Senior Legal Associate

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Deadline for Applications June 26, 2026 Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based) A (least hardship) Family Type (not applicable for home-based) Family Staff Member / Affiliate Type CONTR Local Senior Level Support Target Start Date 2026-04-01 Terms of Reference During the past 60 years, UNHCR and the Government of Türkiye have been working together in close partnership. In 2013, Türkiye adopted a new legislation, the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (LFIP) and established a central civilian authority in charge of procedures for foreigners. As the main partner of the Turkish State in the field of international protection, UNHCR Türkiye provides support to the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM) and the relevant national institutions. UNHCR Representation in Türkiye operates through a Country Office based in Ankara, and through sub-offices and field offices in Gaziantep, Istanbul, Izmir, and Ankara, as well as field units. Occupational Safety and Health Considerations To view occupational safety and health considerations for specific duty stations, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel The Senior Legal Associate will assist the Protection Unit in ensuring that protection standards, operational procedures, and practices in protection delivery are aligned with international standards. The incumbent will support the Unit in the implementation of activities carried out in cooperation with partners, including the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, under the overall supervision of the Senior Protection Officer. The scope of work will include the provision of legal guidance both internally and to UNHCR's partners through the activities and daily interactions conducted by the Protection Unit. S/he will support the Unit's initiatives related to legislative aspects and contribute to the preparation of legal advice, as well as the drafting of position papers and guidelines on pertinent legal and operational issues. S/he will also work in constantly monitoring relevant legal developments at the national and regional levels and will provide recommendations to inform the Unit's advocacy and interventions to expand protection response and to ensure access to rights by refugees. The incumbent will be conducting researches and following the judicial developments at the national and regional level, will be expected to make briefing on legislative/judicial developments for the purpose of to feed into briefing kits and internal papers. S/he will be supporting the preparation of legal materials that are shared with the national counterparts as recommendations. S/he will be engaged in preparing compilation of good practices and comparative charts on a broad spectrum of topics and reporting of the developments. Among tasks, s/he will be requested to provide assistance in UNHCR's legal publications, in dissemination of legal information on refugee law, in UNHCR's legal website and other legal advice as needed. The incumbent will also support the Unit's activities in strengthening the national capacity of relevant actors, including NGOs and lawyers through support organizing capacity-building activities through preparation of materials and presenting the topics. In this regard, s/he will represent the Office externally on protection doctrine and policy as needed and under the guidance by the Head of the Unit. Required qualifications, language(s) and work experience: - Bachelor's or equivalent or higher in Law, Political Science, International Relations, Social Sciences or a related field. Required/mandatory: - Research and Analytical Thinking - Planning and Organizing - Stakeholder Management - Data collection, compilation and reporting - Strong drafting skills - Accountability - Client & results orientation - Commitment to continuous learning - Judgement and decision making - Negotiation and conflict resolution - Organizational awareness - Stakeholder management - Excellent knowledge of Turkish and fluency in English - Strong interpersonal and communication skills - Ability to work in a team Desirable: - Knowledge of other UN languages is an asset. - Knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles. - Completion of the UNHCR Learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position. - Good knowledge of UNHCR financial rules, procedures and processes. - Good computer skills - Prior exposure to UNHCR refugee operations and functions relating to office administration and programme activities. Minimum years of work experience Minimum 2 years of relevant professional experience in protection, asylum, migration management, or related areas. Language Required: Turkish mother tongue and excellent command of English Desirable: Any other UN language (C1) Monitoring and Progress Controls The incumbent will receive guidance from the Senior Protection Officer in the operation and will be under the direct su

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