Senior Protection Associate
UNHCR
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Posted on Jun 17, 2025
Grade
GS7Staff Member / Affiliate Type
Reason
Temporary > Temporary Assignment/ AppointmentHardship Level
Family Type
Residential location (if applicable)
Target Start Date
Target End Date
Deadline for Applications
Standard Job Description
Senior Protection Associate
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Protection Associate reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. The position may entail supervisory responsibilities for protection staff including community services, registration, resettlement and education depending on the structure of the Office. 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 Senior 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. The incumbent contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the Office externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.
S/he 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 and guidance 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 in compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
- 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.
- Assist the supervisor in implementing and monitoring Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and assist the supervisor with intervening 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.
- Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy with sectorial and/or cluster 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 with intervening with authorities on protection issues.
- Provide assistance to the supervisor in deciding priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.
- Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
- Recommend and prepare payments to individual cases.
- 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 G7 - 4 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 relevant field.
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified.
Desirable
RSD-Resettlement LP and/or Protection Learning Programme
Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
(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.
Desired Candidate Profile
The Senior Protection Associate will be part of the Policy and Advocacy Team and report to the Protection Officer. The incumbent will play a key role in supporting the Capacity Sharing Programme with government authorities, contributing to the development of a national asylum system and facilitating increased governmental involvement in refugee processing. The role also includes supporting research, analysis, and awareness-raising activities on statelessness, by coordinating with the UN Country Team, and strengthening the capacity of national NGOs in case management, data collection, and community outreach.
Desired Qualifications and Experience include:
Contextual Knowledge: A strong understanding of refugee and statelessness issues in Malaysia. Familiarity with the operational environment in Malaysia and UNHCR Malaysia’s strategic priorities. Experience in supporting the development of national asylum systems and engaging with government counterparts in technical working groups and bilateral discussions.
Extensive Experience in Registration and RSD: Proven experience in conducting registration and RSD, with in-depth knowledge of UNHCR’s protection activities, including resettlement.
Training and Capacity Building: Demonstrated ability to design and effectively deliver training for government officials, including the development of tailored training materials. Experience conducting sessions on RSD inclusion criteria, exclusion principles, cancellation/revocation procedures, international humanitarian and human rights law, interviewing techniques, credibility assessment, and legal drafting.
Strategic Thinking and Coordination: Ability to advise on government-led registration and RSD processes, identify opportunities for engagement, and coordinate effectively with national authorities. Strong diplomatic and coordination skills are essential for institutional capacity development.
Stakeholder Engagement and Interpersonal Skills: Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trust-based relationships with government officials and other partners. Experience in engaging national authorities to support the development or enhancement of asylum systems.
Language and Communication: Proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia is critical for effective communication with national stakeholders, including when delivering training modules. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are required for coordination with diverse partners.
Project Management: Experience in planning, implementing, monitoring, and reporting on projects. Ability to coordinate with internal units (including Programme, Administration, Supply and Protection units) and external stakeholders. Competence in comprehensive planning, including budgeting, and reporting using narrative and indicator-based formats as required by donors.
Competency Requirements:
Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Managerial Competencies
Judgement and Decision Making
Empowering and Building Trust
Cross-Functional Competencies
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Political Awareness
Stakeholder Management
Additional Information:
The position is offered under Temporary Appointment for an initial period of 6 months with the possibility of extension.
The position requires fluency in English and Malay languages.
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.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).
UNHCR does not sponsor work visa or work permit and applicant who is not Malaysian national should already have their status confirmed that they are able to secure a work visa at the time of the application.
Functional Clearance
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level)
,
Malay,
Desired languages
,
,
Additional Qualifications
Skills
IT-Computer Literacy, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and FrameworkEducation
Certifications
International Law - Other, Political Science - OtherWork Experience
UNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Other information