organizations and others. UNHCR engages with the Home Office to deliver protection to refugees at particular risk through its resettlement programmes. The Office is also focused on working with the UK authorities to strengthen the integration of refugees in the UK, both those recognized in the domestic process and those arriving through resettlement programmes. The Associate Protection Officer (APO) is required to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of displaced persons. The incumbent will contribute to the design of a comprehensive protection strategy and liaise externally with authorities and partners on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor. Under the Supervision of the Senior Legal Officer/ (Deputy Representative), the APO will lead the protection team’s engagement in integration, including facilitating access to services and employment; resettlement; and other regular routes such as family reunion and complementary pathways, including labour and education. The Home Office has expressed interest in expanding their activities, including in cooperation with UNHCR, to ensure inclusiveness and effective integration. The APO will be tasked with ensuring UNHCR is capitalizing on these opportunities. The incumbent’s team will ensure the voices of those with lived experience are heard and reflected in UNHCR’s work, including through participatory and snapshot assessments. The APO’s team will respond to queries from displaced persons, civil society and external parties regarding solutions. In addition, the Protection Associate will support with drafting UNHCR submissions to human rights bodies. Management Responsibilities: the APO will directly supervise two General Service staff engaged in integration and resettlement activities. (S)he may also have supervisory responsibilities of interns assigned to the Protection Unit. The incumbent will be part of the Office’s Management Team, having a role in strategy formulation, advocacy, reporting, budgeting and human resources. The overall protection environment for refugee and asylum issues in the UK has in recent years been challenging. It is hoped that recent political developments will provide expanded opportunities to build back a broad base of support for refugee protection in the UK and for UK engagement on humanitarian and development matters. Living and Working Conditions: London is a H duty station and generally expensive. It has favourable living conditions in terms of availability of housing, access to health facilities and high-quality education, transport connectivity within the city and to cities around the world, breadth of recreational activities, etc. London is well policed but, like in any large city, crimes of opportunity as well as rare acts of terrorism are a possibility. The UN and its staff have so far never been targeted. The UNHCR office is located in central London and is easily reachable by underground, train and bus. Additional Qualifications Skills Education Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science Certifications Work Experience Competencies Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration UNHCR Salary Calculator https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales Compendium Add. 1 to the September 2024 Compendium - Part B Additional Information Functional clearance This position doesn't require a functional clearance