Legal Associate

October 10, 2025

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

A (least hardship)

FamilyUNOPS LICA6

2025-11-01- Legal protection background and strong knowledge of national legislation on refugees and migrants.
- Legal knowledge to elaborate, review and carry out inter-institutional agreements under Peruvian national legislation.
- Excellent diplomatic skills and understanding of the Government of Peru structures, in particular those related to protection.
- Excellent knowledge of legal and normative frameworks governing protection of refugees, citizenship access, migratory issues, security and integration.
- Previous experience in providing legal assistance to forcibly displaced and stateless population.
- Good communication and reporting skills and ability to facilitate focus group discussions and clearly express her/himself.
- Experience in managing teams and coordinating with other units.
- Fluency in Spanish and working knowledge of English (minimum B2 overall).

Person interested in applying for this position should be legally present in the country at the time of application, recruitment, and appointment.

Please note that this position will be located at Lima, Peru on presential modality and is offered as a Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA / UNOPS) until the end of the year. Extension is subject to operational needs, budget, and performance.

Only short-listed candidates will be notified and might be requested to sit a test. No late applications will be considered.

Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted during the application. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision, or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training, or any other fees).

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.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

Standard Job Description

Legal Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Legal Associate is a member of a protection team. S/he normally reports to a higher grade Legal Officer.

The Legal Associate assists the supervisor to prepare legal analysis required for quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern. Another important function of the position is to contribute to the involvement of the persons of concern with an office 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 support involvement of communities of concern and relevant authorities in continuous cooperation. Additionally, the Legal Associate is expected to contribute to the capacity building activities for local and central state authorities in the area of protection of persons of concern either directly or in cooperation with partners.

The Legal Associate assists an office in providing quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern. S/he is also required to assist an office in ensuring that persons of concern are involved with the office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. In addition, the Legal Associate is in charge of the office's corporate legal work and advises on all matters of Labour Law affecting refugees.

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
- Monitor the development of law and doctrine.
- Provide input to assist in analysis of relevant emerging legislation in line with protection and humanitarian principles, international law and standards.
- Provide inputs to selected advocacy efforts of the operation.
- Contribute to the preparation of legal advice and draft position papers.
- Consistently apply international and national law and UNHCR policies and standards.
- Liaise with relevant state authorities at central and local levels, partner NGOs and other relevant stakeholders.
- Participate in meetings within UNHCR and with external counterparts at the relevant level.
- Contribute to draft protection documents and policies in cooperation with supervisor.
- Provide guidance and support in the formulation of protection strategies.
- Assist in handling individual cases and situations raising special questions of application or interpretation of international law, refugee and human rights law.
- Prepare protection documents and policies in cooperation with supervisor.
- Participate in the development of project proposals and project implementation.
- Assist in the preparation of legal advice and drafting of position papers and guidelines on pertinent legal and operational issues.
- Contribute to advocacy towards proper interpretation of law and doctrine as well as in the development of standards of protection.
- Consistently apply international and national law and UNHCR policies and standards.
- Liaise and intervene with local authorities on the legal issues pertaining to persons of concern.
- Assist in providing legal advice on all cases referred from all units of UNHCR, most notably RSD, RST and Registration.

- 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

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G6 - 3 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
Law, Human Rights, Political Science
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Previous relevant legal related work experience.
Desirable
Experience in facilitating training.
Completion of UNHCR learning programmes on protection or any other equivalent external courses.

Functional Skills
*CO-Drafting and Documentation
*LE-Legal Research
TR-Training - Virtual and face to face
(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

English

,

,

Desired Languages

Spanish

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

CO-Drafting and Documentation, LE-Legal Research, TR-Training - Virtual and face to face

Education

Certifications

Human Rights - Other, Law - Other, Political Science - Other

Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Remote

No