Snr Protection Coordinator (Operational Support)

Senior Protection Coordinator (Operational Support)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The Division of International Protection (DIP) is responsible for the provision of protection operational support, policy and strategic direction to field operations and places a high priority on providing timely, pragmatic and solutions-oriented expert advice and operational support to UNHCR offices around the world. Expanded and strengthened partnerships with governments, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society, the private sector and with refugees and IDPs themselves are a focus for field operational support. DIP produces global reports on organisation-wide protection priorities, supports field operations to develop reporting on protection challenges and priorities as well as the impact of protection programmes to a wider and more diverse audience.  The Division of International Protection is responsible for the full implementation of UNHCR's Age, Gender and Diversity policy, including through the provision of training, guidance and technical assistance.  The Division is also responsible for ensuring UNHCR's protection leadership in a humanitarian environment that involves a growing number of protection actors. The Division of International Protection is responsible for providing field operations and other entities at HQ with technical support, guidance and training to achieve the full implementation of UNHCR's Age, Gender and Diversity policy. UNHCR's protection leadership in a humanitarian environment involves a growing number of protection actors.

Supervised by the Deputy Director (POSS), this P5 level position is responsible for a section comprising three units - child protection and youth, SGBV, and gender equality - each headed by P4 level specialized staff. The Senior Protection Coordinator (Operational Support) demonstrate leadership through policy development, strategic thinking and planning to guide the teams based on a deep level of knowledge in these fast developing areas of protection.

The Senior Protection Coordinator (OS) advocates for and provides visibility to these areas of protection through reports and briefings across HQ divisions and bureaux, as well as through pro-active reaching out to donors, permanent missions, UN and NGOs in Geneva and in the field.

The Senior Protection Coordinator (OS) provides technical guidance through field mission and works closely with other senior staff in POSS as well as with other DIP Services, and with DPSM and DESS in particular in order to ensure timely, comprehensive and coherent responses in emergencies and throughout program cycles, covering all population groups relevant to field operations.

The Senior Protection Coordinator (OS) holds programmatic as well as monitoring and evaluation skills and experience to ensure a robust, appropriate and effective response in all areas of child protection, youth and community based protection, SGBV prevention and response, and gender equality promotion within a AGD approach.
The position needs to establish new and strengthen existing partnerships with NGOs, donors, Governments and other UN agencies on issues of child protection, SGBV and gender mainstreaming and women¿s empowerment employing a community-based approach. S/he represents UNHCR in global and regional meetings and present UNHCR¿s position on these areas of protection. S/he represents UNHCR and participates in inter-agency fora and processes, as needed, and liaises with the UNHCR office in New York in order to provide substantive policy and other support.

The Senior Protection Coordinator (OS) assumes overall responsibility for the accomplishment of the tasks assigned to the Units under her/his supervision.  S/he has a specific leadership role for child protection and youth programmes,  Gender Equality and Sexual and Gender -Based Violence, and is tasked to provide overall strategic direction, policy leadership and  team management for these areas of work. These protection areas make up UNHCR¿s protection priorities mandate and are a core part of programme delivery in operations around the world.  The Senior Protection Coordinator (OS) will supervise a senior level head of unit and their teams in each of these areas.

UNHCR employs a community-based approach, and is therefore developing protection programmes which involve communities in planning and programme delivery through community networks.  UNHCR is also working closely with national governments and authorities and places a strong emphasis on linkages with relevant national systems and services, to address the protection needs of refugee, IDP, Stateless and other persons of concern. 

The Senior Protection Coordinator (OS) will work closely with other units and sections of DIP, including the Comprehensive Solutions, Resettlement Service, Asylum and Migration Units, Education and Community-Based Protection Units. The position requires close collaboration with senior colleagues in the Regional Bureaux and UNHCR¿s country and regional operations and the Senior Protection Coordinator is tasked to promote and monitor the implementation of UNHCR¿s mandate as it applies to children and adolescents/youth, Gender Equality and SGBV. The Senior Protection Coordinator will ensure the inclusion of specific considerations related to these areas in UNHCR¿s global policies and strategies and will work in close cooperation with other Divisions, including in particular DPSM and the DESS.

The Senior Protection Coordinator (OS) will be required to support the continuous development of creative protection methods and operationalization of protection policies and operational guidance in the areas under his/her responsibility.

The Senior Protection Coordinator (OS) reports to the Deputy Director and has overall responsibility for the high quality and timely accomplishment of the work of her/his teams.  The Chief of Section also supports the Deputy Director, acting as officer-in-charge in her/his absence. 

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
- The protection of populations of concern is strengthened through policy development, operational guidance and support in a range of protection priorities. Based on identified gaps, standards and tools are developed, effectively disseminated, and operations capacitated to utilize them for improved protection delivery to populations of concern.
- The interests and rights of refugees, IDPs, Stateless persons and others of concern to UNHCR are proactively represented in and shape the global discourse and developments on forced displacement.
- UNHCR's authority and expertise on protection policy and operationalizing this is maintained and continually improved upon.
- UNHCR both shapes and provides strong contributions to humanitarian policy development and operational   innovation on related global trends and issues.   
- UNHCR implements and supports a coherent protection management strategy through the collaboration of HQs Divisions, Regional Bureaux and field operations UNHCR is supported to perform its protection leadership and coordination functions in all operational settings - cluster, mixed and non-cluster.
- UNHCR operations are supported to implement responsibilities in accordance with the Refugee Coordination Model and communications to operations and external stakeholders/partners on UNHCR¿s protection policy and operational guidance are clear and effective.
- Surge and expert support is provided to field operations through deployments scheme and stand-by arrangements).¿¿
- Policy and operational guidance developed fully reflect and advance an inclusive and non-discriminatory approach as articulated in UNHCR's age, gender and diversity policy and meets organisational commitments to accountability to affected populations. 

Responsibility
Protection Operational Support:
- Oversee policy and strategy development, guidance and implementation related to child protection, gender equality, SGBV, and other areas.
- Provide direction and management on forward plans, work plans, budgets and activities of the units falling under his/her, ensuring cost-effective, timely implementation. 
- Follow developments in the respective technical areas, including child protection, gender equality and SGBV.
- Ensure UNHCR programmes are cutting edge and evidence informed.
- Seek, strengthen and ensure liaison and partnerships with other agencies, international research and policy institutes, and non-governmental institutions to enhance UNHCR¿s capacity to mobilize, lead, guide and coordinate in the fields of protection of forcibly displaced people.
- Identify needs and support development of training materials and tools to strengthen UNHCR¿s protection response for various groups of persons of concern and in various operational contexts; coordinate and collaborate with other internal structures, including Global Learning Centre, DPSM, and PDES etc. as appropriate.
- Guide and support the analysis and writing required for the preparation of annual and other reporting required from the Section, including the Global Report, GSP reporting, the AGD accountability report, and reporting to Standing Committee and ExCom for those areas falling in the Section.
- Prioritise protection support in the context of emergencies to ensure child protection, SGBV and gender equality are effectively addressed from the onset of an emergency, in particular through advocacy and close cooperation with other teams in DIP, the Regional Bureaux and DESS.
- Work closely with DESS teams to review and develop standards and tools to strengthen protection response in areas covered by the Section.
Resources mobilization and allocation:
- Plan, budget and monitor expenditures and resources related to the Child Protection, SGBV and Gender Equality Units, and support the Deputy Director in planning, managing and monitoring expenditures and resources.
- Mobilize the resources to support existing work and new initiatives (in close cooperation with the Private Sector Fundraising (PSFR) and Donor Relations and Resource Mobilisation (DRRM).
- Effectively manage Section resources (human and financial) and ensure that reporting requirements are met in a timely and high quality manner.

Authority
- Represent DIP in meetings within UNHCR and represents UNHCR in IASC and inter-agency processes related to the work of the Section.
- Clear documents and policies developed by the units.
- Conduct performance appraisals of staff in units supervised.
- Approve financial commitments and spending as stipulated in DOAP.
- Decide on allocation and reallocation of Ops and Admin budgets of the units supervised.
- Approve and decide on the project proposals and the project implementation.
- Approve and sign the project financial report.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Advanced university degree or university degree in International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law, Refugee Law, Political Science, Social Science, Anthropology or a related field.
- 15 years (MBA) or 17 years (BA) of previous job experience relevant to the function with 10 years in an international capacity.
- Demonstrated skills and knowledge of working in humanitarian and/or development settings, including in a leadership operational and/or policy development role.
- Up to date understanding of the humanitarian reform, the cluster approach and experience working in the inter-agency sphere.
- Well-developed policy development skills, including excellent analytical capability.
- Relevant operational experience in humanitarian and /or development.
- Excellent drafting and communication skills in English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Familiarity with UNHCR learning policies and an understanding of learning design.
- UNHCR learning programmes, e.g. SMLP.
- Working knowledge of French or Arabic.