Senior Protection Assistant

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Brasília; On-site; BRL 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is seeking a Senior Protection Assistant in Brasília. The role focuses on monitoring protection standards and delivering timely support to persons of concern in line with international norms.

The incumbent liaises with authorities and partners, contributes to the protection strategy, and ensures PoC participation in decisions affecting their rights. Fluency in English and eligibility for UN professional roles are required.

Qualifications

• IT-Computer Literacy is required to manage information and case data.
• Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators guide daily practice.
• Refugee Protection Principles and Framework inform project delivery.

Responsibilities

• Apply international and national law, UN/UNHCR standards, and codes of conduct.
• Counsel PoC on protection issues and liaise with authorities for documentation.
• Support AGD-based protection programming with partners.
• Conduct interviews for eligibility, status, and needs assessment.
• Monitor operating procedures for protection activities.
• Participate in case management including GBV and child protection.
• Draft reports and compile statistics within theAoR.
• Identify and address risks in protection delivery.

Skills

IT-Computer Literacy

Protection-related guidelines

Refugee Protection Principles

Framework knowledge

Education

High School Diploma

Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Job description

Deadline for Applications

November 19, 2026

Hardship Level

A (least hardship)

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

GS5

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Target Start Date

2027-01-01

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.