Senior Protection Associate at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

Damascus, Damascus Governorate, Syria -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

25 Apr, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

25 Jan, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Psychosocial Support, Protection, Counseling, Training, Collaboration, Supervision, Program Planning, Monitoring, Communication, Coordination, Technical Guidance, Capacity Building, Advocacy, Information Management, Child Protection, Gender-Based Violence, Durable Solutions

Industry

International Affairs

Description

Deadline for Applications January 31, 2026 Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based) E (most hardship) Family Type (not applicable for home-based) Non Family Staff Member / Affiliate Type UNOPS LICA7 Target Start Date 2026-04-01 Terms of Reference The Senior Protection Assistant, based at the Country Office in Damascus, will work under the supervision of the Community-Based Protection Officer and as part of the Protection Section and Community-Based Protection (CBP) team. The incumbent will be responsible for overseeing the national-level implementation of UNHCR’s Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and specialized services for Persons with Specific Needs (PSN). This includes providing technical guidance and operational support to UNHCR field offices in Aleppo, Homs, Qamishli, the Coastal Area, and the South. The role entails regular field missions to support capacity building, provide technical assistance, and monitor programme implementation across the respective governorates. The position is based in a demanding operational context and requires a high level of professionalism, flexibility, sound judgment, and a strong commitment to UNHCR’s international protection mandate. The ideal candidate will possess strong academic, technical, and practical experience in the field of psychosocial support and protection, with a focus on inclusive approaches for Persons with Specific Needs (PSN). Educational Background: Advanced university degree in Psychology, Psychological Counseling, Social Work, or Sociology to ensure a sound professional grounding in psychosocial programming. Professional Experience and Competencies: • Demonstrated understanding of UNHCR’s protection mandate, with a strong commitment to the principles of dignity, inclusion, accessibility, and accountability for persons with specific needs. • Proven expertise in providing MHPSS counselling at both individual and group levels, as well as in designing and delivering specialized training on advanced MHPSS interventions. • Experience working collaboratively with government ministries, local authorities, and social institutions to strengthen protection responses and social support mechanisms for returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, and asylum seekers. • Proven experience in supervising and coordinating protection staff and/or partners, including the provision of day-to-day technical guidance, task management, and systematic follow-up on deliverables. • Demonstrated capacity in programme planning, monitoring, and oversight, ensuring quality implementation, accountability, and effective service delivery. • Strong communication, coordination, and drafting skills in English, with the ability to clearly articulate complex psychosocial and protection concepts to diverse stakeholders. • The successful candidate will possess the technical expertise required to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate MHPSS and PSN interventions, and to effectively integrate MHPSS within broader protection programming, with particular attention to inclusive services for persons with disabilities. Standard Job Description 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. Required Languages , , Desired Languages , , Additional Qualifications Skills IT-Computer Literacy, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework Education Certifications International Law - Other, Political Science - Other Work Experience Other information No late applications will be accepted. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. UNHCR strongly encourages qualified female applicantsThis position doesn't require a functional clearance Remote No Important notice: Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training). Read about how to avoid scams and fraudulent job offers. Please note that applications are only accepted via the UNHCR online recruitment platform. CVs and/or application requests sent via email will not be answered, reviewed nor considered. For external applicants: We would like to call your attention on the eligibility of International Professional (P) category: According to our Recruitment and Assignments Policy, P staff members will not normally serve in the country of their nationality, and the first regular appointment in the P category must be outside the staff member's country of nationality. In practical terms this means that you are not eligible to apply for International Professional vacancies advertised in the country where you are national of. In case of technical difficulties when applying, external applicants (not current UNHCR workforce members) can write to recruitmentcase@unhcr.org. For former UNHCR Colleagues: Former UNHCR employees who are on mandatory break-in service or have separated from UNHCR after 1 October 2022 should create an account through this platform. Once you fill in your basic personal information (employee ID, birth date, name, email address), Workday will identify you as prior personnel and merge your employee account with your external applicant account. The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, takes the lead in protecting people forced to flee wars and persecution around the world, providing life-saving aid including shelter, food and water to ensure their basic safety, rights and dignity. With 18,879 women and men working in 137 countries, we work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of 89.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Our dedicated and professional staff work around the clock in roles including legal protection, community services, public affairs, health and more. Despite the challenges they can face, our staff are proud to work for UNHCR and determined to make a positive impact. Why a career with UNHCR? Our dedicated staff work to protect and assist people fleeing conflict and persecution at a time when global forced displacement is at a record high. Our colleagues bring a wide range of specialized skills, including expertise in legal protection, administration, community services, public affairs, health and other disciplines. Disability inclusion If you are a person with a disability and you expect you may face challenges during the recruitment process, you can indicate it in your application form. There are options to select any health conditions you may have and outline any necessary adjustments related to disabilities during the recruitment phases. Providing this information is optional. It will be treated as strictly confidential and used only for the purpose of finding out how to better assist you during the recruitment process. Adjustments for candidates with disabilities will be provided as best as possible and as needed upon request. All candidates will be assessed based on meeting the requirements for each vacancy in relation to experience, skills, and education.

Responsibilities

The Senior Protection Associate will oversee the implementation of UNHCR’s Mental Health and Psychosocial Support services and provide technical guidance to field offices. The role includes regular field missions to support capacity building and monitor program implementation.