Job Description

Please note that this vacancy is only open to eligible staff members who have been individually notified of their eligibility to apply for positions advertised in the Accelerated Posting Compendium.

June 12, 2026

E (most hardship)

Non Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay

Nairobi (CO), Kenya

PR2

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

Associate Community-Based Protection Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Associate Community-Based Protection Officer is a member of the Protection Team in a Regional Bureau or a Country Office and normally reports to the Senior Community-Based Protection Officer, the Senior Protection Officer, Head of Sub-Office or the Assistant Representative for protection.
For a regional position, the incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for Protection and Community-Based Protection staff in the regional office, and a technical support role for Community-Based Protection staff in the region. For a country level position the incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for Community-based Protection staff and other protection staff in the operation.
S/he supports the implementation of protection standards and provides advice on community-based protection to senior management and Country Operation(s) in close collaboration with the Division of International Protection and Solutions (DIPS).
The incumbent is relied upon by senior management to support a coordinated approach in the implementation of UNHCR's rights-based and community-based engagement with all forcibly displaced and stateless persons and contributes to the achievement of UNHCR's commitments to accountability to affected people.
S/he maintains close working relationships and supports Protection and Community-Based Protection staff in the field, who act as the critical interface between UNHCR and communities of concern, enabling them to provide the AGD-sensitive analysis of community risks and capacities that form the essential foundations of national and regional programmes. The incumbent maintains close working relations with sister UN entities, governmental entities, non-governmental organisations and academic institutions that can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions through people centred, community-based and gender responsive approaches.
The incumbent provides guidance to country operations to strengthen their coordination and advocacy on community-based approaches to protection with governments, partners and other key stakeholders.

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
- Be fully informed about community structures and the protection and security situation of the population of concern and develop strong links with a cross-section of members of refugee/IDP/stateless communities, using an AGD approach.
- Through relationships with forcibly displaced and stateless persons and network of partners stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment and provide advice to senior management.
- Ensure that the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the forcibly displaced and stateless persons 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, through direct action and advocacy with more senior protection staff, that the necessary resources are allocated to enable community work to identify and address protection and assistance gaps.
- Support a consultative process with government counterparts at local levels, partners and forcibly displaced and stateless persons to develop and implement integrated strategies that address the key protection priorities, including, for example, child protection, education and GBV, and solutions approaches.
- Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners and implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on all community-based protection related issues.
- Support the design, implementation and evaluation of protection centred and solutions oriented programming with implementing and operational partners guaranteeing that community-owned activities are integrated.
- Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures
- Promote confidence building and conflict resolution among forcibly displaced and stateless persons, authorities and host communities.
- Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with forcibly displaced and stateless persons, host communities, local authorities and partners. In operations applying the humanitarian cluster system, contribute to the development of an AGD-compliant strategy on which the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in and covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations.
- Support the Operation's work to fully integrate the protection strategy into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team's common humanitarian action plan where applicable.
- Contribute to the Protection team's information management component which: provides disaggregated data on forcibly displaced and stateless persons and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery and provide technical advice if necessary.
- Support the inclusion of participatory, community-based protection and AGD approaches in strategies and plans within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
- Support community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
- Support forcibly displaced and stateless persons to develop structures that enhance their participation and protection.
- Contribute to the design of the community-based protection strategy, project submissions and budgets for endorsement by the supervisor.
- Intervene with authorities on community-based protection issues.
- Negotiate with local counterparts, partners and forcibly displaced and stateless persons

- 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 P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights,
International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science,
Anthropology, International Law or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Relevant professional experience, including in the areas of community based protection, community services, social work, and human rights.

Desirable
Proven communication skills, both oral and written.
Demonstrated knowledge of community communication and engagement approaches.
Understanding of and demonstrated competencies in forced displacement and protection, particularly GBV prevention and response, child protection, education, gender equality, and the application of the Age, Gender and Diversity Policy.

Functional Skills
DM-Database Management
IT-Computer Literacy
PR-Coordination in Forced Displacement situations
PR-Convention on the Rights of the Child / International Legal Framework
PR-Gender Equality
PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
CO-Drafting and Documentation
ED-Technical support to education programmes and proposals
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention programming
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) response programming
(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.

Essential attributes:
• Extensive CBP and protection expertise: Strong experience in community-based protection across IDP, refugee, and returnee contexts, with solid knowledge of protection principles, tools, and strategies in complex and evolving environments.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and coordination: Proven ability to collaborate effectively with government counterparts, UN agencies, clusters, and communities,
• Programme design and implementation: Demonstrated capacity to design, implement, and oversee CBP initiatives, including community- and women-led structures, protection desks, border monitoring, and multi-sectoral mainstreaming (WASH, health, shelter, education, livelihoods).
• Inclusion and protection mainstreaming: Strong experience integrating AGD, AAP, gender equality, youth, disability inclusion, and diverse group considerations into programmes and decision-making processes.
• Feedback systems and analytical capacity: Proven ability to establish and manage feedback and response mechanisms (including PSEA) and analyze formal and informal feedback to inform programming.
• Leadership and capacity development: Experience in training, mentoring, and providing technical guidance to staff and partners, including local NGOs and community-based organizations, ensuring quality implementation and accountability.
Desirable attributes:
-Strong interpersonal, networking, negotiating, advocacy and diplomatic skills
-Ability to maintain a consistent field presence in the refugee camps and IDP settlements, in challenging, sensitive, and high-pressure operational contexts
-Familiarity with operations in Africa, including complex emergency and protracted displacement contexts.

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

The operational environment in Sudan has undergone a profound shift since armed conflict erupted on 15 April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Since then, security conditions have continued to deteriorate, particularly in Darfur and the Kordofan regions, leaving the country in a highly volatile state as humanitarian needs rapidly intensify. The conflict has severely worsened living conditions, aggravated longstanding intercommunal and ethnic tensions, and generated grave protection risks, including killings, sexual violence, forced recruitment, abductions, looting, and large-scale displacement.

As of November 2025, Sudan hosts close to 9.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), with over 7 million newly displaced since the conflict began. An additional 4.4 million people have fled across borders into neighbouring countries. Current inter-agency displacement figures exceed the combined total of the previous four years, underscoring the scale of the crisis both within Sudan and across the region. According to the inter-agency Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), the number of people in need increased from 15.8 million in November 2022 to 30.4 million in January 2025, largely driven by the ongoing conflict.

Despite the insecurity, Sudan continues to host a significant refugee population. As of 31 December 2025, the country hosts 859,974 refugees, primarily from South Sudan (73.8%), Eritrea (16%), and Ethiopia (8%). Sudan remains a key asylum country, receiving 84,038 new arrivals in 2025 from these same countries. 66% percent of refugees reside in camps, while 34% live in out‑of‑camp settings. The refugee population is 51% female and 49% male.

In areas where security has improved, displaced Sudanese have begun returning. To date, approximately 3 million people have returned to their areas of origin—81% (about 2.46 million) from internal displacement and 19% (about 567,000) from abroad. Most returns have occurred in Khartoum and Aj Jazirah, driven primarily by improved security. Nearly all returnees (99%) have returned to their exact places of origin, despite widespread destruction of shelters and limited access to essential services.

Throughout the conflict, UNHCR remains committed to staying and delivering inside Sudan. International and national staff continue to operate from eight locations across the country, providing protection and assistance to forcibly displaced populations both as part of emergency response and regular programming.

For operational coordination, the Sudan operation is structured around four main corridors:

• Western Corridor – covering the Darfur and Kordofan regions; access remains significantly constrained.
• Eastern Corridor – covering Kassala and Gedaref; fully accessible with no major operational constraints.
• Southern Corridor – covering White Nile and Blue Nile states; generally accessible, though periodic security incidents cause temporary disruptions. The head of SO Kosti is the lead coordinator for the Southern Corridor.
• Northern Corridor – covering Wadi Halfa, Omdurman (Khartoum), and Port Sudan, where the Representation Office is located.

Additionally, a back office in Nairobi provides limited operational support functions.

There are close to half a million refugees in White Nile State, including some 180,000 who were secondarily displaced since the conflict started in Khartoum on 15 April 2023. An additional 85,000 new refugees arrived in WN from South Sudan in the course of 2026. In addition, hundreds of thousands of Sudanese displaced to WN when conflict erupted in Khartoum and Al Jazeera State.

This surge in numbers makes the White Nile State host to one the highest numbers (over 1 million) of conflict internally displaced people in Sudan and the biggest refugee hosting state in the country. Refugees in White Nile state are located in 10 camps along the West and East banks of the river while IDPs especially the newly arrived IDPs primarily live in sites identified by the government and a small percentage are renting accommodation or living with host communities.

The large-scale displacement presents various challenges and demands a comprehensive, coordinated response from humanitarian agencies and relevant stakeholders to address the immediate and long-term needs of the affected population. In addition to manging the refugee response, UNHCR’s IDP footprint requires robust leadership for emergency operational response, solutions and coordination.

UNHCR Sub-Office Kosti provides technical guidance and oversight for protection-related activities in Damazine Field Office, located in Blue Nile State. The Field Office hosts close to 87,000 Sudanese returnees from South Sudan, 361,000 internally displaced persons according to IOM DTM, 12,000 refugees, and 45,000 South Sudanese asylum seekers based on UNHCR data. The team works closely with local government structures and in close collaboration with multiple partners, including UN agencies, forcibly displaced people-led organizations (FDPLOs), international NGOs (INGOs), and national NGOs. The current mass displacement into the state has placed excessive pressure on already weak infrastructure and services, leading to a high cost of living, overcrowding in camps and gathering sites, insecurity including theft and fuel scarcity, all of which continue to affect the ability of UNHCR and partners to operate efficiently and effectively. These challenges have also strained the resilience of host communities accommodating refugees and IDPs, resulting in growing intolerance, particularly towards refugees.

The White Nile remains a location of strategic importance to the parties in the conflict with occasional drone attacks on military and other public infrastructure. Such threats of active conflict towards the State have warranted the need to identify dynamic and innovative ways to deliver Protection and Assistance as this represents a significant shift in a fast-evolving operations context.

The incumbent will report directly to the Senior Protection Officer and will work closely to build and maintain close and progressive ties with the Forcibly Displace people led organizations ( FDPLOs), women-led organisations, Local authorities INGOs, UN sister agencies and NGOs in the advancement of UNHCR protection and assistance programmes in the White Nile State and Blue Nile State .

She/he will work with 08 UNHCR implementing partners under the corridor and will be required to draw on innovative approaches in protection and assistance. Safeguarding partnership integrity and other mechanisms for ensuring sound stewardship and accountability are essential to this function.

Living and Working Conditions:

Sub Office Kosti, White Nile State is classified as an 'E' non-family duty station. Kosti is one of the major cities in Sudan that lies south of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, and stands on the western bank of the White Nile River opposite Rabak, the capital of the White Nile state and is connected to it by a bridge and shares its southern border with Upper Nile State, South Sudan

Kosti is an impoverished city with no international educational system, poor health infrastructure and lack of leisure facilities. There is limited access to key supply routes, goods and services, including fuel, are increasingly scarce. This has had a direct impact of supplies in the market an arbitrary price hikes.

Accommodation is provided for international staff in the UNHCR guest house.

White Nile State receives heavy rain in the rainy season (July-October). Considering the flat terrain, flooding common. Roads to refugee camps located on the west of the White Nile are not tarmacked, and are mostly impassable during the rainy season. Humanitarian agencies often rely on tractors to create access.

The security situation in White Nile State, Kosti, remains unpredictable with both parties trying to take control over key localities in the state.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts: Anthropology, Bachelor of Arts: Cultural Studies, Bachelor of Arts: Human Rights, Bachelor of Arts: International Development, Bachelor of Arts: International Law, Bachelor of Arts: International Social Work, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Bachelor of Arts: Social Science

Certifications

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Organizational awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Accelerated Posting Compendium 2026 - Part B

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance