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 Date2025-09-01

Deadline for ApplicationsAugust 24, 2025

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

I. PROJECT DETAILS

Requesting office (hiring office): UNHCR Türkiye
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

The Government of Türkiye leads the protection of and assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers in the country. UNHCR Türkiye complements the work of the Government by supporting the inclusion of refugees into the national system, making the services known to refugees, and strengthening their availability and accessibility.

To enhance the efficiency and focus of its refugee response, UNHCR Türkiye has established field offices, including the Gaziantep Sub Office in Southeast Türkiye, to manage overall operational responsibilities. The UNHCR presence in Southeast Türkiye consists of a Sub-Office in Gaziantep and three Field Units located in Adana, Gaziantep, and Şanlıurfa, covering 11 provinces: Mersin, Adana, Hatay, Osmaniye, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Kilis, Malatya, Adıyaman, Şanlıurfa, and Mardin. These provinces host more than 1.4 million Syrian refugees under temporary protection, alongside individuals of other nationalities requiring international protection.

Through its Sub-Office in Gaziantep and three Field Units, UNHCR ensures that individuals in need of international protection can access essential social services and support systems in Türkiye. Additionally, the organization safeguards the voluntary nature of refugee returns to their country of origin.
Since December 8, 2024, a growing number of the approximately 1.4 million refugees in Southeast Türkiye began returning to their homes voluntarily in larger numbers than before. In response to this increase in returns, UNHCR has enhanced its efforts to support voluntary refugee returns to Syria, while continuing its broader protection and assistance activities. Since December 9, 2024, UNHCR has expanded its capacity to monitor the voluntariness of these returns in 15 locations – 6 border crossings and 9 PDMMs, 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. A need for eight 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 Assistant Field Officer through the Field/Protection Associate within the Gaziantep Field Unit and performs interpretation functions related to case management, and is expected to actively contribute to the monitoring activities of the Office in relevant premises. These monitoring can take place both in day and night shifts, including weekends, in line with UNHCR’s relevant guidance and SOPs. Some missions may involve late hours, UN Official holidays or overnight travel depending on the operational needs. The supervisor defines general work objectives and provides necessary advice and guidance.
As part of her/his responsibilities, the incumbent will:

Provide accurate and impartial interpretation between refugees/returnees and staff during interviews and counselling sessions.
Translate written materials such as information leaflets, consent forms, return-related documentation, and communication materials from and into relevant languages.
Accompany the field teams to PDMM offices and border crossings to provide interpretation during monitoring activities.
Support case identification and conduct initial assessments for low-risk cases under the direct guidance and supervision of the Case Manager.
Maintain strict confidentiality and professional neutrality at all times, especially when dealing with sensitive protection-related information.
Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum 2 years relevant experience with a High School Diploma; or 1 year of relevant experience with a Bachelor's or equivalent or higher.

Core Competencies

Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Terms of Reference for Individual Contracts
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client and Result Orientation

Desirable:
Excellent teamwork skills
Consistent approach to work with energy and a positive, constructive spirit
Excellent command of Arabic, Turkish, and English (spoken and written)

IV. MONITORING AND PROGRESS CONTROLS

The incumbent reports to the Assistant Field Officer through the Field/Protection Associate 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 (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, 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

Required Languages Turkish

,Arabic

,English

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Work Experience

Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance

RemoteNo