Assistant Representative - Protection

Responsibilities

• Stay abreast of political, social, economic and security developments that have an impact on the protection environment and protection delivery capacity and advise the Representative in the overall management of UNHCR's operations.
• Manage a consultative process with government counterparts, partners and forcibly displaced and stateless persons to develop and implement a comprehensive protection strategy addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, minority groups such as sexual minorities and persons living with HIV/AIDS; and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) priorities with regard to these persons.
• In operations applying the Cluster Approach, ensure the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy which covers assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations.
• Ensure the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and in respect of UNHCR's mandate, the Humanitarian Country Team's common humanitarian action plan where applicable.
• Ensure that necessary resources are allocated to address protection gaps.
• Promote International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct. Foster their consistent and coherent interpretation and application and ensure that sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations fulfil their responsibilities mainstreaming protection.
• Design, deliver and monitor programmes on an AGD basis to address identified protection needs.
• Oversee the provision of expert legal advice and guidance on protection issues to internal and external interlocutors and ensure that legal assistance and documentation is accessible to forcibly displaced and stateless persons .
• Oversee Eligibility and Status Determination operations ensuring compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
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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 E (most hardship) Family Type Non Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay Residential location (if applicable) Nairobi (CO), Kenya Grade PR5 Staff Member / Affiliate Type Professional Reason Regular > Regular Assignment Target Start Date 2026-07-01 Standard Job Description Assistant Representative - Protection Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Assistant Representative- Protection is the senior protection manager in a Country Office and reports to the Representative. A member of the senior management team, the incumbent has direct or reviewing supervisory responsibility for protection staff who may include community services, registration, resettlement and education. He/she has country-wide functional supervisory responsibility for protection staff and provides protection oversight and guidance to the information and programme management functions. The Assistant Representative- Protection transposes UNHCR's Global Strategic Priorities into a comprehensive protection strategy adapted to the country context. He/she is guardian of protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery at country level and represents the UNHCR to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection policy and doctrine. UNHCR is well integrated into the UN Resident Coordinator System. The Assistant Representative- Protection is relied upon by the Office to plan, manage and guide country-wide protection delivery to forcibly displaced and stateless persons and to promote and gain support for UNHCR's protection agenda externally. This includes ensuring that operational responses in sectors are shaped in a protection optic, mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. He/she ensures that persons and communities of concern are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them and that their interests are effectively represented to authorities, protection and assistance partners and to the broad network of donors and stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection. 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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