Senior Protection Assistant

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)U (unclassified)

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

No designation

Staff Member / Affiliate TypeCONTR Local Entry and Mid-Level Support

Target Start Date2025-09-01

Deadline for ApplicationsAugust 24, 2025

Terms of ReferenceI. DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ENGAGED INDIVIDUAL CONTRACT HOLDER

a. General Background of Project or Assignment, Operational Context:

The UNHCR Izmir Field Unit works in close coordination with provincial directorates, law enforcement, governorates, NGOs, and refugee communities across 10 provinces in the Aegean and Mediterranean region. With over 200,000 forcibly displaced people, the Field Unit promotes access to protection and quality services for asylum-seekers and refugees.

Under this contract, the Senior Protection Assistant will play a key role in:

Providing interpretation during interviews, assessments, and community meetings.

Supporting protection team members in identifying the specific needs and vulnerabilities of refugees.

Offering basic counselling and guidance to forcibly displaced people, helping them access services and understand procedures.

b. Occupational Safety and Health Considerations

The general security situation in Izmir remains calm and stable, with security level assessed as 1 (Minimal) in line with the general threat assessment. The Turkish security forces are trained, well-resourced and effective. Although thefts and burglaries have been reported in Izmir from time to time, the crime rate is assessed as low. The UN is not considered as a direct target, although the situation can change rapidly due to regional and/or international developments. Protest demonstrations occur in parts of Izmir, against different socio-political and socio-economic issues, and recently against hostilities in Gaza. Hazard incidents including road traffic crashes, extreme weather conditions, and earthquake remain a concern for the safety of staff. As part of Great Turkiye security risk management area, same as Ankara, UNHCR security management is guided by the UN Common Security Management System and security advisories are shared with staff as and when required.

c. Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

Core Interpretation Tasks
• Consecutive and/or simultaneous interpretation during:
o Interviews with asylum seekers and refugees
o Protection assessments and case management sessions
o Community engagement meetings such as focus group discussions, information sessions.
o Monitoring visits and field missions

Capacity Building and Quality Assurance
• Participating in training sessions on protection principles, terminology, and ethics
• Providing feedback to improve communication tools and materials
• Supporting the development of glossaries or language resources

Support to Protection and Field Teams
• Assisting in communicating sensitive information (e.g., legal rights, procedures, protection risks)
• Participating in voluntary return interviews
• Helping identify vulnerabilities or protection concerns during interpretation sessions

II. CANDIDATE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, SELECTION CRITERIA

a. Required qualifications, language(s) and work experience:

Minimum 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Core Competencies:
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation

Cross-Functional Competencies:
Analytical Thinking
Political Awareness
Stakeholder Management

Required: Excellent command of Turkish, Farsi, and English

III. MONITORING AND PROGRESS CONTROLS

The performance of the Senior Protection Assistant will be monitored and evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Quality and timeliness of interpretation services provided during interviews, assessments, and community meetings.
• Effectiveness in identifying specific needs and vulnerabilities of persons of concern and referring them to appropriate services.
• Accuracy and sensitivity in providing basic counselling and information to refugees and asylum-seekers.
• Active participation in field visits, community-based protection activities, and outreach efforts in coordination with the protection team.
• Timely and accurate reporting of activities, observations, and protection concerns to the supervisor.
• Adherence to UNHCR’s Code of Conduct, confidentiality standards, and protection principles.
• Responsiveness to feedback and demonstrated improvement in performance over time.

Regular check-ins will be conducted by the supervisor, and performance will be reviewed through field observations, feedback from team members and partners, and periodic progress reports.

Definition:

Individual contractor is an individual engaged by UNHCR under a contract of limited duration to provide skills or knowledge for the performance of a specific task or piece of work and engaged under an individual contract issued directly by UNHCR. They are neither staff members of UNHCR under the Staff Regulations and Rules, nor Officials for the purpose of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations of 13 February 1946.

Contract Duration/Renewal:

Any extension of an individual contract is subject to operational needs, satisfactory service, and availability of funds. There is no expectation of renewal or conversion of the individual contract beyond its expiry date.

Working Hours:

40 hours per week, inclusive of mandatory night shifts, possibility of work on weekends and official holidays as part of the assigned schedule.

Leave Entitlements:

Annual leave at the rate of two and a half working days per month.
Sick leave at the rate of two working days for each month of service.

Medical Coverage:

Cigna Health Insurance, also available optionally for eligible dependents subject to additional contribution rates.

Remuneration:

Remuneration at the level of the vacancy (G5 level) based on the International Civil Services Commission (ICSC) salary scale.

Legal Requirements:

Individual Contractors must comply with relevant local legislation, including but not limited to those relating to taxation, social security requirements, licenses, work permits and visas, and other details stipulated in the terms of their contract. UNHCR undertakes no liability for taxes and social security contributions, duties or other contributions payable by the individual contract holder on payments made under the individual contract. The individual contract holders will not be reimbursed such taxes or granted any other benefit, payment or subsidy which is not expressly provided for in the contract under which they are engaged. UNHCR may require the individual contract holder to provide evidence within a reasonable time that they have registered for and are paying applicable taxation and social security to the relevant national authorities.

Important to note: The Individual Contractor shall be responsible for paying any tax levied by his/her Government or other entities on his/her UNHCR earnings. Under no circumstances shall UNHCR be responsible for paying or reimbursing such taxes.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Clearances and ID Cards:

Applications of non-Turkish candidates are subject to MFA clearance before any offer can be made. For cleared candidates who are recruited, MFA ID card applications will be processed while the issuance lies within the authority of the MFA.

Important to note: Once the MFA ID is issued, the time spent under an Individual Contract no longer counts toward eligibility for Turkish citizenship.

Application Requirements:
Applicants must ensure:

- To apply for the vacancies timely through Workday. No late applications are accepted.
- To reflect their previous experience, language skills (including the mother tongue) and other assets in their Workday applicant profiles duly. Shortlisting is done based on the information provided in the applications only
- To attach their valid residence permits (both sides visible) in case they are non-Turkish nationals.

PLEASE DO NOT USE TURKISH CHARACTERS IN YOUR NAME & SURNAME INFORMATION.

Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to successful reference checks and integrity clearance.

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

Only short-listed candidates will be notified. The recruitment process might include written test and/or oral interview for this job opening. No late applications will be accepted.

External candidates should be legally present in Türkiye at the time of application, recruitment and hire.

Non-Turkish citizens are required to upload their residence permits or relevant documents under the ‘Certifications’ section, by selecting the type as ‘Personnel Administration – Other’, in order to be considered for this job opening. Applications by non-Turkish citizens will NOT be considered if a valid residence permit is not attached to the application.

For further information on how to apply, please visit ‘UNHCR - Application and Selection’ page, at https://www.unhcr.org/how-to-apply.html.

Standard Job Description

Required Languages Farsi

,English

,Turkish

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Work Experience

Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance

RemoteNo