Senior Protection Assistant – Adana

• Location: Adana, Turkey
• Vacancy No: N/A 
• Salary: N/A
• Organization: UNHCR
• Gender: Both
• Deadline: 2024-04-03

Standard Job Description

Senior Protection Assistant

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague. 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 Senior Protection Assistant provides quality, timely and effective protection support to persons of concern (PoC) and identifies opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and safeguards in operational responses. S/he contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on protection issues as guided by the supervisor.

The Senior Protection Assistant 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
– Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
– Provide counselling on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
– Support activities in protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
– Conduct preliminary information gathering and interviews in support of eligibility, status determination, durable solutions and social needs assessment.
– 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 for PoC as part of the protection strategy.
– Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
– Participate in individual protection case management including cases of GBV and child protection. Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
– Assist in identifying durable solutions for PoC in 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.
– Draft reports, routine correspondence, update relevant databases and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
– Contribute to initiatives to enhance national and local protection capacities.
– Select PoC for preliminary interviews and decide which relevant information to share.
– Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners.

– 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
G5 – 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable

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

Relevant Job Experience
Essential: Not specified.
Desirable: Not specified.

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

Nature of the Position:
The Senior Protection Assistant works under the supervision and in coordination with the Associate Field Officer (NOB) and under the overall supervision of the Senior Protection Officer/Head of Field Unit, and provides support to the UNHCR Field Unit’s understanding and implementation of the legal frameworks related to refugee protection.
UNHCR ‘s structure in SE Turkey includes a Sub-Office located in Gaziantep and three field units located in Gaziantep, Sanliurfa and Adana. The Senior Protection Assistant will be based in Adana (the administrative location of the Field Unit) and covering the three provinces of Adana, Hatay and Mersin. The FU maintains rotations to Hatay, where UNHCR maintains a permanent presence. Adana Field Unit covers an area which currently hosts over 696,000 refugees and asylum seekers as of 13 March 2024, including in 4 temporary accommodation centres (TAC).

Duties:
– Spend a substantial percentage of time working outside the office on a daily basis engaging with refugees and staff of various counterparts; NGOs and public institutions including but not limited to Provincial Directorate of Migration Management (PDMM) and Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services (PdFSS) and other relevant state institutions, Bar Associations and Municipalities, among others.
– Interact directly with persons of concern including Syrians and other nationalities within the Filed Unit’s area of responsibility, as well as counseling refugees during voluntary return interviews at PDMMs.
– Remain abreast of the legal and legislative changes/development affecting refugees and people affected by the earthquake.
– Maintain a close contact with the Bar Association of Turkey and legal clinics.
– Maintain contact with UNHCR partners especially those providing counselling and legal support to refugees.
– Stay abreast of border movements, apprehensions, deportations.
– Participate in VolRep monitoring.
– Follow up on individual cases applying for access to territory.
– Maintain contact and stay abreast of the situation at Temporary Accommodation Centers (TACs).
– Provide legal analysis based on the request of the office on certain regulations, laws, and procedures.
– Provide updates on legal developments.
– In close contact with the Protection Unit, the incumbent will be the focal point in the Field Unit for collaboration with stakeholders providing legal services, and will support the office in monitoring trends in access to registration in the provinces, referral centres, detention and deportation.
– Represent the team in Legal counselors’ coordination meeting, in CMGs and other relevant coordination forums within the AoR of the FU;
Minimum Qualifications
Professional Work Experience: 4 years with Bachelor’s Degree, 3 years with Master’s Degree in the field of humanitarian affairs, refugee law,
Field(s) of Education: Degree in law, Human Rights and other relevant faculties. Law graduates and legal practitioners are preferred.
Languages: Excellent command of the Turkish and English languages are required for this position. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Desired Background for the candidates:
• Degree in International Law/ Refugee Law/ Human Rights or related subjects;
• Proven capacity to proactively engage in team building and in teamwork;
• Ability to work in a diverse working environment;
• Ability to engage in internal and external communication and ability to engage other stakeholders on the matters relevant to the work of UNHCR;
• Experience in working with diverse national authorities, including but not limited to PDMM, PDFSS, AFAD, Governorates, and municipalities, among others;
• Experience in working on legal protection of refugees in Turkiye, field protection, voluntary repatriation and case management;
• Proven skills in advocacy on refugee related matters and negotiation with local counterparts;
• Knowledge of national legal framework, particularly on refugee and asylum-seekers;
• Experience of working in regions of SET and/or experience working in the relevant contexts of Adana, Mersin, and/or Hatay;
• Demonstrated drafting skills and ability to analyse information received from multiple sources;

Competencies
• Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & Collaboration

Living and Working Conditions:
On 6 February, two major earthquakes of 7.7 and 7.5 magnitude in Kahramanmaraş Province impacted eleven provinces in Türkiye’s southeast region and neighbouring Syria. Numerous aftershocks, including deadly ones, have continuously impacted the situation in the region. The Earthquake resulted with a very high number of casualties, and has triggered population movement, including refugees, to other areas in Turkiye that were not affected by this disaster. In Hatay, where the FU was operating from for years, the level of destruction was enormous, and due to the loss of housing stock, hundreds of thousands of affected people are forced to live in emergency and as of lately transitional accommodation. Multiple tented sites are transitioning to container sites that have been established across the province. Since the disaster, FU Adana is directly engaged both operationally and within the coordination fora in provision of support to EQ affected population, while continuing to monitor the protection needs of the refugee population.

Proximity to the Syrian border has led to a sensitive security in South-eastern Turkey since the Syrian conflict began. However, the level of general criminality is low. The current security levels in Southeast Turkiye is Level 2, with some parts of the AoR (10 Km distance from the border area, plus Reyhanli and Mardin in the east) at Level 4. There are no known direct threats towards the United Nations and its staff in the area but vigilance and awareness is required in the changing security environment. Due to the relatively recent developments at the border areas, the UN staff in Gaziantep are advised to increase their precaution measures in general. Area Security plans and Security levels are being updated.
Following the EQ in southeast Turkiye, the FU – previously based in Hatay – has changed the modalities of operations, by ensuring daily presence in Hatay but gradually established a fixed presence in Adana.
The overall access to accommodation, supply and transport facilities in Hatay is currently poor, with plans for quick early recovery. Apartments and flats that were available and generally in good condition with working services as water, gas and electricity are not any longer available, as many physical structures in the town have either collapsed and removed or have been heavily damaged.
With the transfer of the administrative location of the FU from Hatay to Adana, better access to services and daily needs has been established with the availability of housing, as well as proper access to health and other services.
The current situation may require late working hours and weekend work.

PLEASE DO NOT USE TURKISH CHARACTERS IN YOUR NAME & SURNAME INFORMATION.

Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to successful reference checks and integrity clearance.

A break of minimum 31 days is required before a staff member who currently holds a Fixed-term or Indefinite Appointment may be rehired on a Temporary Appointment.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).

Only short-listed candidates will be notified. The recruitment process might include written test and/or oral interview for this job opening. No late applications will be accepted.
External candidates should be legally present in Türkiye at the time of application, recruitment and hire.
Non-Turkish citizens are required to upload their residence permits or relevant documents under the ‘Certifications’ section, by selecting the type as ‘Personnel Administration – Other’, in order to be considered for this job opening. Applications by non-Turkish citizens will NOT be considered if a valid residence permit is not attached to the application.
For further information on how to apply, please visit ‘UNHCR – Application and Selection’ page, at https://www.unhcr.org/how-to-apply.html.

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