Senior Protection Assistant

Responsibilities

• Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
• Provide counselling on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
• Support activities in protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
• Conduct preliminary information gathering and interviews in support of eligibility, status determination, durable solutions and social needs assessment.
• 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 for PoC as part of the protection strategy.
• Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Participate in individual protection case management including cases of GBV and child protection. Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Assist in identifying durable solutions for PoC in voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
• Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
• Draft reports, routine correspondence, update relevant databases and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
• Contribute to initiatives to enhance national and local protection capacities.
• Select PoC for preliminary interviews and decide which relevant information to share.
• Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners.
• Support the identification and managem

Additional Information

Deadline for Applications June 9, 2026 Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based) A (least hardship) Family Type (not applicable for home-based) Family Staff Member / Affiliate Type UNOPS LICA5 Target Start Date 2026-06-22 Terms of Reference The candidate should ideally have prior experience working with UNHCR in protection and case management, including providing counseling and gathering relevant information to support case assessment and decision-making. Effective counseling requires a sound understanding of international protection principles, operational procedures, and case management standards. The candidate will serve as the first point of entry for case referrals, conduct initial protection assessments, identify urgent needs, and support case management processes in close consultation with the supervisor, ensuring follow-up actions are implemented in line with the standard operating procedures. The candidate should demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills in both Arabic and English and possess a solid understanding of the protection environment in the GCC, particularly in the UAE. Experience coordinating with a range of internal and external stakeholders, including UNHCR units, government entities, and partners, would be highly desirable. This Vacancy is open to Emirati nationals and candidates with a valid UAE residency at the time of application. Standard Job Description Senior Protection Assistant Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Senior Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague. The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff. The Senior Protection Assistant provides quality, timely and effective protection support to persons of concern (PoC) and identifies opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and safeguards in operational responses. S/he contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on protection issues as guided by the supervisor. The Senior Protection Assistant also ensures that PoC are involved 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.

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