Profile RSD Officer (P2, P3, P4)

Refugee Status Determination Officer Profile

Various Locations

Grade: Junior (P2), Mid (P3) and Senior (P4) Level Positions

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect and assist refugees and other persons of concern. It is constantly seeking talented, compassionate candidates with high-integrity to strengthen its capacity to respond urgently to crises with the right skills. Given the nature of UNHCR's work, it is essential that its workforce has the right mix of skills and qualities to fulfill its mandate. 
The RSD Officer is part of and may [depending on seniority, office size and set-up] supervise the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) team and manage and oversee UNHCR's RSD procedures and decision-making as well as related activities in the operation to promote the effectiveness of RSD as a protection tool and maximize the efficiency and quality of RSD decision-making.

Responsibilities include:
- Stay abreast of legal, political, security and other developments which impact on the protection environment, and in particular, on protection delivery through RSD; 
- Contribute to the development and implementation of the RSD strategy, including operation-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and case management strategies, and support senior management to ensure that the RSD strategy is fully and effectively integrated into the Country Operations Plan;
- Participate in the on-going assessment of the protection impact of mandate RSD, and supports the Office in the identification of alternative or complementary protection interventions, as appropriate and feasible;
- Oversee RSD related activities and monitors RSD trends to promote consistency, identify and respond to issues impacting on the efficiency or quality of RSD decision-making;
- Supervise staff involved in RSD procedures (RSD adjudicators and, as applicable, reception and registration staff, guards, interpreters, assistants) to ensure quality, integrity, consistency and efficiency of decision-making and compliance with applicable standards;
- Prevent and identify fraud in RSD through oversight, advice and guidance to UNHCR staff, partners and persons of concern;
- Monitor RSD trends and regularly and systematically compile and analyse RSD statistics related to RSD case processing and maintain an accurate assessment of the capacity and resource requirements of the operation; 
- Conduct research on country of origin information (COI) and legal issues related to RSD and assist in maintaining a local repository of relevant information, guidelines and standards accessible to RSD staff in the operation;
- Evaluate and project RSD staffing and financial needs using the RSD Staffing Benchmarks; advocate with senior management for the allocation of appropriate human, material and financial resources;
- Ensure that persons of concern, Government authorities and partners have accurate information on the RSD procedures, including UNHCR standards, policy and practice;
- Advocate with and support Government authorities to take a larger responsibility for RSD, and support them in developing their institutions and their capacity to establish and strengthen fair and efficient RSD procedures and RSD decision-making;
- Assess the capacity of UNHCR staff, Government authorities and legal partners engaged in RSD and develop and implement RSD capacity-development initiatives;
- Review and endorse RSD decisions providing appropriate feedback and guidance to RSD staff, including in complex and / or sensitive cases.
- Conduct RSD for particularly complex or sensitive cases in case of need.

Minimum Qualifications and Professional Experience Required:

For positions at the P2 level
- Education Degree in Law, political science, international relations or another related field;
- Job experience: Minimum 3 years with graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's), 2 years with undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) of relevant professional job experience,
        preferably in the area of refugee protection, human rights or international humanitarian law;
- Minimum 1 year of experience working directly with procedures and principles related to RSD.
- Knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles;
- Strong research and analytical skills;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills;
- Languages: Proficiency in English is required.

Desirable Qualifications and Professional Experience:
- Experience as a decision-maker in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures is highly desirable;
- Experience in counselling asylum seekers or refugees;
- Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals;
- Completion of UNHCR's RSD Learning Programme, COI Learning Programme, Protection Learning Programme. Experience in supervising and in providing training or coaching, guidance or
        advice to staff. Completion of UNHCR's RSD Learning Programme, COI Learning Programme, Protection Learning Programme.
- Working knowledge of a second UN language, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and Chinese, at B2   level

Minimum Qualifications and Professional Experience Required:

For positions at the P3 level
- Education: Degree in law, political science, international relations or another related field;
- Job experience: Minimum 6 years with graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's), 5 years with undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) or 4 years with a Doctorate degree (equivalent
        of a PhD)  of relevant professional job experience, preferably in the area of refugee protection, human rights or international humanitarian law;
- Minimum 3 years of experience working directly with procedures and principles related to the adjudication of individual asylum claims in RSD procedures, including in a review capacity;
- Experience as a decision-maker and/or reviewing officer in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures;
- Knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles;
- Thorough knowledge of the ''Procedural Standards for Refugee Status Determination under UNHCR's Mandate" and other guidelines and standards governing UNHCR's mandate RSD
        activities and experience advising on their interpretation and application; 
- Strong research and analytical skills;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills;
- Languages: Proficiency in English is required.

Desirable Qualifications and Professional Experience:
- Experience as a decision-maker in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures is highly desirable;
- Experience in providing legal representation to asylum seekers in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures;
- Ability to draft legal opinions;
- Experience in supervising a team;
- Experience in RSD-related capacity development, including training and coaching experience;
- Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals;
- Completion of UNHCR's RSD Learning Programme, COI e-Learning or the previous Learning Programme, Protection Learning Programme, Management Learning Programme, Mixed
        Migration Learning Programme.
- Working knowledge of a second UN language, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and Chinese, at B2   level.

Minimum Qualifications and Professional Experience Required:

For positions at the P4 level
- Education: Advanced Degree in Law, political science, international relations or another related field;
- Job experience: Minimum 8 years with graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's), 9 years with undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) or 7 years with Doctorate degree (equivalent of
        a PhD)  of relevant professional job experience, preferably in the area of refugee protection, human rights or international humanitarian law;
- Minimum 4 years of experience working directly with procedures and principles related to the adjudication of individual asylum claims in RSD procedures, including in a review capacity;
- In-depth knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles;
- Experience as a decision-maker and/or reviewing officer in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures;
- Experience in supervising a team;
- Thorough knowledge of the "Procedural Standards for Refugee Status Determination under UNHCR's Mandate" and other guidelines and standards governing UNHCR's mandate RSD
       activities;
- Strong research and analytical skills;
- Excellent oral and written communication skills;
- Languages: Proficiency in English and knowledge and working knowledge of a second UN language, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian and Chinese, at B2  level.

Desirable Qualifications and Professional Experience:
- Experience in providing legal representation to asylum seekers in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures;
- Ability to draft legal opinions;
- Experience in supervising a team;
- Experience in RSD-related capacity development, including training and coaching experience;
- Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals;
- Completion of UNHCR's RSD Learning Programme, COI e-Learning or previous Learning Programme, Protection Learning Programme, Management Learning Programme. Mixed Migration Learning Programme.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.