Senior Protection Associate

October 27, 2026

E (most hardship)

Non FamilyDanger Pay

GS7

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-12-01

Senior Protection Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Protection Associate reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. The position may entail supervisory responsibilities for protection staff including community services, registration, resettlement and education depending on the structure of the Office. 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 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. The incumbent contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the Office externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.

S/he 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 and guidance 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 in compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
- 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.
- Assist the supervisor in implementing and monitoring Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and assist the supervisor with intervening 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.
- Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy with sectorial and/or cluster 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 with intervening with authorities on protection issues.
- Provide assistance to the supervisor in deciding priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.
- Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
- Recommend and prepare payments to individual cases.

- 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 G7 - 4 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 relevant field.
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified.

Desirable
RSD-Resettlement LP and/or Protection Learning Programme

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.

The incumbent will support UNHCR’s leadership in the Protection Cluster, ensuring effective coordination at the national level. The incumbent will work within the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) framework, Area-based Coordination Mechanism and contribute to the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC). The role requires cross-sectoral coordination with key stakeholders and integration of cross-cutting issues into the Protection Cluster’s work. Therefore, the candidate should have extensive experience in IDP protection (GBV related and/or, Child Protection, and/or community-based protection), humanitarian affairs or related fields with a proven track record of managing complex humanitarian operations, preferably within the IDP settings. The incumbent should possess thorough operational managerial experience, a solid understanding of UNHCR roles and responsibilities in IDPs response. S/he will be expected to have demonstrated leadership with experience in managing stakeholders and fostering a collaborative work environment.

The incumbent should possess excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including Government officials, humanitarian partners, donors, and local communities. Strong communication skills, including written and verbal proficiency in English. The incumbent should have exhibited proven ability to analyze complex situations and sound protection knowledge and its principles, as well as its application to the context, ensuring compliance with international protection standards. The ability to guide and provide technical protection support to protection cluster partners in all aspects relating to protection, delivery, and assistance is the key for this post.

Additional Assets:
- Experience in working in the IDP coordination set-up is an asset.
- Experience working in forcibly displaced contexts or in conflict-affected areas.
- Experience in working in a relevant protection programme implementation (GBV related and/or, Child Protection, and/or Community-based protection).
- Familiarity with relevant legal frameworks, including IDP guiding principle, international humanitarian law and human rights law.

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Operational context

After close to ten years of conflict, Yemen remains among the worst humanitarian and protection crises globally. There are some 5.2 million IDPs (2026 HNRP) in the country who have been displaced due to internal conflict and the effects of climate change. In part as a result of the continuing conflict in the country, over 80 per cent of Yemenis (over 30 million people) currently live below the poverty line. This situation is aggravated by widespread inflation, excessive cost of living as compared with local salaries, a lack of livelihood opportunities, and limited basic and essential services. Many struggle to meet their basic needs and face serious protection risks. In response, many forcibly displaced persons turn to harmful coping mechanisms, including skipping meals, early/premature school leaving, child labour, taking out unsustainable loans, moving to poorer quality shelter, early marriage, and engaging in dangerous or degrading work and/or relationships.

Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) are particularly vulnerable to these risks, in part due to multiple displacement and discrimination, which leads to their barriers to access local economic and/or self-reliance opportunities. Of particular concern is access to civil and identify documentation, including birth registration.  This often serves as a key entry point for access to basic public services and assistance.  IDPs who are displaced without access to civil registration and/or identity documents can also be at particular risk of evictions and exclusion from basic services.  Legal assistance and services are key to ensuring access to civil registration for IDPs. Forced eviction, with many reporting that they struggle to meet their rent on a regular basis.  As a result, legal series and assistance in response to Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) issues for IDPs are a key element of the legal portfolio in both Sana’a and Aden. The protection risks that IDPs face are multifold in Yemen and requiring close coordination with various stakeholders to address them.

The Senior Protection Associate G7 will be engaged in IDP Coordination in Yemen. The incumbent will support UNHCR’s leadership in the Protection Cluster, ensuring effective coordination at the national level. The incumbent will work within the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) framework, the country-pooled fund mechanism and contribute to the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC). The role requires cross-sectoral coordination with key stakeholders and integration of cross-cutting issues into the Protection Cluster’s work.

The incumbent will report directly to the Protection Cluster Coordination Officer in UNHCR Country Office. The incumbent will work closely with other functional units within UNHCR and protection partners in the country to ensure that protection issues that arise in the course of their work receive appropriate support, and that protection responses are delivered with a focus on improved outcomes for IDPs.

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, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance