Job Description

Deadline for Applications

November 4, 2026

Hardship Level

E (most hardship)

Family Type

Non Family with Residential Location

Residential location (if applicable)

Addis Ababa,Eth Fed Dem Rep

Grade

GS6

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Target Start Date

2027-01-01

Standard Job Description

Community-Based Protection Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Community-Based Protection Associate is a member of the Protection Unit and may report to the Protection Officer, Community-Based Protection Officer, or another more senior staff member in the Protection Unit. Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, the Community-Based Protection Associate works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for part of the protection and/or support staff and supports the application of community-based protection standards, operational procedures and practices in community-based protection delivery at the field level. To fulfil this role, the Community-Based Protection Associate is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of PoC. The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with PoC that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results, form the core of the work of the incumbent. S/he also supports the designing of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with PoC.

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

• Assist functional units, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) and senior management to integrate participatory and community-based approaches in the overall protection strategy and operational procedures.
• Through relationships with PoC 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 the protection team. Understand the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC and advise the protection team accordingly, highlighting the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups.
• Work with host communities to identify opportunities for national civil society involvement in improving the protection of PoC.
• Work with implementing and operational partners as well as with displaced and local communities to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organisational and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and prevention and response to GBV.
• Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face.
• Support participatory assessments by multifunctional teams and ongoing consultation with PoC.
• Assist in planning and monitoring of programmes and budgets, with an AGD perspective
• Build office capacity for community-based protection through training and establishing systems for community mobilization and participation of PoC.
• Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures.
• Ensure community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
• Act as an interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
• Contribute to the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR's work.
• Initiate AGD sensitive interventions at the appropriate level on community-based protection issues and to respond to protection concerns and incidents within the office, with external interlocutors, groups and individuals based on agreed parameters.
• Identify and select which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.
• Intervene with authorities on protection.
• Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
• 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

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

Development, Human Rights, International Law

International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science,

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Not specified.

Desirable

UNHCR learning programmes (PLP). Knowledge of MSRP.

Functional Skills

IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

*IT-Computer Literacy

UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures

PR-Community-based Protection - Principles and methodologies

CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community

PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate)

TR-Capacity Buidling

(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.

Desired Candidate Profile

• The ideal candidate for the CBP position will be the one who will be responsible for working on community engagement and mobilization, with competence in setting up governance in the camps for the legitimacy and inclusion of all refugees, develop terms of reference for community structures
• The candidate should have a prevent experience in developing community-based protection and analyzing strategy to analyze protection risks, prioritize problems and identifying solutions.
• The candidate should have knowledge of the main characteristics of the stages of community-based protection, focusing on understanding the community, identifying stakeholders
• The qualification of the candidate will be a person who has done degree on the social sciences, Law, sociology, political science etc., would be essential.
• The knowledge of English and Arabic is essential.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

French

Desired languages

English

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

Living and Working Conditions:

Additional Qualifications

Skills

CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community, IT-Computer Literacy, IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate), PR-Community-based Protection - Principles and methodologies, TR-Capacity Buidling, UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures

Education

Certifications

Community Development/Social Work - Other, Development Studies - Other, Human Rights - Other, International Law - Other, Political Science - Other, Social Sciences - Other

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Managing performance, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

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

Compendium

Additional Information

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Shortlisted candidates may be invited to undertake written and or oral test.

Functional clearance

This position doesn't require a functional clearance