Jobs and Careers

TERM: 

Full-time

JOB DESCRIPTION: 

The Senior Community-Based Protection Assistant will be working under the direct supervision of the Protection Officer, assisting her/ him on assignments outlined in the job description. The incumbent will also receive guidance and advice from the Representative. Since the position requires the incumbent to work in the protection team and independently, the incumbent is expected to have a sound command or working experience in social and community-based protection activities and have good communication and sound interpersonal relations skills. The incumbent will be required to monitor NGO partners' activities and ensure community-based protection and AGDM approaches to be mainstreamed and implemented in the framework of Project Partnership Agreements with UNHCR. The incumbent will be also in charge of monitoring of reception conditions and through the Working Group on Reception, coordinate efforts of state and non-state actors to ensure effective and efficient access of asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless persons to rights and services in Armenia. The Senior Community-Based Protection Assistant will serve as a focal point for establishment of constructive and systematic dialogue with persons of concern to UNHCR and refugee communities, as well as organization of regular participatory assessments in cooperation and coordination with all partners. The main task is to ensure effective participation and inclusion of the population of concern to UNHCR with particular focus on specific categories, such as women and children at risk, persons with disabilities, victims of trauma/ torture, elderly persons, etc. This will include coordinating preparations with partners, participation in meetings with persons of concern to UNHCR, preparation of reports and ensuring effective and efficient follow-up actions. Hence, it is advantageous if the candidate has worked with refugee communities and in divers/ multicultural environment or has similar experience in a local/ international NGO. The candidate will additionally be expected to support UNHCR Armenia in individual case management and counselling, as well as participate in monitoring (including during asylum procedures) and follow-up on specific individual cases. The knowledge of a UN and other languages is an asset.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

- Assist functional units, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) and senior management to integrate participatory and community-based approaches in the overall protection strategy;
- Through relationships with PoC and network of partners, stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment and provide advice to the protection team. Understand the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC and advise the protection team accordingly, highlighting the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups;
- Assist in initiatives with host communities to involve national civil society groups in the protection of PoC;
- Support implementing and operational partners as well as displaced and local communities to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organisational and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and prevention and response to SGBV;
- Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face;
- Support participatory assessments by multifunctional teams and ongoing consultation with PoC;
- Support efforts to build the office capacity for community-based protection;
- Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures;
- Ensure community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response;
- Collect data for monitoring of programmes and budgets from an AGD perspective;
- Draft and type routine correspondence, documents and reports and maintain up-to-date filing systems;
- Act as an interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries;
- Assist in the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR's work;
- Initiate AGD sensitive interventions at the appropriate level on community-based protection issues and to respond to protection concerns and incidents within the office and with persons and communities of concern based on agreed parameters;
- Identify and recommend which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria;
- Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services;
- Perform other job-related duties as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

- Certificates and/ or licenses in International Development, International Social Work, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Social Science, International Law, Human Rights, Political Science;
- 5 years of relevant experience with a high school diploma;
- Fluency in English language and working knowledge of another relevant UN language or local language.

Functional Skills:
- *IT - MS Office applications;
- *IT - Computer literacy;
- IT - Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP);
- UN - UN/ UNHCR Administrative rules, regulations and procedures;
- UN - UN/ UNHCR Financial rules and regulations and procedures;
- PR - Community-based protection;
- PR - Community-based protection - principles and methodologies;
- CL - Multi-stakeholder communications with partners, government and community.
(Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Desirable Qualifications and Competencies:
- UNHCR learning programmes (PLP);
- Community-Based Programme;
- Knowledge of MSRP.

Required Competencies:
Core Competencies:
- Accountability;
- Communication;
- Organizational awareness;
- Teamwork and collaboration;
- Commitment to continuous learning;
- Client and result orientation.

Managerial Competencies:
- Not applicable.

Cross-Functional Competencies:
- Stakeholder management;
- Planning and organizing;
- Political awareness.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES: 

Candidates who wish to be considered for this vacancy, are welcome to submit their letter of motivation, updated factsheet (for internal candidates only), signed Personal History Form and the supplementary sheet if necessary (for external candidates only) by e-mail clearly stating the position title, VN/01/2020 and their Last Name in the subject line to: *******@*****.*** by the closing date.

NOTE: Only complete applications/ documentation in English language will be considered. No late applications will be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and oral interview.

Please clearly mention in your application letter that you learned of this announcement through Career Center and mention the URL of its website - www.careercenter.am. Thanks.

REMUNERATION/ SALARY: 

A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered.

OPEN TO/ ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: 

Candidates must meet the essential minimum requirements of the position and candidates not citizens of the country must comply with all eligibility requirements for employment in line with the prevailing legislative prerequisites in the country. An individual whose father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister is a staff member of UNHCR, including a Temporary Appointment holder or a member of the Affiliate Workforce, is not eligible to apply.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: 

UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, color or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: 

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).
For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, please visit the portal of the International Civil Service Commission at: https://icsc.un.org .

ATTACHMENTS:

Personal History Form - 11_Personal-History-Form.docx Personal History Form Supplemeen - 12_Personal-History-Form-Supplementary-Sheet.docx Vacancy Announcement - 7A_VN01_2020_VA Internal - External GS.pdf