JOB DESCRIPTION

H (no hardship)

Family

Family

PR5

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2025-10-01

August 8, 2025

Senior Protection and Solutions Coordinator

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

In the Bureaux, the Senior Protection and Solutions Coordinator works under the direct supervision of the Head of Bureau Protection Service, the Bureau Director or Bureau Deputy Director. In the Field, the incumbent normally reports to the Representative, Assistant Representative or Deputy Representative as appropriate. The incumbent has direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff in the Area of Responsibility (AoR) and may supervise other staff.

The incumbent provides guidance to the Country Operations in the AoR on all protection/legal matters and accountabilities. These include: statelessness (in line with the campaign to End Statelessness by 2024),  Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) commitments, age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP) through community-based protection, child protection, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, gender equality, disability inclusion, youth empowerment, psycho-social support  and PSEA, registration, asylum/refugee status determination, resettlement, local integration, voluntary repatriation, human rights standards integration, national legislation, judicial engagement, predictable and decisive engagement in situations of internal displacement and engagement in wider mixed movement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses.

The incumbent provides protection oversight and guidance to other functions in the AoR, to support protection delivery to populations of concern and to promote and gain support for UNHCR’s protection agenda also externally. This includes ensuring that operational responses in all areas and sectors are shaped in a protection optic, mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards and benchmarks.

The incumbent works in close collaboration with the Division of International Protection, Division of Resilience and Solutions, Division of Programme Support and Management and other relevant Divisions. He/she maintains close working relations with senior protection staff in all countries in the region or all offices in the country, as appropriate, as well as regional/country-based UN sister entities, other intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organisations, embassies, academic institutions and the media and represents the Organization on protection and legal matters.

In the Regional Bureaux, the incumbent is responsible for ensuring, in an effective and efficient manner which supports the Organization’s Mandate, overall quality assurance and managerial support of operations, in line with the Bureau’s 2nd line function, within the three lines of defence conceptual framework for effective control and risk management adopted by the UN system.

S/he will, further, cover the full spectrum of managerial oversight, manage performance and monitor the adherence of Country Operations to UNHCR’s rules and regulations, monitoring, identifying and addressing any emerging issues and risks as appropriate.  The incumbent also promotes a culture that is results-oriented, efficient and based on trust and pursues measures to ensure that inclusion, gender balance and diversity are taken into due consideration in staffing, resource allocation and representation at all levels throughout the AoR.

As a key custodian of the organization’s standards of conduct, s/he will proactively establish a working environment where all personnel feel safe, heard, equipped and empowered to speak up; demonstrate no tolerance for sexism, gender inequality, discrimination of any kind, abuse of power, harassment or sexual harassment; foster ongoing dialogue on those matters; take seriously all issues of inappropriate behaviour and actions reported, whether formally or informally; and seek guidance and support as necessary to ensure that appropriate follow-up is taken, working on the basis of zero tolerance for any form of misconduct.

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 guidance to the Bureau Director on all protection matters.
• Contribute towards the development of a protection and solutions strategy in the AoR consistent with UNHCR’s priorities and commitments; support regional and country programming for protection from planning to evaluation including contingency planning and advocate for adequate resource allocations.
• Stay abreast of political, social, economic and security developments that have an impact on the protection environment and protection delivery capacity and advise the senior management in the overall management of UNHCR’s operations.
• Coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of forcibly displaced and stateless personsin the AoR including emergency responses.
• Maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the protection service guided by common strategic, principled and practical protection objectives, working towards increased protection impact in line with the regional strategies.
• Provide legal, technical and policy advice to Country Operations or Offices under the AoR and enforce Country Operations’ compliance with, and operationalization of, UNHCR’s global protection policies and standards, priorities and commitments.
• Coordinate a consultative process (through Country Offices in the region, if applicable) with government counterparts, partners and forcibly displaced and stateless persons to develop and implement the protection and solutions strategies at the country level. Ensure strategies address gender equality priorities, internally displaced persons, specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation and/or gender identity, minority groups, and person living with HIV/AIDS.
• Coordinate with partners and provide oversight to specific protection areas described above.
• Advocate with authorities and stakeholders for access to and respect for the rights of forcibly displaced and stateless persons and their access to services.
• Support local integration objectives and well as efforts to promote social inclusion.
• Coordinate activities in the area of risk management related to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), fraud, case-processing data protection, and human rights due diligence at country level, in consultation with relevant Divisions (as appropriate).
• Coordinate the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related programming with implementing and operational partners also in line with Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

For positions in Bureaux

• Work with Country Offices in identifying and taking up opportunities to influence legislative, institutional and judicial processes in relation to asylum/RSD, statelessness and internal displacement; ensure quality comments are provided on draft legislation and policies and to Human Rights mechanisms; draft/review judicial interventions and engage with legal and judicial institutions as relevant.
• Guide and 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.
• Support Country Operations and ensure they meet their complementary pathways objectives and resettlement quotas.

• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P5 – 12 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 11 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 10 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Law;                                                    International Law;                                             Political Science;

International Humanitarian Law;       International Refugee Law;                              International Relations;             or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Management Learning Programme;

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Minimum 8 years of previous work experience in progressively responsible functions in an organisation or institution with a protection mandate, preferably within the UN. Thorough knowledge of International refugee law and its application; ability to analyse and advocate for the application of relevant international and regional legal instruments for the benefits of the persons under UNHCR’s mandate.

Desirable

Solid UNHCR experience from both the Field (including Hardship Duty stations) and Headquarters/Regional entities. Proven track record in emergency preparedness, response and management. Proficiency in local language(s) in the given region. Knowledge of additional UN languages.

Functional Skills

*PR-Developing Strategic Protection Framework;

*PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators;

*LE-International Refugee Law;

*PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD);

*PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination

*PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework;

PR-Gender Equality;

PR-Refugee Coordination Model;

ER-Inter-Agency Coordination;

PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards;

PR-International Humanitarian Law;

LE-Judicial engagement;

PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement;

(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.

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Organizational Awareness

Teamwork & Collaboration

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

Empowering and Building Trust

Judgement and Decision Making

Leadership

Managing Performance

Managing Resources

Strategic Planning and Vision

Cross-Functional Competencies

Planning and Organizing

Policy Development and Research

Political Awareness

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.

The ideal candidate will have extensive management experience, coupled with robust professional experience in international protection and solutions roles, both in the field and at regional level. Practical protection experience within a UNHCR field operation in Europe, particularly in the context of an emergency response, would be an asset. The candidate must have demonstrated ability in successfully bringing together multidisciplinary protection and solutions teams to formulate integrated protection and solutions strategies appropriate to Europe’s politically sensitive and operationally diverse contexts. The individual should have a strong understanding of European institutions, politics and policy orientations and demonstrate previous success in working with the Division of International Protection, and other internal and external stakeholders, to develop lawful policy options aimed at strengthening asylum and migration management. Robust knowledge and experience in the following areas is required: international refugee law and protection frameworks; asylum system strengthening; responses to mixed population movements; solutions and community-based protection. The incumbent will also provide managerial oversight of the Regional Bureau’s inclusion team and therefore should have a robust understanding of UNHCR’s Sustainable Responses Approach and practical experience of providing guidance to those leading regional and country-level socio-economic inclusion efforts. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong judgment, robust written and verbal communication skills, diplomacy and tact. Working in support of the RBE’s Head of Protection and Solutions Service, the individual must have a sound knowledge of European protection priories and demonstrate their ability to ensure regional protection programme coherence and alignment with UNHCR’s global strategies.

The candidate should possess:
– Proven capacity to lead and coordinate regional and country-level protection and solutions responses, particularly in contexts impacted by mixed population movements and transitioning from emergency response. This should include experience within field operations
– Proven ability to analyze operational contexts and resulting protection needs providing strategic advice on a to multidisciplinary regional protection team and protection staff within the region’s diverse operations.
– Strong communication skills, including the ability to communicate verbally and in writing in more than one UN official language most used in the European context (English, French and German)
– Capacity to oversee and provide guidance regarding regional inclusion efforts.
– An undergraduate degree in Law

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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:

By end-2024, the number of refugees in Europe reached 12.0 million and the number of internally displaced persons was 4.9 million, with close to 9 million of them corresponding to refugees and IDPs from Ukraine displaced since February 2022. Two European countries are among the top five largest refugee hosting countries in the world, namely Türkiye (2.9 million) and Germany (2.7 million). In addition, by end-2024, countries in Europe were hosting close to 1.5 million asylum-seekers pending a decision and an estimated figure of 0.5 million stateless persons.

Prior to February 2022, and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the majority of operations in Europe were small protection-advocacy operations focused on strengthening asylum systems and facilitating solutions, in particular refugee inclusion. The significant humanitarian needs arising from massive outflows from Ukraine in 2022 affected many of UNHCR’s operation in Europe, with the most significant impact felt in neighboring countries requiring the rapid expansion of UNHCR’s operational footprint and protection activities. Since February 2022, UNHCR has looked beyond immediate emergency response needs in neighboring countries to seek solutions, and a sustainable response, from the start. These efforts, now accelerated by reduced donor funding to countries neighboring Ukraine, continue with an emphasis on strengthening the socio-economic inclusion of refugees from Ukraine. Furthermore, while the war in Ukraine continues, preparations for increased voluntary returns to Ukraine continue to be a focus of many states across Europe. UNHCR remains engaged in this regard, while continuing its support to the humanitarian response in Ukraine as well as to early recovery efforts where conditions allow. UNHCR also continues its engagement in the Russian Federation which continues to host a large number of Ukrainians, particularly from the Temporarily Occupied Territories in the east of Ukraine.

Within the context of continued mixed population movements to the external borders of the European Union, support to states in strengthening asylum and migration management in line with the framework provided by the organization’s Route-Based Approach and the European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum, entering into force in June 2026, remains a key area of work. Mixed movement along the three key maritime routes to Europe, and the associated challenges of search and rescue, pushbacks and access to territory, continue to require attention and engagement.

Recent developments in the Syrian Arab Republic have significantly impacted UNHCR’s operational engagement in Türkiye.  UNHCR is working closely with the Government of Türkiye to facilitate  voluntary returns, in line with UNHCR’s operational framework for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons.

UNHCR remains committed to addressing statelessness in Europe. This commitment is realized through close collaboration with civil society, regional organizations and individuals with lived experience of statelessness.

Living and Working Conditions:

Geneva is a HQ duty station offering high standard living conditions with a relatively high cost of living.
With the exception of nationals of the European Union (EU), the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Principality of Andorra, San Martin, Singapore and Vatican, nationals from other countries are subject to the visa requirement for taking up employment. In the absence of a Swiss long stay entry visa, the Swiss mission cannot issue them a Carte de legitimation (equivalent to a work and residency permit). The same rule applies to family members who, depending on their nationalities, must enter Switzerland with a visa for family reunion purposes.

Identifying accommodation will be a priority before arriving at the duty station. Staff members assigned to Geneva have also been granted the opportunity to reside in neighbouring France on the understanding that the preconditions to acquiring a French residency permit are respected. Medical care is up to international standards. Under the Swiss Federal Health Insurance Act health insurance coverage is compulsory for all persons domiciled in Switzerland within three months of taking up residence or being born in the country. International staff members and their family members holding a Carte de legitimation or an attestation delivered by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs are exempt from this compulsory insurance provided that they are covered by another health insurance scheme (i.e. UNSMIS).

With regard to educational facilities in the Geneva area, international schools (La Grande Boissière, Châtaigneraie and Pregny) have difficulties to find places for new admissions. It is therefore advisable to make requests for admission for children as early as possible. For more information on this subject, staff can contact the Association Genevoise des écoles privées in Geneva (www.agep.ch), tel: (+41 22 735 7671).

Staff members at the grade of P-5 and above, who reside in Switzerland, enjoy diplomatic status in Switzerland and may purchase goods tax-free in Switzerland. They are also entitled to the Swiss petrol card and CD plates.

Switzerland is in general a safe place with little violent crime.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

ER-Inter-Agency Leadership/Coordination, LE-Judicial Engagement, PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD), PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement, PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework, PR-Developing Strategic Protection Framework, PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination, PR-Gender Equality, PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards, PR-International Humanitarian Law, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, PR-Refugee Coordination Model

Bachelor of Arts: International Law, Bachelor of Arts: Law, Bachelor of Arts: Political Science

Certifications

HCR Management Learning Program – UNHCR

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Leadership, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Policy research & development, Political awareness, Strategic planning & visions, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Add. 2 to the Bi-Annual 2025 Compendium – Part B

Additional Information

This position doesn”t require a functional clearance