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

A (least hardship)

Family

PR5

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

Senior Protection and Solutions Coordinator

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

In the Bureaux, the Senior Protection and Solutions Coordinator works under the direct supervision of the Head of Bureau Protection Service, the Bureau Director or Bureau Deputy Director. In the Field, the incumbent normally reports to the Representative, Assistant Representative or Deputy Representative as appropriate. The incumbent has direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff in the Area of Responsibility (AoR) and may supervise other staff.

The incumbent provides guidance to the Country Operations in the AoR on all protection/legal matters and accountabilities. These include: statelessness (in line with the campaign to End Statelessness by 2024), Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) commitments, age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP) through community-based protection, child protection, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, gender equality, disability inclusion, youth empowerment, psycho-social support and PSEA, registration, asylum/refugee status determination, resettlement, local integration, voluntary repatriation, human rights standards integration, national legislation, judicial engagement, predictable and decisive engagement in situations of internal displacement and engagement in wider mixed movement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses.

The incumbent provides protection oversight and guidance to other functions in the AoR, to support protection delivery to populations of concern and to promote and gain support for UNHCR’s protection agenda also externally. This includes ensuring that operational responses in all areas and sectors are shaped in a protection optic, mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards and benchmarks.

The incumbent works in close collaboration with the Division of International Protection, Division of Resilience and Solutions, Division of Programme Support and Management and other relevant Divisions. He/she maintains close working relations with senior protection staff in all countries in the region or all offices in the country, as appropriate, as well as regional/country-based UN sister entities, other intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organisations, embassies, academic institutions and the media and represents the Organization on protection and legal matters.

In the Regional Bureaux, the incumbent is responsible for ensuring, in an effective and efficient manner which supports the Organization’s Mandate, overall quality assurance and managerial support of operations, in line with the Bureau’s 2nd line function, within the three lines of defence conceptual framework for effective control and risk management adopted by the UN system.

S/he will, further, cover the full spectrum of managerial oversight, manage performance and monitor the adherence of Country Operations to UNHCR’s rules and regulations, monitoring, identifying and addressing any emerging issues and risks as appropriate. The incumbent also promotes a culture that is results-oriented, efficient and based on trust and pursues measures to ensure that inclusion, gender balance and diversity are taken into due consideration in staffing, resource allocation and representation at all levels throughout the AoR.

As a key custodian of the organization’s standards of conduct, s/he will proactively establish a working environment where all personnel feel safe, heard, equipped and empowered to speak up; demonstrate no tolerance for sexism, gender inequality, discrimination of any kind, abuse of power, harassment or sexual harassment; foster ongoing dialogue on those matters; take seriously all issues of inappropriate behaviour and actions reported, whether formally or informally; and seek guidance and support as necessary to ensure that appropriate follow-up is taken, working on the basis of zero tolerance for any form of misconduct.

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

• Provide guidance to the Bureau Director on all protection matters.
• Contribute towards the development of a protection and solutions strategy in the AoR consistent with UNHCR’s priorities and commitments; support regional and country programming for protection from planning to evaluation including contingency planning and advocate for adequate resource allocations.
• Stay abreast of political, social, economic and security developments that have an impact on the protection environment and protection delivery capacity and advise the senior management in the overall management of UNHCR’s operations.
• Coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of forcibly displaced and stateless personsin the AoR including emergency responses.
• Maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the protection service guided by common strategic, principled and practical protection objectives, working towards increased protection impact in line with the regional strategies.
• Provide legal, technical and policy advice to Country Operations or Offices under the AoR and enforce Country Operations’ compliance with, and operationalization of, UNHCR’s global protection policies and standards, priorities and commitments.
• Coordinate a consultative process (through Country Offices in the region, if applicable) with government counterparts, partners and forcibly displaced and stateless persons to develop and implement the protection and solutions strategies at the country level. Ensure strategies address gender equality priorities, internally displaced persons, specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation and/or gender identity, minority groups, and person living with HIV/AIDS.
• Coordinate with partners and provide oversight to specific protection areas described above.
• Advocate with authorities and stakeholders for access to and respect for the rights of forcibly displaced and stateless persons and their access to services.
• Support local integration objectives and well as efforts to promote social inclusion.
• Coordinate activities in the area of risk management related to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), fraud, case-processing data protection, and human rights due diligence at country level, in consultation with relevant Divisions (as appropriate).
• Coordinate the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related programming with implementing and operational partners also in line with Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

For positions in Bureaux

• Work with Country Offices in identifying and taking up opportunities to influence legislative, institutional and judicial processes in relation to asylum/RSD, statelessness and internal displacement; ensure quality comments are provided on draft legislation and policies and to Human Rights mechanisms; draft/review judicial interventions and engage with legal and judicial institutions as relevant.
• Guide and support Country Operations in the development of strategies to build and further develop national asylum/RSD systems with a view to ensuring their fairness, efficiency, adaptability and integrity.
• Support Country Operations and ensure they meet their complementary pathways objectives and resettlement quotas.

• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P5 - 12 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 11 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 10 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Law; International Law; Political Science;

International Humanitarian Law; International Refugee Law; International Relations; or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Management Learning Programme;

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

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Minimum 8 years of previous work experience in progressively responsible functions in an organisation or institution with a protection mandate, preferably within the UN. Thorough knowledge of International refugee law and its application; ability to analyse and advocate for the application of relevant international and regional legal instruments for the benefits of the persons under UNHCR's mandate.

Desirable

Solid UNHCR experience from both the Field (including Hardship Duty stations) and Headquarters/Regional entities. Proven track record in emergency preparedness, response and management. Proficiency in local language(s) in the given region. Knowledge of additional UN languages.

Functional Skills

*PR-Developing Strategic Protection Framework;

*PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators;

*LE-International Refugee Law;

*PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD);

*PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination

*PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework;

PR-Gender Equality;

PR-Refugee Coordination Model;

ER-Inter-Agency Coordination;

PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards;

PR-International Humanitarian Law;

LE-Judicial engagement;

PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement;

(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

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Organizational Awareness

Teamwork & Collaboration

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

Empowering and Building Trust

Judgement and Decision Making

Leadership

Managing Performance

Managing Resources

Strategic Planning and Vision

Cross-Functional Competencies

Planning and Organizing

Policy Development and Research

Political Awareness

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:
-Demonstrated experience linking protection, solutions, and development, including engagement with development actors, IFIs, and non-traditional partners.
-Senior-level protection experience in complex, protracted displacement contexts, ideally across multiple countries or regions.
-Demonstrated work experience in refugee, IDP settings and on mixed movements and statelessness.
- Work experience in delivering protection in emergency settings.
- French and English at proficiency level are essential.

Desirable Attributes:
-Strong capacity to set regional protection and solutions strategy, translating global policies into operationally realistic guidance.
-Ability to navigate highly fluid and sensitive political contexts, including military-led governments, regional realignments (e.g. AES), and contested regional governance.
-Ability to promote integrated humanitarian–development approaches aligned with the SDGs, even in politically and economically constrained contexts (e.g. AES countries).
-Ability to support both countries with UNHCR presence and countries without in-country offices.
-Experience responding to mixed movements as part of broader displacement trajectories is an asset
-Experience engaging with governments, regional bodies (e.g. ECOWAS, ECCAS), and sensitive political actors.
-Credibility to address refoulement, border closures, and asylum access through principled but pragmatic dialogue.
-Demonstrated ability to renew and adapt protection responses in evolving political, security, and funding environments.
-Leadership, managerial and analytical skills
-Proven experience leading and mentoring multidisciplinary protection teams
-Experience in protection programming.
-A combination of field experience and HQs/RB settings
-Work experience in WCA region.

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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 Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa (RBWCA), based in Dakar, oversees UNHCR operations in eight countries with an established presence: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.

As part of a regional realignment, the Multi-Country Offices (MCOs) in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal were closed on 31 December 2025. Five standalone country offices –Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and Togo, – became fully operational on 1 October 2025 as National Offices. The Multi-Country Office (MCO) Cameroon covers Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome et Principe. The remit of the RBWCA has also expanded to include the Republic of Congo (under MCO Cameroon as of 1 October 2025), further consolidating oversight across West and Central Africa.

The Bureau is accredited to regional intergovernmental bodies, including ECOWAS and ECCAS, and engages closely with UN regional entities. With both Anglophone and Francophone countries, the region requires bilingual, context-specific engagement across diverse political and operational environments.

The West and Central Africa region is currently home to over 21.9 million forcibly displaced and stateless persons, including IDPs, refugees, asylum-seekers, and returnees. Major concentrations are found in Chad, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and the DRC, where conflict, intercommunal violence, and human rights violations continue to drive new displacement.

Humanitarian needs continue to rise due to expanding armed conflict in the Sahel, political instability, and the regional impact of the Sudan crisis, which has generated large refugee inflows into Chad and CAR. The region is also a major crossroads for mixed movements, requiring a route-based approach (RBA) along the central and western Mediterranean routes and the Sahel–North Africa axis.

While some voluntary repatriation and spontaneous returns occur, large-scale solutions remain limited. UNHCR prioritizes long-term solutions beyond return – including socio-economic inclusion, transition to national systems, and strengthened access to services – in protracted and fragile contexts.

Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) together illustrate the growing convergence between humanitarian response, national system-strengthening, and development in West and Central Africa. Chad hosts more than 1.3 million refugees and operating at the limits of humanitarian capacity, making it a defining test case for UNHCR’s shift toward inclusion in national systems, development-anchored solutions, and reduced parallel structures. CAR, meanwhile, sits at the crossroads of the Sahel, the Great Lakes, and the Sudan regional crisis, with cyclical displacement and volatile border zones continuing to strain the absorption capacity of its institutions. Through the CAR Solutions Support Platform and cross-border coordination with Chad, Cameroon, DRC, ROC, Sudan and South Sudan, UNHCR is helping shape a more predictable framework for voluntary returns, community-based reintegration, and stabilization in areas of repeated displacement, in addition to advancing on local inclusion and integration in neighbouring asylum countries. Together, Chad and CAR underline the Bureau’s strategic move toward situation-based engagement, reinforced regional cooperation, and investment in national systems as the foundation for long-term solutions.

The Sahel continues to face violence, challenges to humanitarian access, and limited essential services, while the spill over into the Coastal States has transformed the crisis into a broader regional challenge. Despite this volatility, governments have demonstrated renewed political will through the Sahel+ strategy and the Lomé Dialogue, creating opportunities for coordinated approaches to asylum, border governance, protection data, and mixed movement management. UNHCR’s situational approach in the Sahel centres on delivering life-saving emergency assistance, strengthening protection and advancing solutions, and social and economic inclusion for the forcibly displaced, supported by a route-based framework that links countries of origin, transit, and destination. The Sahel thus represents both one of the deepest protection crises in the region and a critical entry point for state-led, regionally anchored solutions that reinforce resilience, inclusion, and social cohesion.

The DRC, recent addition to the RBWCA’s remit and immediately a regional priority, represents one of the most complex additions to the Bureau’s portfolio, with nearly 6 million IDPs and over 1.2 million Congolese refugees hosted in neighbouring states (primarily Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania). The country also hosts over 510,000 refugees from the region.

UNHCR’s role in the DRC extends beyond humanitarian response to support key regional peace processes, and the Tripartite framework between DRC, Rwanda and UNHCR.

The global funding landscape is driving a shift from broad programme-based models to more projectized, donor-aligned delivery. The Bureau is adopting project-based management, with new SOPs defining roles along the project cycle, strengthened accountability and contribution-tracking, and enhanced M&E to demonstrate results.

Capacity building on project management, proposal writing, donor compliance, and risk management will be rolled out. A regional oversight mechanism, standardized templates, and regional proposal packs will support quality and alignment. Strategic prioritisation of proposals will be essential to avoid overload.

The Bureau will also diversify partnerships – including national partners, development actors, ECOWAS, and emerging donors – to reinforce sustainability and avoid overly ambitious or politically sensitive commitments, particularly in complex contexts such as the DRC.

Reporting to the Bureau Deputy Director, the incumbent will lead the Protection team, ensuring the efficient delivery of protection and solutions in line with the new strategic direction which includes renewing protection and solution responses.

Living and Working Conditions

The entire United Nations system in Dakar will soon relocate to a common UN house in Diamniadio, approximately 40 km from the main city. Candidates applying for positions based in Dakar should consider this move. Arrangements are being made for staff transportation and teleworking schedules to ensure acceptable working conditions.

As the capital of Senegal, Dakar has a population of over one million and offers reasonable medical facilities, providing both general and specialist care in line with international standards. Dakar is classified by the United Nations as an "A" family duty station, indicating access to all basic services and most recreational activities and facilities.

Living conditions are comfortable, and essential services are readily available.

While the asylum practices in West Africa are generally generous, the operational and political environments present unique challenges for the UN, and particularly for UNHCR. The region hosts a variety of political and UN coordination mechanisms, requiring significant time and effort to ensure that UNHCR remains relevant. Key structures include the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, led by a Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), the Regional UNDG, and regional offices for WFP, UNICEF, OCHA, UN Women, FAO, among others. Donors also have regional platforms in West Africa.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts: International Law, Bachelor of Arts: Law, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science

Certifications

HCR Management Learning Program - UNHCR

Working with Persons of Concern: Asylum Seekers, Working with Persons of Concern: Internally Displaced Persons, Working with Persons of Concern: Others of Concern, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned IDPs, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Stateless

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Leadership, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Policy research & development, Political awareness, Strategic planning & visions, 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