Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS IICA2
Target Start Date2025-09-01
Deadline for ApplicationsJuly 18, 2025
Terms of ReferenceOperational Context :
Thailand is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and currently has no national legal framework for addressing refugee status or protection. UNHCR works in coordination with the Royal Thai Government (RTG), humanitarian organisations, community-based organisations, and refugees to protect, assist, and seek solutions for 81,000 refugees present in the nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border.
The Protection Officer is based in Bangkok and oversees UNHCR activities in Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces, undertaking regular field missions to two refugee camps hosting more than 7,000 refugees. This area of responsibility (AOR) was previously covered by a full office of 17 staff including a P3 Protection Officer (Head of Office) and was closed in mid-2019. Since then, the AOR has been covered by a much-reduced team operating out of Bangkok and from Kanchanaburi.
Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Representative, the Protection Officer is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of the population of concern on the Thai-Myanmar border, ensuring that operational responses in all sectors mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. S/he is required to liaise with all the relevant senior government officials, security organs in the area, the heads of various NGOs (national and international), refugee community, local opinion makers and the local media network to ensure his/her assigned responsibilities are effectively and efficiently discharged.
In a context of reduced humanitarian funding, the unlikelihood that encamped refugees will be able to return in the near future, and the pause of the group resettlement programme to USA, UNHCR is focused on supporting increased refugee self-reliance for the protracted refugee caseload and enhancing the emergency response for new influxes. The Protection Officer will therefore be required to work with all relevant stakeholders, including civilian and military authorities, to secure solutions for the encamped refugees and to support a coordinated humanitarian response for new influxes. The incumbent will also lead the UNHCR advocacy efforts on inclusion and access to legal work and towards a more sustainable refugee response for the protracted refugee situation.
The 1 February 2021 coup in Myanmar has forced thousands of Myanmar nationals to flee their homes. In order to coordinate the preparedness and response efforts for this situation, an Inter-Sector Working Group (ISWG) was established with UNHCR as chair. The ISWG aims to ensure that there is a clearly articulated country 'level humanitarian response strategy based on the identification of needs and that the response is coordinated. As chair of the Field Inter-Sector Working Group, the incumbent needs to demonstrate ability to manage emergency response in a protection sensitive environment and to provide leadership and coordination for the inter-sector response at the provincial level. S/he should also supervise the sectors led by UNHCR, namely protection and non-food items, at the provincial level.
Desirable Candidateโs Profile
- Communication and negotiation skills
- Field experience and Field protection
- Management in UNHCR
- Inter-agency coordination
- Stakeholder management
- Ability to intervene with authorities on issues related to protection and solutions.
- Negotiate locally on behalf of UNHCR with local authorities on the border.
- Decide priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.
- Enforce compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
- Donor relations. Ability to brief donor missions to the field, mobilize resources and inform advocacy efforts
- UNHCR Protection Learning Programme
- Knowledge of the context is desirable
- Understanding of sustainable responses
The incumbent needs to expect and be comfortable with undertaking regular missions within Thailand with some of the travels in rough terrain.
Accountability
- The protection of populations of concern is met through the application of International and National Law, relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles.
- The protection strategy incorporates a thorough age, gender and diversity (AGD) analysis and reflects the Organization's global, regional and country level priorities.
- The Participation of persons of concern is assured through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community-based approaches.
- Protection incidents are immediately identified and addressed.
Responsibility
- Stay abreast of legal, political, security and other developments which impact on the protection environment and Implement activities in accordance with the comprehensive solutions strategy.
- Implement activities in accordance with the comprehensive solutions strategy, with a view to finding durable solutions to the maximum number of refugees.
- Promote International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards, and codes of conduct.
- Recommend durable solutions for the largest possible number of persons of concern through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
- Contribute to fostering and maintaining strategic partnerships with UN, national, and regional development agencies, civil societies, and the private sector.
- Contribute to the design, implementation, and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners al and national legal frameworks.
- Oversee and manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection.
Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners.
- Advise on populations of concern, appropriate engagement for the identification of the most appropriate solutions, including through participatory assessments and other forms of community-based assessments
- Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to persons of concern.
- Participate in initiatives to capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.,
- Maintain accurate and up-to date records and data related to all work on individual cases.
- Analyze statistics, trends, and other documents, and draft reports.
- Contribute to capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
- Advocate with and support Royal Thai Government (RTG) authorities and legal partners to establish and strengthen fair and efficient protection related decision-making.
- Implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
- Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.
- Contribute to fostering and maintaining strategic partnerships with UN, national, and regional development agencies, civil societies, and the private sector.
- Participate in consultative processes within UNHCR and with a broad range of regional and national external partners to promote voluntary repatriation, local integration, and resettlement.
Standard Job Description
Protection Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
In the Bureaux, the Protection Officer works under the direct supervision of the Senior Protection Coordinator or Senior Protection Officer. In the Field, the incumbent normally reports to the Representative, Deputy or Assistant Representative (Protection), Head of Sub Office or Senior Protection Officer as appropriate. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff whose work may include RSD, community-based protection, registration, resettlement, complementary pathways, internal displacement and education, among other areas. In HQ, the incumbent may report to a Senior Protection Officer, Chief of Section or Deputy Director and may supervise other protection staff.
The incumbent acts as an advisor to senior management in, when not responsible for, designing a comprehensive protection strategy under the area of responsibility (AoR). S/he represents the Organization to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection policy and doctrine.
The Protection Officer coordinates quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern under the AoR. S/he ensures that forcibly displaced and stateless persons of all age, gender and diversity groups are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying and implementing appropriate solutions to their problems. To undertake this role effectively, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with other relevant teams within the operation or the Bureau (including programme; PI and external relations; IM) and with DIP, communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions.
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 technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues.
- Stay abreast of and report as relevant on legal political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
- Engage relevant national authorities and structures in identifying and expanding opportunities in view of developing or strengthening national asylum/RSD systems.
- Facilitate a consultative process with government counterparts, partners and forcibly displaced and stateless persons to develop and implement a comprehensive protection and solutions strategy addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation and/or gender identities (LGBTI persons), persons living with HIV/AIDS; gender equality and Gender Based Violence (GBV) priorities with regard to these persons.
- In operations applying the Cluster Approach, seek to ensure the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations.
- Support senior management to ensure the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team's common humanitarian response plan where applicable, as well as with the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees and the Three Year Strategy on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways.
- Promote relevant International, Regional and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct and ensure that all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations fulfil their responsibilities in mainstreaming protection.
- Promote the implementation of the AGD policy, including UNHCR's updated commitments to women and girls, and, design, deliver I and monitor programmes on an AGD basis to address identified protection needs.
- Develop, implement and monitor community-based protection strategies and ensure systematic application and integration of participatory and community-based approaches in protection and solutions planning, programming and strategies.
- Support the establishment of feedback and response systems and the incorporation of feedback received from forcibly displaced and stateless persons into programme design and adaptation.
- Support the operation to develop and implement robust prevention, identification, and responses to fraud within protection processes and procedures, including registration, RSD, resettlement and complementary pathways, ensuring the integrity of interventions across all protection activities.
- Assist UNHCR management at country level to comply with polices and commitment on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.
- Oversee and manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection.
- Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to internal and external interlocutors; ensure legal assistance is accessible to forcibly displaced and stateless persons; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documents to forcibly displaced and stateless persons (including women and others in need of civil documentation, in particular birth certificates).
- As designated Data Protection Focal Point, assist the data controller in carrying out his or her responsibilities regarding the Data Protection Policy (7.2 DPP).
- Oversee and undertake eligibility and status determination within the AoR ensuring compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
- Promote and implement effective strategies and measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness within the AoR.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of an education plan as part of protection strategy within the AoR as relevant.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of a child protection plan as part of the protection strategy within the AoR ensuring programmes use a child protection systems approach.
- Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners.
- Work to safeguard the rights of forcibly displaced and stateless persons in the context of mixed movements as relevant.
- Coordinate the preparation of, implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Ensure that durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement and complementary pathways are sought and provided to the largest possible number of forcibly displaced and stateless persons, including undertaking and/or overseeing resettlement and complementary pathways activities.
- Contribute to the coordination of the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
- Ensure that the Protection Sector or Cluster has an effective information management component which: provides disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery.
- Build the protection capacity of national and local government, partners and civil society to assume their responsibilities vis-ร -vis all forcibly displaced and stateless persons through protection training, mainstreaming and related activities.
- Coordinate capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
- Advise and capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and civil society to strengthen legislation and status determination procedures and mechanisms.
- 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.
For positions in Bureaux
- Support the Regional Bureau and Country Operations to reflect the protection and solution angle in support of forcibly displaced and stateless persons within regional processes.
- 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, favourable protection environment and solutions.
- Assist UNHCR management at regional and country level to comply with polices and commitment on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.
- Support Country Operations and ensure they meet their complementary pathways objectives and resettlement quotas.
- In close collaboration with DIP, (a) contribute to the development of background and general normative, policy, and legal positions, in compliance with UNHCR's global protection policies and standards; (b) contribute to the development of strategies at the regional and country level on the usage of law and policy approaches, including legislative and judicial engagement and UN human rights mechanisms - and/or regional ones - and other protection frameworks, and integrated human rights standards in protection strategies and advocacy; and (c) support coordination and review of UNHCR's country reports to the UN human rights mechanisms.
- Engage in relevant international and regional fora and contribute to forging regional partnerships to advocate for key protection and mandate issues, and engage in cross-cutting protection-related matters, including mixed movement, internal displacement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses, as well as Statelessness, in cooperation with DIP and where relevant RSD.
Minimum Qualifications
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree
Field(s) of Education
Law; International Law; International Refugee Law;
International Human Rights Law; International Humanitarian Law;
Refugee and Forced Migration Studies; Political Sciences
or other relevant field.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified.
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience in the area of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law, including experience in working directly with Field Offices. Good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles. Excellent legal research, analytical skills and drafting.
Desirable
Diverse field experience. Good IT skills including database management skills.
Functional Skills
*PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
*PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards
PR-International Humanitarian Law
PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework
LE-Judicial Engagement
PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation
PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement
PR-Accountability to Affected People - Principles and Framework
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination
(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.
Required Languages
,
,
Desired Languages
,
,
Additional Qualifications
SkillsLE-Judicial Engagement, PR-Accountability to Affected People - Principles and Framework, PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD), PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation, PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement, PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework, PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination, PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards, PR-International Humanitarian Law, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
EducationBachelor of Arts: International Humanitarian Law, Bachelor of Arts: International Human Rights Law, Bachelor of Arts: International Law, Bachelor of Arts: International Refugee Law, Bachelor of Arts: Law, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science, Bachelor of Arts: Refugee and Forced Migration Studies
Certifications
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance
RemoteNo