Senior Protection Associate (Temporary Appointment)

May 11, 2026

Grade

GS7

General Service

Reason

Temporary > Temporary Assignment/ Appointment

A (least hardship)

Family

2026-07-01

2026-12-31

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.

The Multi-Country Office in Argentina (MCO ARG) covers Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, a Southern Cone subregion characterized by heterogeneous and evolving forced displacement dynamics within a mixed migration context. Argentina, Chile and Uruguay continue to function primarily as destination countries for asylum-seekers, refugees, stateless persons and others in need of international protection, while Bolivia remains largely a country of transit and Paraguay is consolidating its profile as an emerging destination country.
Legal and institutional frameworks for refugee protection and statelessness across the subregion are broadly aligned with international and regional standards, including the 1951 Refugee Convention and the Cartagena Declaration. However, since 2024, protection space has gradually contracted due to regulatory reforms, fiscal constraints and increased securitization of human mobility governance. In several contexts, stronger emphasis on border control, returns and expulsion measures has affected access to territory, asylum procedures and procedural safeguards, heightening protection risks for individuals in irregular situations and at borders.
At the same time, alternative legal stay and regularization pathways continue to play an important role in stabilizing legal status, particularly in Argentina and Uruguay, and are increasingly used by forcibly displaced persons as pragmatic solutions. While these pathways facilitate access to basic rights and services, they do not always provide the full scope of international protection safeguards. Space for technical engagement with States nevertheless remains, with governments across the five countries continuing to recognize UNHCR’s advisory and technical role in strengthening asylum systems and aligning migration responses with protection standards.
By the end of 2025, the Southern Cone hosted over 810,000 forcibly displaced and stateless persons, the majority originating from Venezuela, alongside smaller caseloads from Cuba, other Latin American countries and extra-regional contexts. Displacement-affected populations are predominantly of working age and increasingly urban, with high concentrations in major metropolitan areas such as Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile and Montevideo. Despite relatively high levels of education and professional skills, many experience legal uncertainty, labor market exclusion and socioeconomic vulnerability.
UNHCR maintains permanent presence in Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile, with field presence in La Paz and Montevideo, and works closely with national and local authorities, civil society organizations, refugee-led organizations and affected communities. Coordination platforms, including the R4V National Platforms co-led with IOM and UN Country Teams, support joint analysis, response planning, and alignment with national development frameworks.

Within this context, the Senior Protection Associate (G7), based in Buenos Aires, reports to the Protection Officer and is part of the Protection and Solutions Unit of the MCO. The position provides operational and normative support to asylum systems across the five countries, including legal and protection-related technical assistance, protection monitoring, protection information management, institutional advocacy and partner capacity development. The role contributes to strengthening an open, inclusive and rights-based protection environment in a complex and multi-country operational setting.

This is a temporary appointment for six months, in replacement capacity, covering the period from 1 July to 31 December 2026, with no possibility of extension.


DESIRED CANDIDATE PROFILE

Essential Qualifications and Experience
• University degree in International Law, Human Rights, or Refugee/Migration Studies, with proven professional experience in refugee, migration, or human rights contexts.
• Strong knowledge of international refugee and human rights law, including practical familiarity with relevant legal standards and mechanisms.
• In depth understanding of national and regional legal frameworks, including domestic refugee and migration laws in MCO covered countries.
• Proven experience delivering training or teaching on international refugee law and/or human rights to government counterparts, academic institutions, or NGOs.
• Fluency in both Spanish and English, with demonstrated ability to work professionally in both languages.

Desirable Skills and Competencies
• Ability to work independently and under supervision, prioritize tasks effectively, and build strong working relationships with colleagues, partners, UN agencies, and stakeholders across the region.
• Experience working across diverse legal systems and frameworks.
• Up to date knowledge of UNHCR protection policies and relevant guidelines.
• Experience in inter-agency coordination, particularly with other UN agencies.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to collect and interpret qualitative and quantitative data.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to work efficiently in a fast paced environment.
• Flexible and proactive work attitude, with the ability to respond to emerging issues.
• Strong drafting and communication skills.
• Proficiency in computer applications and digital tools.
• Commitment to working in dynamic, multicultural, and fast evolving environments, and to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

English

,

Spanish

,

,

,

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

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales