Chief of Asylum Systems and Determination Section

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic guidance and leadership for UNHCR in asylum capacity development, RSD and related areas, country of origin information and country guidance.
• Develop, enhance and contribute to global, regional and country-level asylum capacity, RSD and RSD-related standards, policies, tools and practices in close coordination with field offices, regional bureaux, relevant sections within DIPS, and other Headquarters divisions.
• Deliver planned and agreed asylum capacity development, RSD and related outcomes consistently and effectively in a results-based framework, ensuring full and effective integration into regional protection strategies and country operations plans.
• Design, supervise, and direct the implementation of mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating UNHCR and government asylum capacity development, RSD and related procedures and decision-making, including through trends and statistical analysis.
• Ensure that UNHCR's asylum capacity, RSD and related strategies and tools address the specific protection needs of dive

Benefits

Additional Information

Please note that this vacancy is only open to eligible staff members who have been individually notified of their eligibility to apply for positions advertised in the Accelerated Posting Compendium. Deadline for Applications June 12, 2026 Hardship Level H (no hardship) Family Type Family Residential location (if applicable) Grade PR5 Staff Member / Affiliate Type Professional Reason Regular > Regular Assignment Target Start Date 2026-05-26 Standard Job Description Chief of Asylum Systems and Determination Section The Chief of Asylum Systems and Determination (ASD) Section is responsible for the development and implementation of UNHCR's strategies and activities related to asylum strengthening, refugee status determination (RSD) and production of country guidance and country of origin information (COI). These responsibilities encompass the implementation of RSD under UNHCR's mandate, and the development and strengthening of government asylum procedures, which are integral to UNHCR's broader protection and solutions strategies and approaches. Key objectives include monitoring, evaluating and progressively enhancing the fairness, efficiency, adaptability and integrity of UNHCR and government asylum and RSD procedures. The role also involves developing and implementing asylum and RSD-related standards and policies, in collaboration with other relevant sections within the Division of International Protection and Solutions (DIPS). Additionally, the Chief of ASD Section is responsible for the development, publication and dissemination of high-quality country-specific protection information to ensure coherence and consistency in refugee policy and asylum decision-making, as well as the development and maintenance of support tools like RefWorld, UNHCR's Global Law and Policy Database. The Chief of ASD Section operates within DIPS' Policy & Law Service, reports to the Deputy Director, and is a member of the DIPS Senior Management Team. The incumbent manages the Asylum Capacity Development Unit, the Country Guidance and Country of Origin Information Unit, the Status Determination Unit, and other staff outside these units. S/he manages and supervises a team with specialized skills in asylum capacity development, RSD and COI/country-related guidance. This role requires extensive collaboration and contact with various internal and external stakeholders, often at senior levels, in coordinating and leading UNHCR's global asylum and RSD activities. The Chief of ASD Section works closely with field offices, regional bureaux, relevant sections within DIPS, and other divisions in Headquarters, particularly the Global Data Service and the Division of Resilience and Solutions. In addition to directly supervising staff in the ASD Section, the incumbent provides guidance and functional supervision to (senior) regional RSD focal points in line with DIPS' roles, accountabilities, and authorities. 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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