Resettlement Associate (Temporary Appointment)

This position is advertised open to external applicants.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Persons interested in applying for this position must be Nationals of Trinidad and Tobago or must posses the legal right to work in Trinidad and Tobago at the time of application, recruitment and hire. Non citizens are required to attach a valid work permit to be considered for this vacancy. Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

A Resettlement Associate position is typically located at Multi-Country Office, Branch Office or Field Office. Under supervision, the incumbent's primary role is to assist in providing, in close coordination with concerned sections within UNHCR as well as external parties such as resettlement countries, IOM and NGOs, a continuous support to resettlement operations by ensuring that resettlement polices are correctly implemented and operations are supported in establishing comprehensive protection and solutions strategies. The incumbent takes part in assessing cases for resettlement and conducting interviews as well as monitoring procedural compliance and quality of case submissions. The role of the Resettlement Associate may involve managerial responsibilities in supervising, coaching and training junior staff, and assisting in implementing organisational objectives and priorities.


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.

Duties
- Interview, assess resettlement needs, and process persons identified for resettlement, following established procedures; undertake field missions as required.
- Where applicable, review and assess special resettlement cases and prepares individual submissions for presentation to resettlement countries; keep offices informed on the status of special resettlement cases; liaise with offices on case processing and provide advice as required.
- Comply with UNHCR¿s standard operating procedures on resettlement, ensuring timely action on cases.
- Follow up on status of cases from submission to departure; ensure effective in-country communication on the status and follow-up on persons of concern (PoC) being considered for resettlement; ensure that records on individual cases are kept up-to-date.
- Provide PoC and partners with up-to-date and accurate information on UNHCR's resettlement policies and procedures.
- Assist in monitoring the quality of submissions, providing the concerned staff with basic guidance and advice.
- Manage, maintain and update proGres or Consolidated Online Resettlement Tracking System (CORTS) database and provide technical support.
- Coordinate travel and departure arrangements for refugees accepted for resettlement.
- Organize logistical support for governments undertaking resettlement missions.
- Maintain accurate resettlement statistics as well as up-to-date records on individual cases; assist in the preparation of reports.
- Assist with preparing a strategy and budget for resettlement activities and monitoring expenditures.
- Provide administrative support for resettlement-related training activities.
- Systematically apply an Age, Gender and Diversity perspective in all aspects of the resettlement process; comply with UNHCR policy and guidelines on HIV/AIDS.
- Assist in mitigating resettlement fraud through oversight (including in-country travel), advice and guidance).
- Recommend cases that are eligible for resettlement consideration.
- Provide counselling to PoC.
- 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

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable

Certificates and/or Licenses
International Law;
International Relations;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified
Desirable
Good knowledge of UNHCR Resettlement policies and operational applications in different resettlement countries and situations. Completion of UNHCR specific learning/training activities (e.g., PLP and RSD/Resettlement Learning Programme, resettlement anti-fraud workshop).

Functional Skills
CM-Cross-cultural communication;
PR-Resettlement/Repatriation/Voluntary Repatriation;
UN-UNHCR Operations, mandate, principles and policies;
PR-Resettlement Anti-Fraud Policy and Procedures;
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)


All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates. Please also note that English and Spanish are essential for this Job Opening. Please note that this position is offered under a temporary appointment until December 31, 2021, with possible extension subject to budget, good performance and operational needs.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed and might be requested to sit for a test. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. No late applications will be accepted.

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

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.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted during the application. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
======================================================================================================== Trinidad and Tobago acceded to the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol in November 2000 but the agreement was never ratified in law. In 2014, the Cabinet adopted a Refugee Policy to work towards developing national capacity to receive and decide on refugee claims and grant enjoyment of certain rights to refugees, however, the Refugee Policy is yet to be fully implemented and Trinidad and Tobago have yet to establish its own asylum system.

The worsening socio-economic, political, human rights and humanitarian conditions in Venezuela have led to the outflow of thousands of refugees and migrants from Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago. As of 30 June 2021, the active registered population in ProGres is 20,609 persons; 17,775 (86%) of these PoCs are Venezuelans. The legal statuses are: 3,347 refugees, 16,767 asylum-seekers and 495 other of concern. Out of them, 10,696 (52%) are male and 9,913 (48%) are female. There are 4,442 (21.5%) children (under 18) registered with UNHCR. The present caseload of asylum-seekers and refugees is comprised of individuals from 40 countries of origin. The majority of the registered population is of Venezuelan nationality, with Cubans at the second largest proportion. Refugees live in urban and semi-urban areas.

The impact of the arrival of increasing numbers of Venezuelans seeking safety and international protection in Trinidad and Tobago has been considerable, taking into account the limited size and absorption capacity of the country.

As a result of the lack of recognition of the right to seek asylum in the 1976 Immigration Act, persons in irregular situation, irrespective of their status as asylum-seeker or refugee, either because of overstay or illegal entry into the country are subjected to detention for the purposes of deportation. They are arrested in regular ¿exercises¿ undertaken by the police and/or the Immigration Division across the country, particularly in those areas which high concentration of foreigners. Persons are often then released after being put on an order of supervision, an alternative to detention document.  Access to PoCs in detention is extremely challenging. Additional protection challenges include identifying and accessing persons in need of international protection and ensuring their effective protection from refoulement.

In the absence of a functioning Government-run asylum systems or alternative legal pathways persons of concerns continue to live in a situation of legal limbo. This is making it exceedingly difficult for them to access basic services, including health and education, and obtain safe and dignified employment. The majority continue to live in the shadows, working in highly exploitative environments, suffering from discrimination and xenophobia.

Within this evolving context, UNHCR Trinidad and Tobago is exploring enhancing resettlement opportunities for persons at risk.  For 2020, the operation was given 200 slots, 35 for Canada and 165 for Australia. For 2021 (until Oct.), the operation was given 100 slots, 50 for Australia and 50 for Canada. For the second half of 2021 and 2022, a significant number of resettlement slots for the US are foreseen. The caseload include a variety of profiles: Survivor of Violence and Torture, Woman at risk, Legal and Physical Protection Needs, others. In order to meet the increased quota, the resettlement team seeks support in identifying and processing more resettlement cases. For that reason, the position of the Resettlement Associate is created.

The Resettlement Associate is a member of the Protection Unit and will be supervised by the Associate RSD Officer. The Resettlement Associate is responsible for identifying cases for resettlement, conducting resettlement interviews, drafting RRFs, ensure adequate recording in proGres  v4, following up on status of cases from submission to departure as well as other tasks related to resettlement if required. The closing date for submission of applications is August 8, 2021 (Midnight Geneva time).