D

Family

Family

GS6

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

No

2025-04-01

March 23, 2025

Protection Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Protection Associate normally reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff.

The Protection Associate is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (PoC) and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors. S/he 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 PoC are involved 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.

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
– 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 GBV 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.

– 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.

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

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified

Desirable
Protection Learning Programme

Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
(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.

Essential skills:
– Sound background in forcibly displaced and stateless persons’ FDSP protection
standards, operational procedures and activities, and practices, as well as
in protection support within UNHCR or operational partners
– Fluency in Tigrayan is required as well as excellent reporting and drafting skills in English is a must
– Excellent coordination and liaison skills, as well as diplomatic skills to work
with different interlocutors in relevant government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as staff members from other UN agencies, partners and donors.

Desirable skills:
– Previous work experience preferably in a refugee/asylum seekers context is an advantage, as
well as in returnee/reintegration and stateless people context
– Previous work experience, skills and knowledge in climate action related
activities in protection is an asset, but not a prerequisite since it is a new
activity in the agency
– Previous experience in capacity building and organization of training
programme is an asset
– Strong interpersonal skills to evolve in a multicultural environment

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Eritrea has made vast strides in recent years in improving its health services, and is now only one of a handful of African countries on target to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. There are now modern, fully equipped healthcare facilities in all of the large cities; however, elsewhere you may find that services and drug availability are wanting. It is therefore advisable to bring a basic medical kit and painkillers if you should be staying in the more remote areas.

Hospitals are controlled by the government, and health services are generally provided free of charge or occasionally at a small cost. There are some small private clinics that are run in partnership with the government and also several NGO health facilities, however, the state surgeries and hospitals are very much in the majority.

Nature of Position:

The office is functioning without Protection Officer since 2019 as there is a challenge in obtaining an entry visa to Eritrea for International staff. The Senior Protection Assistant was assuming some of the protection officer duties assisted by Regional Bureau protection staff. The office deems proper to upgrade the Senior Protection Assistant to Protection Associate.

The Protection Associate normally reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff.

The Protection Associate is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (PoC) and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors. S/he 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 PoC are involved 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.

Employee shall render full-time professional services to the office in the capacity of Protection Associate. Employee shall at all times, to the best of his or her ability, perform all duties that may be required by virtue of his or her position, as set forth in Company’s by- laws or corporate policies.

Living and Working Conditions:

The country suffers from a shortage of skilled or educated labor. There are no unemployment statistics, but one must conclude that, given the state of the economy, it must be high. The labor code prohibits child labor, discrimination against women, and anti-union regulations. Regulations permit the right to strike and endorse equal pay for equal work for women. However, in the absence of mechanisms for enforcement, the labor laws exist in principle rather than in practice.

Petty theft is rare throughout most of Eritrea, even in Asmara, however, as with anywhere it’s advisable to be vigilant and not walk the streets alone after dark.

The only major safety threat exists in areas close to the borders of Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti. Tensions between the nations mean that these areas are heavily militarized and there is no crossing of borders permitted whatsoever. Towns near the borders should be avoided as not only is there the risk of politically motivated violence but petty crime rates here are much higher than elsewhere in the country.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

IT-Computer Literacy, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework

Certifications

International Law – Other, Political Science – Other

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Additional Information

Only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Candidates may be required to sit for written test. Oral interviews are mandatory.
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance