Job Description

Deadline for Applications

March 10, 2026

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

A (least hardship)

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Family

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

UNOPS LICA5

Target Start Date

2026-03-01

Terms of Reference

1. Operational Context
Under the mandate entrusted by the UN General Assembly, UNHCR is the UN agency tasked to work with States to protect and assist in finding durable solutions for asylum seekers, refugees, and stateless persons. As a State Party to the Refugee and Stateless Conventions, the Philippines has a generally favourable protection environment for asylum seekers, refugees, and stateless persons. UNHCR in the Philippines works with authorities, duty bearers, other stakeholders, and the people it works with and for, to ensure that asylum seekers, refugees, stateless persons, and populations at risk of statelessness have access to protection mechanisms, assistance and services, and durable solutions that would allow them to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.

Functional State inter-agency mechanisms utilizing a whole-of-government approach, as well as assistance from complementary service providers, have allowed for continued access of people with and for whom UNHCR works to protective services. Moreover, the political will of the Philippine Government and interest of other stakeholders, such as CSOs and the academe, also provide opportunities to ensure a protective environment for People with and for whom UNHCR works. While the Philippines has a generally favourable protection environment for refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless persons or those at risk of statelessness, and IDPs, issues around access to asylum, documentation and coordination, access to services and information, local integration and meaningful community participation, safety and security, and access to viable and sustainable solutions continue to prevent the enjoyment of the rights among the People with and for whom UNHCR works.

Given these developments, UNHCR is expected to continuously provide technical support to the Philippine Government in upholding its commitment to the Refugee and Statelessness Conventions. The incumbent will be expected to provide support to the team’s activities. The Senior Protection Assistant provides quality, timely and effective protection support to refugees, asylum-seekers, persons who are stateless or at risk of statelessness, and IDPs and identifies opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and safeguards in operational responses.

The Senior Protection Assistant plays a key role in supporting the development of a comprehensive protection strategy and liaising with local authorities and partners on protection issues, particularly those related to access to asylum at ports of entry and detention facilities, as guided by the supervisor. The incumbent ensures that refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless persons or those at risk of statelessness, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are actively involved in decisions affecting their rights and solutions to their challenges by fostering strong relationships with communities, local authorities, and protection partners. Additionally, the role involves monitoring protection standards and operational practices to ensure alignment with international norms, while providing functional support to information management and programme staff. Prior experience with the United Nations or other international humanitarian organizations is desirable. The General Protection Assistant is also expected to support activities related to statelessness and contribute to policy-related responsibilities, including coordination efforts on ASEAN-related matters.

Under the supervision of the Assistant Protection Officer or to the most senior Protection staff based on the operational context, the Senior Protection Assistant will be expected to:

Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensure consistent application of international and national laws, as well as UN/UNHCR and IASC policies, standards, and codes of conduct.
• Provide protection counselling to refugees, asylum-seekers, persons who are stateless or at risk of statelessness, and IDPs and coordinate with authorities for issuance of personal and legal documentation.
• Close monitoring of protection concerns of asylum seekers at ports of entry and in detention facilities, with particular attention to vulnerable groups such as children and people with disabilities. This includes undertaking protection advocacy to facilitate the timely issuance of RSD decisions for individuals in detention.
• Referral of accelerated cases to relevant agencies, and facilitation of asylum seekers’ access to courts and administrative or judicial remedies
• Support protection-related Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) programming with implementing and operational partners.
• Conduct initial interviews and gather information to support eligibility assessments, durable solutions, and social needs evaluations.
• Provide support to the coordination efforts related to ASEAN activities
• Contribute to efforts aimed at preventing and reducing statelessness, including active support for UNHCR-led initiatives on birth registration and activities related to the implementation and awareness of foundling law.
• Monitor and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for protection and solutions activities.
• Engage in individual case management, including Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and child protection cases; monitor and report incidents such as refoulement and expulsion.
• Assist in identifying and facilitating durable solutions including voluntary repatriation, local integration, and resettlement.
• Draft reports, routine correspondence, update databases, and compile statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
• Collect data and other information relevant to UNHCR and report to the supervisor accordingly.
• Keep regular contacts with local authorities and project partners as requested by supervisor.
• In coordination with project partners, assist in the reception, registration and provision of assistance to stateless persons and populations at risk of statelessness.
• Liaise with local authority counterparts, partners and the populations we work for and with.
• Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.
• Take part in advocacy activities to ensure inclusion and meaningful participation of the populations we work for and with.
• Contribute to initiatives that strengthen national and local protection capacities.
• Ensure integrity and accountability in protection service delivery by project partners.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Desirable Qualifications
Prior experience with the United Nations or other international humanitarian organizations is desirable.
At least 1–2 years of relevant experience in protection-related work, especially with refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons or people deprived of liberty.
Experience with UNHCR or its partners is a strong asset.
Experience and background in Philippine law, particularly in areas relevant to asylum, immigration, or human rights.

Eligibility:
Only Filipino citizens or permanent residents holding full legal authorization to work in the Philippines at the time of the vacancy closing date are eligible to apply.

Remuneration:
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances, and benefits, please visit the portal of the International Civil Service Commission at: http://icsc.un.org

No late applications will be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 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 (application, interview, processing, or any other fees).

UNHCR strongly encourages qualified female applicants for this position. UNHCR seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities. UNHCR is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

UNHCR has a zero-tolerance policy against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA). SEA is unacceptable behavior and prohibited conduct for UNHCR personnel. It constitutes acts of serious misconduct and is therefore grounds for disciplinary measures, including dismissal. Any concerns or suspicions about a possible case of SEA should be reported immediately to the Inspector General’s Office (IGO) at inspector@unhcr.org through the online complain form at https://www.unhcr.org/php/complaints.php or by confidential fax: +41 22 739 73 80.

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.
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.