UNOPS Senior Protection Assistant - Field Presence Machala, Ecuador

Organizational Context

UNHCR is the UN Refugee Agency, mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect people who have been forced to flee their homes. The Senior Protection Assistant will support UNHCR's operations in Ecuador, contributing to the protection of persons of concern and ensuring their rights and well-being are upheld.

Job Purpose

The Senior Protection Assistant's primary role is to provide comprehensive protection support to persons of concern (PoC) within UNHCR's operational area. This involves monitoring protection standards, operational procedures, and practices in line with international norms. The incumbent will offer functional protection guidance to information management and programme staff, ensuring that protection methodologies are integrated into all operational responses. A key aspect of the role is to contribute to the development of a robust protection strategy, potentially engaging with local authorities and partners on protection matters under supervisor guidance. The position also emphasizes the active involvement of PoC in decision-making processes that affect their lives, rights, and solutions to their problems, requiring strong community engagement and liaison with relevant stakeholders.

Responsibilities

The Senior Protection Assistant is responsible for consistently applying International and National Law, along with applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policies, standards, and codes of conduct. This includes providing direct counseling on protection issues to persons of concern and liaising with competent authorities to facilitate the issuance of necessary documentation. The role involves supporting protection-related activities based on Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) programming with implementing partners, and conducting preliminary information gathering and interviews to support eligibility assessments, status determination, durable solutions, and social needs. The incumbent will contribute to initiatives aimed at identifying, preventing, and reducing statelessness, and participate in developing country-level child protection and education plans as part of the broader protection strategy. Monitoring Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection and solutions activities, and participating in individual case management, including cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and child protection, are crucial. The Assistant will monitor and report on protection incidents such as refoulement and expulsion, and assist in identifying durable solutions like voluntary repatriation, local integration, and resettlement. Drafting reports, correspondence, updating databases, and compiling statistics are also key duties. Furthermore, the role involves contributing to efforts to enhance national and local protection capacities, selecting PoC for interviews, and ensuring the integrity of protection services delivered by partners. Risk management and opportunity identification within the area of responsibility are also expected.

Work Experience

2 years of relevant experience with a High School Diploma, or 1 year of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree or equivalent.

Skills

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

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