Only candidates who are not nationals of the country of assignment are eligible to apply to this position

Hardship Level

A (least hardship)

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

PR3

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

Professional* Staff members will not normally serve in International Professional positions in the country of their nationality. In addition, in case of a first appointment upon recruitment, the assignment must be outside the staff member's country of nationality.
In practical terms this means that you are not eligible to apply for International Professional vacancies advertised in the country where you are national of.

Reason
Regular > Regular Assignment

Remote work accepted

No

Target Start Date

2024-01-01

Job Posting End Date

November 28, 2023

Standard Job Description

Protection Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
In the Bureaux, the Protection Officer works under the direct supervision of the Senior Protection Coordinator or Senior Protection Officer. In the Field, the incumbent normally reports to the Representative, Deputy or Assistant Representative (Protection), Head of Sub Office or Senior Protection Officer as appropriate. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff whose work may include RSD, community-based protection, registration, resettlement, complementary pathways, internal displacement and education, among other areas. In HQ, the incumbent may report to a Senior Protection Officer, Chief of Section or Deputy Director and may supervise other protection staff.

The incumbent acts as an advisor to senior management in, when not responsible for, designing a comprehensive protection strategy under the area of responsibility (AoR). S/he represents the Organization to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection policy and doctrine.

The Protection Officer coordinates quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern under the AoR. S/he ensures that persons of concern of all age, gender and diversity groups are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying and implementing appropriate solutions to their problems. To undertake this role effectively, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with other relevant teams within the operation or the Bureau (including programme; PI and external relations; IM) and with DIP, communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions.

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
- Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues.
- Stay abreast of and report as relevant on legal political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
- Engage relevant national authorities and structures in identifying and expanding opportunities in view of developing or strengthening national asylum/RSD systems.
- Facilitate a consultative process with government counterparts, partners and persons of concern to develop and implement a comprehensive protection and solutions strategy addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation and/or gender identities (LGBTI persons), persons living with HIV/AIDS; gender equality and Gender Based Violence (GBV) priorities with regard to these persons.
- In operations applying the Cluster Approach, seek to ensure the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations.
- Support senior management to ensure the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team's common humanitarian response plan where applicable, as well as with the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees and the Three Year Strategy on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways.
- Promote relevant International, Regional and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct and ensure that all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations fulfil their responsibilities in mainstreaming protection.
- Promote the implementation of the AGD policy, including UNHCR's updated commitments to women and girls, and, design, deliver I and monitor programmes on an AGD basis to address identified protection needs.
- Develop, implement and monitor community-based protection strategies and ensure systematic application and integration of participatory and community-based approaches in protection and solutions planning, programming and strategies.
- Support the establishment of feedback and response systems and the incorporation of feedback received from persons of concern into programme design and adaptation.
- Support the operation to develop and implement robust prevention, identification, and responses to fraud within protection processes and procedures, including registration, RSD, resettlement and complementary pathways, ensuring the integrity of interventions across all protection activities.
- Assist UNHCR management at country level to comply with polices and commitment on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.
- Oversee and manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection.
- Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to internal and external interlocutors; ensure legal assistance is accessible to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documents to persons of concern (including women and others in need of civil documentation, in particular birth certificates).
- As designated Data Protection Focal Point, assist the data controller in carrying out his or her responsibilities regarding the Data Protection Policy (7.2 DPP).
- Oversee and undertake eligibility and status determination within the AoR ensuring compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
- Promote and implement effective strategies and measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness within the AoR.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of an education plan as part of protection strategy within the AoR as relevant.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of a child protection plan as part of the protection strategy within the AoR ensuring programmes use a child protection systems approach.
- Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners.
- Work to safeguard the rights of persons of concern in the context of mixed movements as relevant.
- Coordinate the preparation of, implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Ensure that durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement and complementary pathways are sought and provided to the largest possible number of persons of concern, including undertaking and/or overseeing resettlement and complementary pathways activities.
- Contribute to the coordination of the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
- Ensure that the Protection Sector or Cluster has an effective information management component which: provides disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery.
- Build the protection capacity of national and local government, partners and civil society to assume their responsibilities vis-à-vis all persons of concern through protection training, mainstreaming and related activities.
- Coordinate capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
- Advise and capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and civil society to strengthen legislation and status determination procedures and mechanisms.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.

For positions in Bureaux

- Support the Regional Bureau and Country Operations to reflect the protection and solution angle in support of persons of concern within regional processes.
- Support Country Operations in the development of strategies to build and further develop national asylum/RSD systems with a view to ensuring their fairness, efficiency, adaptability and integrity, favourable protection environment and solutions.
- Assist UNHCR management at regional and country level to comply with polices and commitment on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.
- Support Country Operations and ensure they meet their complementary pathways objectives and resettlement quotas.
- In close collaboration with DIP, (a) contribute to the development of background and general normative, policy, and legal positions, in compliance with UNHCR's global protection policies and standards; (b) contribute to the development of strategies at the regional and country level on the usage of law and policy approaches, including legislative and judicial engagement and UN human rights mechanisms - and/or regional ones - and other protection frameworks, and integrated human rights standards in protection strategies and advocacy; and (c) support coordination and review of UNHCR's country reports to the UN human rights mechanisms.
- Engage in relevant international and regional fora and contribute to forging regional partnerships to advocate for key protection and mandate issues, and engage in cross-cutting protection-related matters, including mixed movement, internal displacement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses, as well as Statelessness, in cooperation with DIP and where relevant RSD.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Law; International Law; International Refugee Law;
International Human Rights Law; International Humanitarian Law;
Refugee and Forced Migration Studies; Political Sciences
or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Protection Learning Programme
RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience in the area of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law, including experience in working directly with Field Offices. Good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles. Excellent legal research, analytical skills and drafting.

Desirable
Diverse field experience. Good IT skills including database management skills.

Functional Skills
*PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
*PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards
PR-International Humanitarian Law
PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework
LE-Judicial Engagement
PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation
PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement
PR-Accountability to Affected People - Principles and Framework
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

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.

Desired Candidate Profile

In view of the operational complexities in Mexico, it is essential that the successful applicant has demonstrated political awareness, negotiation skills, and the capacity to keep calm under stress. Knowledge of government-led RSD procedures as well as experience in mixed movements is required given the context. Proved experience and knowledge on RSD, both technically and operationally, is essential to support the Mexican government, since one of the key priorities of the operation is asylum capacity development, including preserving the integrity of the asylum system, and having efficient and fair procedures that would allow refugees to find a durable solution. Proficiency in Spanish and English, and strong drafting skills in both languages are also required, as the successful candidate will be expected to contribute to a series of reports and provide briefings on emerging issues affecting the protection environment in the region. Additionally, experience and knowledge of regional forced displacement instruments at the regional level in Latin America would be an asset. The candidate should also have the necessary skills to coach junior staff on UNHCR protection policies.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

Spanish

Desired languages

Operational context
Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

N/A

Nature of Position:

Mexico is a country of destination, transit, and origin, thus UNHCR is supporting the Government and other actors to build a stronger asylum system that allows asylum seekers and refugees to fully exercise their human rights, from the moment of entry into Mexico, to when a durable solution is found. However, it is crucial to work on other legal stay arrangements and other forms of complementary protection to preserve the integrity of the asylum system in such a complex and dynamic context of human mobility. Such dynamics particularly affects refugees and asylum seekers with specific protection needs due to the interaction of different factors related to their profiles, their journey and the conditions in their country of origin.

Over recent years, Mexico has evolved from being a country predominantly of origin and transit for many refugees and asylum-seekers, to also being a country of destination for hundreds of thousands of individuals seeking international protection from within the region and beyond. The exponential growth in the number of asylum applications in Mexico, which reached a historical record of over 130,000 in 2021 and 118,478 in 2022, has posed multiple challenges to its asylum system and to durable solutions, which has already been strained over the past years. UNHCR seeks to protect the asylum space by strengthening it, and also in alleviating pressures on the asylum system by promoting legal pathways to other countries for refugees with specific needs, and alternative legal stay arrangements. There is also great importance for communication and awareness-raising campaigns to ensure that information on asylum procedures and on the various durable solutions effectively reach target audiences.

The Protection Officer will be supervised by the Head of Sub Office. The candidate will oversee the protection response in Southern Mexico in the areas of prevention and response to GBV, child protection, overall response to persons with specific needs, detention monitoring, and legal protection carried out by the protection team. The successful candidate is also expected to support the field offices in the coordination with partners to ensure the effectiveness of the protection interventions and the streamlining of protection throughout the asylum process and pursuing local integration opportunities.

The Protection Offices should also provide functional protection guidance to staff in the offices under the supervision of the Sub Office in Tuxtla Gutierrez in major areas like asylum/refugee status determination; durable solutions (local integration, voluntary repatriation, resettlement); human rights standards, national legislation, judicial engagement; statelessness (in line with the campaign to End Statelessness by 2024); age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP) through community-based protection-CBP; Child protection; Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response; gender equality, disability inclusion, youth empowerment, psycho-social support and PSEA; Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) commitments; predictable and decisive engagement in situations of internal displacement and engagement in wider mixed movement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses. S/he supervises protection standards, operational procedures, and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards.

S/he is expected to contribute substantially to the design of a comprehensive protection strategy and represent the organization externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor and under the technical supervision of the protection unit at the national level. S/he also ensures that persons of concern are meaningfully engaged in the decisions that affect them and support program design and adaptations that are influenced by the concerns, priorities, and capacities of persons of concern. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interaction with communities of concern, authorities, protection, and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection

Living and Working Conditions:

Tuxtla Gutierrez is the capital and the largest city of the state of Chiapas with good infrastructure and generally adequate public services. The climate is tropical, temperatures vary from 21° to 37° C. The rainy season starts in May and lasts until the end of September. Facilities such as supermarkets and restaurants are widely available. The local airport has several daily flights to different cities in Mexico. It is possible to rent private accommodation, and there is a variety of furnished and unfurnished apartments for rent. The selected residence is subject to approval by UN security, BEFORE signing the rental contract with the landlord. Preference should be given to the options where security features are already available (security infrastructure and private guards).

• Tuxtla is a family duty station; and there are some schools offering education in Spanish and English, among them an American school.
• Adequate health facilities and hospitals are available locally.
• Currency and exchange: Mexican Peso. Dollars, Euros, and traveler's checks can be exchanged at a Currency Exchange office. ATMs are widely available, and most shops accept cards.
• Internet is available almost everywhere, and a contract has to be made in order to access the service at home.
• Transportation: it is recommended to use "taxis del sitio" (authorized taxi). Uber is also available in Tuxtla.

Tuxtla belongs to the Security Risk Management area South, with current General Threat Level 2, MODERATE. There are no known direct threats to UNHCR, but UNHCR personnel may be affected by crime, including homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and highway robbery. Crime is at a high level; and common crime can affect anyone, regardless of their socio-economic level. In Chiapas state, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (Ejercito Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, EZLN), a revolutionary leftist political and militant group, is present but is not currently active. Ove the past years, there has been an increase in cartel-related violence in different parts of the state, including along the border. The state of Chiapas has the highest levels of poverty in Mexico - 76.4% of people live in poverty, most of them members of indigenous groups.

Civil Unrest is at a Moderate level, as cases of violent demonstrations, road blockages, and forced takeover of highway tall booths are quite frequent. UNHCR personnel should avoid areas of civil unrest. Tuxtla is exposed to natural hazards (Substantial Level). Cases of flooding, heavy rains, and earthquakes are quite frequent. UNHCR personnel must remain security aware at all times, apply personal security measures, and avoid movement after darkness. There is no curfew in Tuxtla, yet there is a high frequency of security incidences taking place during night hours. While on road missions, personnel should exercise caution and always obtain Security Clearance through UNDSS COSNU, and road travel at night is restricted. Road travel is recommended only on federal highways and toll roads. Field activities in border communities must be coordinated with the UNHCR Area for Security (AFSA based in Tapachula). Entry into indigenous communities requires previous coordination with UNHCR Security and local authorities.

Additional Qualifications

Skills
Coaching, FO-Complex field emergency operations, Government Relations, MG-Team motivation, PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate), PR-Asylum/Migration, PR-Inter-agency coordination in mixed movements, RM-Risk Management

Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Humanitarian Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Human Rights Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Refugee Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Refugee and Forced Migration Studies

Certifications
HCR Protection Learning Program - UNHCR, HCR Resettlement Learning Program - UNHCR

Work Experience

Annual Budget OL in Operation/Office, Number of Persons of Concern Served, Number of Workforce in Operation/Work Setting, Workforce to Supervise, Working with Persons of Concern: Asylum Seekers, Working with Persons of Concern: Internally Displaced Persons, Working with Persons of Concern: Others of Concern, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees
Competencies
Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium
Add. 1 to Bi-annual Compendium 2023 - Part B
Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position doesn't require a functional clearance