Protection Associate (Internally Displaced Persons, IDP)  - UNOPS, L-ICA 6

This position is advertised open to internal and external applicants. Protection Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Protection Associate is a member of the Protection Unit and reports to the Protection Officer. The Incumbent is based in Sub-Office Gambella and supports protection delivery to over 35,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) dispersed in the Gambella Region. He/she monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to the implementing partner, information management and programme staff.

The Protection Associate is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of IDPs and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors.  He/she contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and liaises externally with authorities and partners on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.

The Protection Associate also ensures that persons of concern are involved with the Office 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. This will entail undertaking regular missions to IDP locations and sometimes spending several days there in order to achieve the objective of the mission.

Duties
- Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
- Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
- Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to PoC.
- Provide advice on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
- Assist in conducting eligibility and status determination for PoC.
- 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 as part of the protection strategy.
- Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Manage individual protection cases including those on SGBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
- Assist in identifying durable solutions for the largest possible number of PoC through 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.
- Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on PoC and their problems.
- Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.
- Assist the supervisor in prioritizing PoC for interview, counselling and propose protection support for individual cases.
- Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance of local implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Assit the supervisor with enforcing compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
- Submit individual payments request for PoC for approval. 
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Certificates and/or Licenses
International Law, Political Science
or other related field
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential:


Desirable:
Protection Learning Programme

Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
CL-Protection & Solutions Awareness
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies
Judgement and Decision Making

Cross-Functional Competencies
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Political Awareness
Stakeholder Management

Language Requirements

For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English. Competencies as defined in Job Profile Knowledge of "English" is Essential. Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).

An eliminatory or complementary written test for shortlisted candidates may be conducted which will be followed by competency-based interview.

Female Candidates are encouraged to apply.

Applicants must be nationals of and be locally recruited within the country of their employment. The Closing Date for Submission of Applications is Wednesday 12 May 2021 (Mid Night Ethiopia Time).