Mission and objectives

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. We work to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge, having fled violence, persecution, war or disaster at home. Since 1950, we have faced multiple crises on multiple continents, and provided vital assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced and stateless people, many of whom have nobody left to turn to. We help to save lives and build better futures for millions forced from home.

Context

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org). The crisis in northern Mozambique remains fundamentally a protection crisis, now in its ninth year since the conflict began in 2017, and is shaped by persistent insecurity, fluid displacement patterns, and growing humanitarian strain. Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) continue to operate across wide areas of Cabo Delgado and Nampula, shifting locations and tactics in a highly dynamic security environment that generates simultaneous new displacement, ongoing returns, and prolonged displacement. These overlapping movements often affect the same households and communities, creating chronic instability and evolving protection risks. The population affected by the crisis is increasingly diverse and vulnerable. Children, women, older persons, and persons with disabilities face distinct and compounding risks, including family separation, gender-based violence, child protection violations, mobility constraints, exclusion from assistance, and loss of civil documentation. Persons with disabilities and older people are particularly affected by repeated displacement and return, often struggling to access shelters, latrines, water points, health services, and humanitarian distributions, and facing heightened isolation and protection risks in both displacement sites and areas of return. Northern Mozambique therefore remains in a protracted non-international armed conflict, where civilians face both direct violence and systemic protection risks driven by forced mobility, climate shocks, and insufficient service coverage. Protection needs now cut across all phases of displacement — emergency flight, protracted displacement, and fragile or premature return —, requiring a flexible, area-based, and protection-centered response capable of adapting to a volatile, under-resourced, and climate-exposed operating environment. In this volatile, and rapidly changing environment, the Protection Cluster plays a central role in ensuring that civilian safety, rights, and dignity remain at the core of the humanitarian response. It provides the primary platform for coordinating protection actors, analyzing risks, and aligning responses across displacement, return, and protracted settings, and serves as the main interface with authorities and other clusters on protection-sensitive planning. The Cluster’s effectiveness is critical for navigating fluid population movements, access constraints, and shrinking humanitarian footprints, and for ensuring that the most at-risk are identified, referred, and supported. In this context, the candidate will be expected to lead protection analysis and prioritization, strengthen area-based coordination, ensure meaningful integration of the Humanitarian Reset, advocate for protection-centered decision-making on displacement and returns, and support partners in operating safely and coherently across rapidly changing operational conditions.

Task Description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Senior Protection Cluster Coordination Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks. • Assist the Protection Cluster Coordinator (PC) with a particular emphasis on information management and communication among Cluster members and other relevant partners, as well as training and capacity –building for members and partners; • Interact with PC members and maintain close contact with OCHA for the collection and transmission of periodic reports and documents required; elaborate routines for the timely production of these reports; • Ensure liaison with thematic working groups (Area of Responsibility - AoRs) under the PC (SGBV, Child Protection, House Land and Property Issues), as well as Protection working groups /focal points at the territorial Level and national protection cluster to ensure follow-up of recommendations and alerts, input into joint analysis and advocacy initiatives, and into protection strategies. .Compile and review thematic information/data from PC members with a view to drafting a consolidate Protection Cluster periodic newsletters on a monthly basis; • Assist in the collection of information and analysis of protection data, in the form of reports and/or maps, in particular in view of advocacy with the UN Peace-Keeping Mission on priority protection areas; • Alert and consult with nuclear PC members in case of emergency and assist in organizing joint evaluation protection missions; Assist in the research of data and analysis in support to the Protection Cluster advocacy initiatives, organize advocacy for a with relevant target groups as deemed appropriate; Coordinate the promotion of international refugee law principles and standards and IDP legislation or policies ensuring that all sectors and clusters fulfill their responsibilities mainstreaming protection; • Refer PC recommendations to members and UN Agencies/NGOs concerned and ensure/follow-up their implementation; • Coordinate the development of Protection strategies in context of Pooled Fund process, ensure timely information of PC members of applicable rules and procedures, ensure that submissions are timely received and ensure review of submission as per Pooled Fund procedure; • Ensure that the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the persons of concerns are reflected in the protection strategy, planning processes and operations plan addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, minority groups such as sexual minorities and persons living with HIV/AIDS; • Ensure legal assistance is accessible to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documents to persons of concern (civil documentation, in particular birth certificates). • Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with persons of concern, host communities, local authorities and partners. Contribute to ensuring that the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in an AGD-compliant strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations. Support the follow-up of all matters linked to resource mobilization, including the Humanitarian Action Plan. • Design, plan and deliver training in coordination with order actors for target audience as per PC recommendations, in particular with regard to protection mainstreaming, age & gender issues, Protection Monitoring and advocacy, follow-up the impact of training in accordance with indicators. • Elaborate essential documents for the Cluster, as well as preparatory documents, draft agenda and convene Protection Cluster meetings, and draft meeting minutes.

Competencies and values

Integrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply good judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures in a politically sensitive environment, while exercising discretion, impartiality and neutrality; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client oriented. Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations. Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. Planning and organizing effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities. Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender. Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; ability to maintain composure and remain helpful towards the staff, but objective, without showing personal interest; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, remote and potentially hazardous environments for protracted periods, involving physical hardship and little comfort, and including possible extensive travel within the area of operations; willingness to transfer to other duty stations within area of operations as may be necessary. Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance, and commitment towards the UN core values

Living conditions and remarks

The position is based in Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado Province, in the north of Mozambique. Pemba is a D, Non-Family duty station. Mozambique has a total population of about 29 million people and Maputo is its capital city. The total area of Mozambique is 799,380 Km square from North to South. It is tropical, hot and humid. The hottest and wettest months are December to February, when the average daily minimum temperatures are around 22 °c and the average daily highs of 30 °c. The rainy season is between October and April. Winters (June to August) are mild with the average daily temperature ranging from 13 °C to 24 °C. Cabo Delgado is bordering Tanzania, with a population of over 2.2 million individuals according to the 2017 census. The province, considered one of the poorest in the country, was hit by cyclone Kenneth in April 2019 and Cyclone CHIDO in December 2024, which affected several villages, causing material damage and the displacement of many residents. The province has also been targeted by armed groups that have been attacking local villages since October 2017. Communication and transport services are available at various costs. The housing market is healthy but quite expensive (from US$ 800 to US$ 1,500 per month). Pemba has several supermarkets and one international airport. The metical is the local currency and exchange rate stands at USD 1 equivalent to about 63.25 meticais (MZN) as per June 2025. Pemba has several health facilities including ISOS clinic, CLIDIS private clinic and the Provincial hospital. There is a wide range of Banks and ATMs to meet financial needs. Credit/debit cards are accepted in most places. UNDSS-cleared hotels are available, with rates differing depending on the availability and season. MOSS compliant apartments are available. The current operational circumstances require frequently long working hours. This is a stressful work context, making a capacity for self-care critical. According to the security level system, Cabo Delgado is at level 4. Crime in Pemba and villages outside of the capital is concerning, and UN personnel must remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings. Traffic accidents are common in Mozambique due to the poor condition of the roads and poor driving and vehicle standards. Mozambique is a unique country and UNHCR is a unique (humanitarian) operation. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential