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Profile RSD Officer

Multiple locations

  • Organization: UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Location: Multiple locations
  • Grade: Mid/Senior level - Mid/Senior - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • International Relations
    • Refugee rights and well-being
  • Closing Date: Closed

RSD Officer Profile

For Junior (P2), Mid (P3) and Senior (P4) Level Positions

The RSD Officer is part of and may [depending on seniority, office size and set-up] supervise the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) team and manage and oversee UNHCR's RSD procedures and decision-making as well as related activities in the operation to promote the effectiveness of RSD as a protection tool and maximize the efficiency and quality of RSD decision-making.
 

Typical functions may include:

¿ Stay abreast of legal, political, security and other developments which impact on the protection environment, and in particular, on protection delivery through RSD; 
¿ Contribute to the development and implementation of the RSD strategy, including operation-specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and case management strategies, and support senior management to ensure that the RSD strategy is fully and effectively integrated into the Country Operations Plan;
¿ Participate in the on-going assessment of the protection impact of mandate RSD, and supports the Office in the identification of alternative or complementary protection interventions, as appropriate and feasible;
¿ Oversee RSD related activities and monitors RSD trends to promote consistency, identify and respond to issues impacting on the efficiency or quality of RSD decision-making;
¿ Supervise staff involved in RSD procedures (RSD adjudicators and, as applicable, reception and registration staff, guards, interpreters, assistants) to ensure quality, integrity, consistency and efficiency of decision-making and compliance with applicable standards;
¿ Prevent and identify fraud in RSD through oversight, advice and guidance to UNHCR staff, partners and persons of concern;
¿ Monitor RSD trends and regularly and systematically compile and analyse RSD statistics related to RSD case processing and maintain an accurate assessment of the capacity and resource requirements of the operation; 
¿ Conduct research on country of origin information (COI) and legal issues related to RSD and assist in maintaining a local repository of relevant information, guidelines and standards accessible to RSD staff in the operation;
¿ Evaluate and project RSD staffing and financial needs using the RSD Staffing Benchmarks; advocate with senior management for the allocation of appropriate human, material and financial resources;
¿ Ensure that persons of concern, Government authorities and partners have accurate information on the RSD procedures, including UNHCR standards, policy and practice;
¿ Advocate with and support Government authorities and legal partners to establish and strengthen fair and efficient RSD procedures and RSD decision-making, including engagement with national RSD decision-making bodies;
¿ Assess training needs of UNHCR staff, Government authorities and legal partners engaged in RSD and develop and implement RSD capacity-building initiatives;
¿ Reviews and endorses RSD decisions providing appropriate feedback and guidance to RSD staff and makes decisions in complex and / or sensitive cases.


Minimum qualifications and professional experience required:
For positions at the P2 level
Requirements:
¿ University Degree in Law, political science, international relations or another related field;
¿ Minimum 4 years (2 years with advanced University degree) of relevant professional job experience, preferably in the area of refugee protection, human rights or international humanitarian law;
¿ Minimum 1 year of experience working directly with procedures and principles related to RSD.
¿ Knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles;
¿ Strong research and analytical skills;
¿ Excellent oral and written communication skills;
¿ Excellent knowledge of English and working knowledge of another UN language.

Desirable

¿ Experience as a decision-maker in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures is highly desirable;
¿ Experience in counselling asylum seekers or refugees;
¿ Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals;
¿ Completion of UNHCR's RSD Learning Programme, COI Learning Programme, Protection Learning Programme. Experience in supervising and in providing training or coaching, guidance or advice to staff. Completion of UNHCR's RSD Learning Programme, COI Learning Programme, Protection Learning Programme.


For positions at the P3 level

Requirements
¿ University Degree in law, political science, international relations or another related field;
¿ Minimum 8 years (6 years with an Advanced University degree) of relevant professional job experience, preferably in the area of refugee protection, human rights or international humanitarian law;
¿ Minimum 3 years of experience working directly with procedures and principles related to the adjudication of individual asylum claims in RSD procedures;
¿ Experience as a decision-maker or reviewing officer in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures;
¿ Knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles;
¿ Thorough knowledge of the ''Procedural Standards for Refugee Status Determination under UNHCR's Mandate" and other guidelines and standards governing UNHCR's mandate RSD activities and experience advising on their interpretation and application; 
¿ Strong research and analytical skills;
¿ Excellent oral and written communication skills;
¿ Fluency in English with working knowledge of another relevant UN language(s).


Desirable

¿ Experience as a decision-maker in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures is highly desirable;
¿ Experience in providing legal representation to asylum seekers in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures;
¿ Ability to draft legal opinions;
¿ Experience in supervising a team;
¿ Training and coaching experience;
¿ Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals;
¿ Completion of UNHCR's RSD Learning Programme, COI Learning Programme, Protection Learning Programme, Management Learning Programme.


For positions at the P4 level

Requirements

¿ Advanced University Degree in Law, political science, international relations or another related field;
¿ Minimum 12 years (10 years with an Advanced University degree) of relevant professional job experience, preferably in the area of refugee protection, human rights or international humanitarian law;
¿ Minimum 4 years of experience working directly with procedures and principles related to the adjudication of individual asylum claims in RSD procedures;
¿ In-depth knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles;
¿ Experience as a decision-maker in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures;
¿ Experience in supervising a team;
¿ Thorough knowledge of the "Procedural Standards for Refugee Status Determination under UNHCR's Mandate" and other guidelines and standards governing UNHCR's mandate RSD activities;
¿ Strong research and analytical skills;
¿ Excellent oral and written communication skills;
¿ Excellent knowledge of English and working knowledge of another UN language.

Desirable

¿ Experience in providing legal representation to asylum seekers in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures;
¿ Ability to draft legal opinions;
¿ Experience in supervising a team;
¿ Training and coaching experience;
¿ Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals;
¿ Completion of UNHCR's RSD Learning Programme, COI Learning Programme, Protection Learning Programme, Management Learning Programme.

This vacancy is now closed.