Protection Legal Officer

Org. Setting and ReportingUNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5.8 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference for one of the most vulnerable communities in the world, UNRWA would like to hear from you. Protection Legal Officer reports to Legal Aid Coordinator and Protection Team Leader. Responsibilities1. Follow up on individual legal cases with relevant Lebanese authorities to resolve issues related to civil documentation, legal residency, and other legal protection concerns affecting Palestine Refugees in Lebanon, including Palestine Refugees from Syria (PRS). 2. Conduct outreach activities in refugee camps and gatherings, including mobile legal clinics and community meetings, to identify and address legal needs among the refugee population. 3. Meet beneficiaries referred by the legal aid team in a fair and non-discriminatory manner, review their documentation, provide legal counselling, and identify and support referrals of cases requiring direct legal assistance or representation before Lebanese authorities. 4. Assess the eligibility of each case for legal aid support by screening submissions, collecting additional documentation, and preparing recommendations for intervention. 5. Represent or accompany beneficiaries in interactions with Lebanese authorities to help resolve legal barriers to documentation, residency, and other issues. 6. Organize periodic case review meetings with the Legal Aid Coordinator to ensure coordinated decision-making and follow-up on complex or high-risk cases. 7. Coordinate closely with the broader UNRWA Legal Aid team to ensure consistency and complementarity in the delivery of legal services across the field. 8. Maintain comprehensive records of all submitted and referred cases and provide regular reports to the Legal Aid Coordinator and Protection Team Leader on legal trends, challenges, and outcomes. 9. Analyze individual legal cases to identify recurring patterns or systemic challenges, contributing to the development of information materials for community awareness and prevention. 10. Monitor and report on legal and policy trends affecting Palestine Refugees in Lebanon, with particular attention to emerging restrictions or risks faced by specific subgroups, such as PRS. 11. Support strategic advocacy efforts by identifying emerging legal protection issues and contributing to the development of evidence-based advocacy messages targeting relevant stakeholders and duty-bearers. 12. Strengthen working relations with relevant Lebanese authorities to facilitate access to legal remedies, support advocacy for refugee rights, and promote the removal of legal and administrative barriers affecting Palestine Refugees’ access to documentation and protection. CompetenciesUN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. • Communication • Teamwork • Planning and Organizing • Client Orientation • Commitment to Continuous Learning • Integrity • Professionalism EducationAdvanced university degree in law (LLB or equivalent) from an accredited institution. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceAt least 5 years of progressively responsible and relevant legal experience, including practice before national authorities (e.g. Ministry of Interior, courts, General Security Office), is required. Demonstrable experience in legal aid, protection, or access to justice programming, particularly with refugees, asylum seekers, or other vulnerable populations, is required. Strong knowledge of Lebanese civil documentation, family law, and residency regulations, is required. Experience in providing legal counselling and casework in complex or sensitive legal matters, is required. LanguagesFluency in Arabic (spoken and written) is essential. Good working knowledge of English is required, particularly for documentation and reporting. AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview Special NoticeType of Contract: Limited Duration Contract (LDC), Band G. The Limited Duration Contract applies to external candidates and UNRWA internal candidates on LDC. Duration of Contract: 6 months - with the possibility of further extension, subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory performance and continuing need. Grade & Salary: LDC- Band G monthly salary of USD 2,255.20 (basic salary USD 2,088.20 + special allowance USD 167) Other Benefits: Other benefits include compulsory medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave pro-rated to the duration of the contract where less than one year, and family allowance (if applicable). Additional benefits: - 2 days of sick leave for each completed month of service. - Maternity Leave, upon meeting eligibility requirements. - 2 weeks paternity leave. upon meeting eligibility requirements. This vacancy notice is open to internal candidates on LDC contract and external candidates. Only candidates residing in Lebanon, and within commuting distance of the duty station with authorization to work in the duty station at the time of application are eligible to apply. The Agency will not assume responsibility or accountability to support or facilitate the issuance of work permit in Lebanon, and without a valid work permit, the appointment may be rescinded. Preference will be given to registered Palestine refugees and candidates assisting the Agency to meet its commitment to gender parity. UNRWA welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities. A roster may be created from the selection exercise, and successful candidates may become eligible for appointment to the same post or a similar post in the future should suitable vacancies become available. Only applications that have been fully completed in UNRWA's online e-recruitment system inspira will be considered and no late applications will be accepted. The PHP should be completed with full relevant work experience under the experience tabs as per the requirements in the Job Opening. All acquired university degrees must also be stated, if applicable. Applicants applying to positions for Grades 12 to 20 or LDC Bands E to H must submit a cover letter/motivational statement in order to be considered. Additionally, providing incorrect or misleading information on an application will result in the immediate disqualification of a candidate. For UNRWA internal staff, they are required to specify and include their current UNRWA grade level. To do so applicants should select under \"Category\" RLG, scroll down to see all categories, then select their local grade. Please find below the link to a video that guides applicants on how to apply to Job Openings that approach you for guidance: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MH-IYA6Y8kxA1fgao5qyTV8VwNajgx4u/view Equivalency: Equivalency may apply for this post. NB: Work experience alone or formal qualifications with no relevant work experience are not considered an acceptable combination. Advertisements published only in English will only accept applications in English, and Arabic submissions will not be considered. The Agency may disqualify applicants whose name appears on the UN Sanctions List, or a UN database of staff separated for reason of misconduct or of staff who separated whilst misconduct processes were pending. Desirable qualification: Specialization or additional training in refugee law, international human rights law, or humanitarian law. Experience working with Palestine Refugees or other displaced communities in Lebanon. Prior experience in a UN, NGOs or humanitarian organization. Experience conducting community outreach, mobile legal clinics, or participatory legal assessments. Familiarity with international refugee law, human rights law, or humanitarian law frameworks. Additional Information: N/A UNRWA shares investigation and misconduct information with other UN Agencies, and past and prospective employers, about staff members who have been separated for misconduct, or who have separated whilst an investigation and/or disciplinary process for misconduct is underway; and such persons may be prohibited from employment with the United Nations. The Agency will immediately disqualify applicants who are ineligible for any reason in accordance with the Agency regulatory framework. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states, regional bodies, business foundations and individual contributions. The mission of UNRWA is to help Palestine refugees achieve their full potential in human development under the difficult circumstances in which they live. We are pleased to announce that applications for internship/volunteer assignments are now open. We invite all interested individuals to submit their applications through the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXdiVz61BAUCSXAnx9Bn0y0erblqKBt7xia_YM3M167nIBGw/viewform?usp=sf_link. For more details on UNRWA, please visit: https://www.unrwa.org/ United Nations ConsiderationsStaff members are subject to the authority of the Commissioner-General of UNRWA and to assignment by him or her. UNRWA is committed to achieving gender parity at all levels of staffing under the current UN-wide gender agenda and strongly encourages applications from qualified applicants from under-represented groups. At UNRWA, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. UNRWA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. UNRWA Considerations UNRWA staff are expected to uphold the highest standards of efficiency, competence, neutrality, impartiality and integrity. This includes respect for and commitment to human rights, diversity and non-violent means of dealing with all kinds of conflict. Only persons who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for UNRWA jobs. Candidates will not be considered for employment with UNRWA if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. The Agency may disqualify applicants who have separated for reason of misconduct, who left a UN Agency while misconduct processes were pending, or who appear on the UN Sanctions List. UNRWA is a non-smoking work environment. Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST (UNRWA) DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE OR REQUEST MONEY FROM CANDIDATES AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING, ONBOARDING). UNRWA DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.