Senior Protection Assistant

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)C

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Family

Staff Member / Affiliate TypeCONTR Local Entry and Mid-Level Support

Target Start Date2025-08-01

Deadline for ApplicationsJuly 25, 2025

Terms of ReferenceThere will be five hires for this advertisement, subject to operational needs and requirements.

I. PROJECT DETAILS

Requesting office (hiring office): UNHCR Turkiye
Title of project: VolRep
Purpose of project (summary): To support Volrep in Türkiye

II. DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ENGAGED INDIVIDUAL CONTRACT HOLDER

a. General Background of Project or Assignment, Operational Context:

Since 8 December 2024, the number of Syrian refugees in Türkiye opting for voluntary repatriation has significantly increased. As of the beginning of July 2025, nearly -1.4 million refugees are registered/reside in the region as per the PMM website, and a notable portion have begun returning home in greater numbers than previously observed. In response to this evolving situation, UNHCR has shifted its focus to facilitating such returns and continues to expand its capacity to monitor the voluntariness of these returns in six border locations and 9 Provincial Directorates of Migration Management (PDMM), namely Gaziantep Karkamis, Kilis Oncupinar, and Cobanbey, Hatay Cilvegozu, Yayladagi, and Zeytindali border gates, as well as Hatay Reyhanli Verification Centre, Adana, Mersin, Sanliurfa, Kahramanmaras, Adiyaman, Malatya, Mardin, and Osmaniye PDMM Offices.

To address the significant number of returns occurring outside regular working hours, and to bridge this operational gap, the operation has decided to implement night shift monitoring for voluntary returns at the Öncüpınar and Cilvegözü border gates—locations that record the highest volume of returns, including those during nighttime. Notably, the current staffing capacity is insufficient to meet the increasing demand associated with the night shift voluntary return monitoring activities. Therefore, the need to expand the pool of interpreters is both urgent and operationally essential in maintaining UNHCR’s protection standards and ensuring that return processes adhere to principles of voluntariness. A need for five Senior Protection Assistants to be based in Gaziantep has been identified.

b. Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

The incumbent will be part of the Gaziantep Field Unit. The Senior Protection Assistant is normally supervised by the Field Officer or Assistant Field Officer and performs a variety of functions related to voluntary returns monitoring. Some missions may involve late hours, weekends, UN Official Holidays, and night shift, or overnight travel, depending on operational needs. The supervisor defines general work objectives and provides necessary advice and guidance. Professional experience in the areas of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights, or international humanitarian law, including in the field working directly with the refugees, is essential. Fluency in Arabic, knowledge of the region, and operational context in Türkiye and northern Syria will be considered as a strong asset.

As part of her/his responsibilities, the incumbent will:

• Interview applicants for voluntary returns to ensure the nature of their return is voluntary, safe, and dignified. Enter information into the available database, in line with SOPs.
• Assess the specific needs of vulnerable returnees during the return process and coordinate with relevant government bodies (PDMM and PDoFSS) to ensure tailored responses are provided as needed.
• Assist in monitoring the implementation of the voluntary return operation through consultations, regular field visits, and monitoring tools.
• Perform any other duties.

III. CANDIDATE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS, SELECTION CRITERIA

a. Minimum 2 years of relevant experience with a High School diploma, or 1 year with a university degree.

Core Competencies

Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Cross-Functional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
Political Awareness
Stakeholder Management

Desirable:

Excellent knowledge of Turkish and English, including drafting skills.
Ability to extract, interpret, analyse data and resolve operational problems.
Ability to identify priority activities and assignments and to adjust priorities as required.
Ability to organize work independently and punctually.
Ability to perform work of a confidential nature and handle a large volume of work.
Excellent team-working skills.
Consistent approach to work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
Preferably with a Law Degree or working knowledge of refugee law, as well as relevant UNHCR policies and guidelines.
Turkish and English are mandatory, while Arabic is a strong asset.

IV. MONITORING AND PROGRESS CONTROLS

The incumbent reports to the Assistant Field Officer and will submit reports related to duties through mechanisms established by the Office (such as email or KOBO toolbox), considering deadlines. The incumbent is expected to be present at their assigned duty station on the designated days and times. Weekly assignments will be overseen by the incumbent’s supervisor and the Head of Office.

The incumbent will prepare timesheets for any night shifts or overtime hours and submit them to their supervisor before the specified deadline. The supervisor will meet with the incumbent at least once a month, either in person or online, to discuss the requirements and continuity of the assignment.
The incumbent is expected to attend periodic office-wide meetings as well as team-specific meetings. They are also responsible for staying up to date with relevant documents and participating in related trainings as approved by the office. The incumbent is accountable to their supervisor for the implementation, planning, and reporting of their assignment.
The incumbent is expected to have core competencies including accountability, communication, organizational awareness, teamwork & collaboration, commitment to continuous learning, and client & result orientation.

The report requirement includes periodicity, attendance, and performance indicators.

Individual Contractor Agreements

Definition:

Individual contractor is an individual engaged by UNHCR under a contract of limited duration to provide skills or knowledge for the performance of a specific task or piece of work and engaged under an individual contract issued directly by UNHCR. They are neither staff members of UNHCR under the Staff Regulations and Rules, nor Officials for the purpose of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations of 13 February 1946.

Contract Duration/Renewal:

Any extension of an individual contract is subject to operational needs, satisfactory service, and availability of funds. There is no expectation of renewal or conversion of the individual contract beyond its expiry date.

Working Hours:

40 hours per week, inclusive of mandatory night shifts, possibility of work on weekends and official holidays as part of the assigned schedule.

Leave Entitlements:

Annual leave at the rate of two and a half working days per month.
Sick leave at the rate of two working days for each month of service.

Medical Coverage:

Cigna Health Insurance, also available optionally for eligible dependents, subject to additional contribution rates.

Remuneration:

Remuneration at the level of the vacancy (G4 level or G5 level as applicable) based on the International Civil Services Commission (ICSC) salary scale.

Legal Requirements:

Individual Contractors must comply with relevant local legislation, including but not limited to those relating to taxation, social security requirements, licenses, work permits and visas, and other details stipulated in the terms of their contract. UNHCR undertakes no liability for taxes and social security contributions, duties, or other contributions payable by the individual contract holder on payments made under the individual contract. The individual contract holders will not be reimbursed such taxes or granted any other benefit, payment,t or subsidy which is not expressly provided for in the contract under which they are engaged. UNHCR may require the individual contract holder to provide evidence within a reasonable time that they have registered for and are paying applicable taxation and social security to the relevant national authorities.

Important to note: The Individual Contractor shall be responsible for paying any tax levied by his/her Government or other entities on his/her UNHCR earnings. Under no circumstances shall UNHCR be responsible for paying or reimbursing such taxes.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Clearances and ID Cards:

Applications of non-Turkish candidates are subject to MFA clearance before any offer can be made. For cleared candidates who are recruited, MFA ID card applications will be processed while the issuance lies within the authority of the MFA.

Important to note: Once the MFA ID is issued, the time spent under an Individual Contract no longer counts toward eligibility for Turkish citizenship.

Application Requirements:
Applicants must ensure:

-To apply for the vacancies timely through Workday. No late applications are accepted.
-To reflect their previous experience, language skills (including the mother tongue), and other assets in their Workday applicant profiles, duly. Shortlisting is done based on the information provided in the applications only
-To attach their valid residence permits (both sides visible) in case they are non-Turkish nationals.

PLEASE DO NOT USE TURKISH CHARACTERS IN YOUR NAME & SURNAME INFORMATION.

Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to successful reference checks and integrity clearance.

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, processing, training, or any other fees).

Only short-listed candidates will be notified. The recruitment process might include a written test and/or oral interview for this job opening. No late applications will be accepted.

External candidates should be legally present in Türkiye at the time of application, recruitment, and hire.

Non-Turkish citizens are required to upload their residence permits or relevant documents under the ‘Certifications’ section, by selecting the type as ‘Personnel Administration – Other’, in order to be considered for this job opening. Applications by non-Turkish citizens will NOT be considered if a valid residence permit is not attached to the application.

For further information on how to apply, please visit the ‘UNHCR - Application and Selection’ page at https://www.unhcr.org/how-to-apply.html.

Standard Job Description

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

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Education

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Work Experience

Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance

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