Job Opennings at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Position Number: 10024180
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Category: Protection Operational Support
Grade: NOA
Duration of Contract: One Year
Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment

Context, Duties and Responsibilities
Operational Context:

• The Assistant Protection Officer reports to the Protection Officer. The Assistant Protection Officer will plan and implement protection activities in their specific location(Gwoza and Bama) in Borno State whilst interfacing with other UNHCR staff and partners, members of the Protection Sector and the wider humanitarian community, including government actors of various backgrounds and capacities, the judiciary, police and other actors involved in civilian protection.
• The incumbent must be able to conduct trainings and field assessment missions, to advocate with diverse interlocutors and to draft documents in English. The post requires a mix of managerial, policy, legal and practical skills. The incumbent should have a good experience in the north-eastern Nigeria humanitarian context, human rights law and humanitarian law and repatriation.
• It is hereby noteworthy to indicate clearly that these positions will be based out of Maiduguri in the Local Government Areas (Monguno LGA respectively) and staff are expected to operate in the said LGA where the security situation is volatile and unpredictable. Staff are therefore expected to reside in the existing humanitarian hubs and adhere strictly to UN Security Management Guidelines in place which may be revised from time to time.
  

Functional Statement
Accountability:

• The protection of populations of concern is met through the application of International and National Law, relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles.
• Protection activities are guided by the protection strategy and respect the policy of UNHCR on age, gender and diversity (AGD).
• The participation of persons of concern is assured through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community based approaches.
• Protection incidents are immediately identified and addressed.

Responsibility:

• 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.
• Implement and monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• 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 global / regional international protection policies and standards.
• 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.

Authority:

• Intervene with authorities on protection issues.
• 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.
• Recommend and prepare payments to individual cases.

Essential Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate Degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in Law, International Law, Political Sciences or related field plus minimum 1 year of previous work experience relevant to the function. Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master’s) or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) may also be accepted.
• Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
• Demonstrated work experience in the education sector.
• Knowledge of refugee protection principles and framework.
• Familiarity with INEE standards   
• Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English

Desirable Qualifications & Competencies:

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

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Position Number: 10032149
Location: FCT Abuja
Category: Human Resources
Grade: NOA
Duration of Contract: One year
Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment

Context, Duties and Responsibilities
Operational Context:

• Assistant Human Resources Officer will function under direct supervision of the Human Resources Officer.
• The Incumbent will handle HR related activities within the country/ operation, and he/she may directly supervise, coach and guide locally recruited staff responsible for the personnel administration and other HR related matters.
• He/she will assist the HR Officer responsible for Administration/ Human Resources in the process of staffing and budget reviews, HR entries in MSRP, recruitment and appointment of staff, and in the performance management and staff welfare issues.
• Incumbent will have close working relationship with the staff-related services in UNHCR, such as the Personnel Administration & Payroll Section (PAPS), Talent Outreach & Acquisition Section (TOAS), Assignments & Promotion Section (APS), Performance Management Unit (PMU), Career Management Section (CMS), Staff Health & Welfare Service (SHWS) and Global Learning Centre (GLC).
• He/she will also maintain contact and close cooperation with other UN agencies in the country.

Functional Statement
Accountability:

• UNHCR recruits, contracts and deploys staff in the country to meet its current and future operational needs, adhering to the principles of the UNHCR People Strategy.
• The workforce in the country is well-informed of and understands the organisation’s human resources policies and practices.
• UNHCR provides a healthy, safe and respectful working environment for its workforce in the country.

Responsibility

• Provide input in the preparation of the annual operations programme review submissions, and in the review of the training needs of the staff, making appropriate proposals to meet identified needs.
• Advise and counsel staff members on their rights, obligations, benefits and entitlements in line with UN/UNHCR staff rules and regulations.
• Assist in timely advertising and filling of General Service and National Officer vacancies. Prepare submissions for the review by the local Assignments Committee (AC). Process recruitment, assignment and reassignment of local staff for the country operation, in accordance with UN/UNHCR rules and procedures.
• Conduct regular audit and verification of personnel records in the office, including audit of MSRP entries into HR module, as well as of the attendance, overtime and leave records. Monitor maintenance of the daily tracking system to ensure accurate information is provided on staff and families in case of emergency. Provide support, guidance and training to all staff performing personnel administration and other HR related functions.
• Brief newly-arrived international staff on related administrative formalities; process and follow up on their accreditations and other related documents and arrange for their onward travel to the field office, if applicable.
• Supervise administration of UNHCR medical insurance plan for locally recruited staff. Assist staff and dependants in case of medical evacuation.
• Assist in HR related activities of the security evacuation plan, ensuring relocations/evacuations are managed and administered in line with the provisions of the UN Security Management System Policy.
• Maintain liaison with the support sections and divisions at headquarters, specifically with DHRM, on matters related to the recruitment and personnel administration support, medical and other issues of staff welfare and safety.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Authority:

• Enforce local compliance with the UN/UNHCR staff rules and regulations, as well as with the performance management system.
• Clear issuance and extension of contracts for locally recruited staff.
• Clear payments related to personnel issues such as settlement of travel claims, overtime claims, hazard pay, MIP reimbursements, medical and security evacuations, shipment costs

Essential Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate Degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in Human Resources Management/Administration, Law or similar disciplines plus minimum 1 year of previous relevant professional experience. Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's) or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) may also be accepted.
• Good knowledge of UNHCR administrative procedures and processes and exposure to provision of support services in an international organization.
• Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Desirable Qualifications & Competencies:

• Knowledge of UN/UNHCR field operational realities, especially in hardship duty stations.
• Field experience with UNHCR and/or with other humanitarian organizations is an asset.
• High IT affinity and working experience of PeopleSoft/MSRP HR module, as well as with MSRP Financials and Focus.
• Knowledge of additional UN languages.