Protection Associate at UNHCR Uganda, Kampala

Job Description

Protection Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Protection Associate normally reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff.

The Protection Associate is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (PoC) and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors. S/he contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and liaises externally with authorities and partners on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.

The Protection Associate also ensures that PoC are involved in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.

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
– Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
– Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
– Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to PoC.
– Provide advice on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
– Assist in conducting eligibility and status determination for PoC.
– Contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
– Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy.
– Contribute to a country-level education plan as part of the protection strategy.
– Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
– Manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
– Assist in identifying durable solutions for the largest possible number of PoC through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
– Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
– Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on PoC and their problems.
– Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.
– Assist the supervisor in prioritizing PoC for interview, counselling and propose protection support for individual cases.
– Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance of local implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
– Assit the supervisor with enforcing compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
– Submit individual payments request for PoC for approval.

– 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.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G6 – 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable

Certificates and/or Licenses
International Law, Political Science
or other related field
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified

Desirable
Protection Learning Programme

Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
(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.

As per the Job Description.

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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 Protection Associate will provide support to the Protection Team in Rwamwanja Field Office, where the position is located and reports to the Team Leader.

The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and national legal frameworks and policies and provides functional protection support to information management and Programme staff.

The Protection Associate is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of FDSP and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors. S/he contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and liaises externally with authorities and partners on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.

The Protection Associate also ensures that FDSP are involved in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, national authorities and protection and assistance partners.

The UNHCR workforce in Sub-Office Mbarara and Field-Office Rwamwanja consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Based on the fact that Rwamwanja is a receiving settlement, the incumbent will need to have emergency supports experience.

Uganda currently hosts more than 1.9 million refugees making it Africa’s largest refugee hosting country and one of the five largest refugee hosting countries in the world. The refugee protection environment in Uganda is progressive and provides refugees with freedom of movement, the right to work and establish businesses, the right to documentation, access to social services, and allocation of plots of land for shelter and agricultural production.

At the same time, as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), increasing number of civilians continue to flee to Southwest Uganda to seek protection and installed in 5 main settlements overseen by Sub Office Mbarara. There are 4 field offices (Kyaka, Rwamwanja, Nakivale, Kyangwali) and 1 Field Unit (Kisoro) under SOM. This position is based in Rwamwanja under SOM.

As of 31 December 2025, refugee population of Rwamwanja settlement is 106,613. About 80% refugee population in Rwamwanja settlement are women and children with a significant number of persons with specific needs. The refugee population in Rwamwanja are Congolese (99.45%), Rwandan (0.32%), South Sudanese (0.16%) and Burundians (0.06%).  The incumbent is expected to build and sustain high-quality protection systems for refugees and other persons of concern in Rwamwanja refugee settlement and will work under the direct supervision of the Team Leader with technical support from Protection Unit in Sub-office Mbarara.

Living and Working Conditions:

Rwamwanja field office is about 104 km from Mbarara and 226 km from Kampala. FO Rwamwanja is non-family duty station; staff is expected to reside at the staff accommodation provided by the office as declared by local UNDSS cleared accommodation. There is a vibrant local market at the Base Camp zone of the settlement, though local supermarkets are found in the nearest city of Fort Portal, Mbarara and Kampala. There are no education facilities similar to international schools in Rwamwanja and Mbarara. International schools are available in Kampala and Entebbe areas. In term of medical services, only basic medical services are available in health centres in the settlement provided by UNHCR health partner MTI, and if necessary, further medical referral to Fort Portal, with further medical referral to Mbarara or Kampala. The nearest banking facilities including ATM are either in Ibanda or Fort Portal. At the furnished staff accommodation compound provided by UNHCR, internet, electricity and water are available.

Security Considerations

Generally calm and peaceful security situation in the country, particularly in South-West where Rwamwanja refugee settlement is located, of the country, however threats of crime continue to prevail in areas, especially Kampala and Entebbe.

In term of security risks, just like other major towns in the country, most of these crimes are economically motivated or opportunistic in nature. In term of traffic accidents, across the country, fatal road traffic accidents remain high. Occasionally, disputes of both political and economic nature persist which may involve traders, taxi operators, hawkers, students in major towns creating a fertile ground for protests/demonstrations.

Sporadic security incidents occasionally happened in Mbarara and neighbouring areas. This also applies to Rwamwanja refugee settlement under UNHCR area of responsibility.
 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

IT-Computer Literacy, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework

Certifications

International Law – Other, Political Science – Other

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member is subject to proof of vaccination against COVID-19.