Hardship LevelC
Family TypeNon Family
Family TypeNon Family
Residential location (if applicable)
GradeGS4
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeGeneral Service
ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment
Remote work acceptedNo
Target Start Date2023-12-01
Job Posting End DateDecember 2, 2023
Standard Job DescriptionProtection Assistant Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague. The incumbent provides functional and administrative support to the protection unit on protection related liaison, correspondence, monitoring, case management and reporting activities. The Protection Assistant also supports the protection unit in designing a comprehensive protection strategy and in providing quality, timely and effective protection responses to persons of concern (PoC). S/he may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on correspondence and/or protection issues as guided by the supervisor. The Protection Assistant also facilitates the involvement of PoC in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners. 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 - Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct. - Observe and respect protection related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). - Provide functional and administrative support in all protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners. - Provide functional and administrative support in implementing participatory approaches, needs assessments, monitoring, reporting and case management. - Support assessments on durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement. - Facilitate liaison with competent authorities for the issuance of personal and other relevant documents. - Assist in drafting reports, routine correspondence, updating relevant databases and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR). - Select PoC for preliminary interviews and decide which relevant information to share. - Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners. - Perform other related duties as required. Minimum Qualifications Years of Experience / Degree Level For G4 - 1 year relevant experience with High School Diploma; or Bachelor or equivalent or higher Field(s) of Education Not applicable Certificates and/or Licenses Protection (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential) Relevant Job Experience Essential: Not specified. Desirable: Not specified. Functional Skills PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework IT-Computer Literacy (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 As of November 2023, some 280,000 refugees and asylum seekers reside in Iraq. Most of the asylum-seekers are of Syrian nationality, while the remainder are nationals of Turkiye, Iran, Palestine, Sudan and other countries in the region and beyond.
The Protection Assistant is part of the RSD Unit in Iraq and will report to the Assoc RSD Officer in Erbil. In Iraq, the strategic use of Mandate RSD is in place and RSD interventions are focused on nationalities/profiles where the undertaking of RSD leads to protection dividends, including durable solutions, or where preserving the integrity of the asylum regime necessitates RSD.
The incumbent is based in Erbil but covers RSD activities countrywide. S/he is responsible for scheduling RSD first instance, appeal, re-opening or exclusion interviews for diverse caseloads both in Federal Iraq (FI) and Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I). The incumbent liaises with asylum-seekers on a regular basis to ensure their documents are submitted and/or confirm their availability for their RSD/Appeals appointments. S/he is responsible of maintaining clean and up-to-date data of asylum-seekers identified for RSD. The incumbent is also responsible of translating RSD Decisions from English to Arabic. Furthermore, s/he will be involved in delivering RSD decisions, which includes providing counselling to asylum-seekers/refugees on outcomes of their asylum applications, in addition to the procedures which will follow. The incumbent will also support the RSD Team with interpretation of RSD interviews whenever needed.
The incumbent will be supporting UNHCR Country Office with translation of documents, including legal documents and/or official letters, from English to Kurdish and/or Arabic, interpretation of sensitive interviews, and any additional support for the Integrity Officer.
As such, fluency in spoken and written English, Kurdish and Arabic languages is required. Previous work in either interpretation or translation of documents is an advantage, so is a university degree in Translation. Previous work experience in interviewing and counselling asylum-seekers/refugees is a requirement. In addition, the incumbent should demonstrate strong interpersonal, communication and drafting skills. The incumbent is expected to have a solid understanding of Refugee Protection. Fluency in Farsi, Turkish, Urdu and/or Pashto languages is an advantage. The incumbent will be based in Erbil and will be required to travel across Iraq, including Centre and South and disputed territories on regular basis.
Important Notes:
- When completing the application, candidates are required to list all of their language skills – including their mother tongue. The three broad levels are A1/A2 (\"Basic User\"), B1/B2 (\"Independent User\"), and C1/C2 (\"Proficient User\")
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an eliminatory written test and only successful candidates will be interviewed.
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):
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Desired languages
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Operational context
Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:
Nature of Position:
Living and Working Conditions:
Additional Qualifications
SkillsIT-Computer Literacy, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
Education
CertificationsHCR Learning Program - UNHCR, HCR Protection Induction Prog - UNHCR, HCR Protection Learning Program Statelessness - UNHCR, HCR Protection Learning Program - UNHCR, HCR Thematic Protection Learning Program - UNHCR
Work Experience
CompetenciesAccountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Organizational awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration
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Additional Information
Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance