Assistant Protection Officer, NO-A at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Vacancy Number: 2017/VA/015
Location: Maiduguri Office

Job Description

• The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Nigeria wishes to engage the services of an Assistant Protection Officer in its Maiduguri Office on a Fixed-Term basis.
• The Assistant Protection Officer, under the supervision of the Senior Protection Officer, will coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern; identifying opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors.
• S/He will contribute to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represent the organization externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.
• To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.

Responsibilities
The incumbent will have the following Responsibilities:

• 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 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 and education plan as part of the protection strategy.
• Provide inputs for the development of global / regional international protection policies and standards.
• Implement and monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Manage individual protection cases including those on SGBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Assess needs for Promote and find 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.
• 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.
• Contribute to 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.

Essential Minimum Qualifications

• Completion of University degree in Law, International Law, political Sciences or related field.
• Minimum 2 years of relevant professional job experience.
• Excellent knowledge of English and working knowledge of another relevant UN language and/or local language.

Desirable Qualifications & Competencies:

• Diverse field experience desirable.
• Good IT skills including database management skills.
• Completion of the Protection Learning Programme, RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme.