Assistant Protection Officer

Operational Context
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency is a global organization protecting people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We work in over 130 countries, helping millions of people with life-saving support, safeguarding fundamental human rights, and helping them build a better future (see www.unhcr.org).
Since 24 February 2022 Estonia has received a significant number of refugees from Ukraine and is offering remarkable reception and support to them. As of April 2023, approximately 45,000 refugees from Ukraine have been registered for temporary protection in Estonia and more refugees continue to arrive. To complement the government-led response, UNHCR has increased resources for engagement in coordination, child protection, capacity development for the prevention of trafficking and mental health support, provision of legal aid, and strengthening of communication with communities. Despite the whole-of-society response, refugees still face challenges to be able to fully support themselves and their families while government support measures are being stretched to their limits. Therefore, Estonia has been included in the 2023 Regional Response Plan for the Ukraine situation.

Organizational setting and Responsibilities
UNHCR currently has temporary presence in Estonia and covers the country through the UNHCR Representation for the Nordic and Baltic Countries located in Stockholm, Sweden. UNHCR assists asylum-seekers, refugees, and stateless persons through partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGO).
The Assistant Protection Officer will be based in Tallinn and report to the Associate Legal Officer. The incumbent is expected to provide functional and administrative support to the Office on protection related issues, analysis of the situation of asylum-seekers and refugees, assist in analyzing national legislation and practice, protection monitoring, individual cases, organization of capacity development activities, and reporting.
The Assistant Protection Officer will support the Office with a range of protection activities to strengthen the reception system and improve communication with communities with particular attention to persons with specific needs. In this regard, the Assistant Protection Officer will conduct regular field visits to the border, reception, accommodation, and registration sites, organize needs/participatory assessments, meet and communicate with asylum-seekers, refugees, and stateless persons, and support with other protection activities. To ensure the involvement of persons that UNHCR serves in decision-making that affect them, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with refugee communities, local authorities and NGO partners.
The incumbent may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on correspondence and/or protection issues as guided by the supervisor, the Associate Legal Officer.
Minimum Qualifications: 1-year relevant experience with undergraduate degree; or no experience with graduate or doctorate degree.
Field(s) of Education: Law, International Law, Political Sciences, or other relevant field.
Language requirements: Fluency in Estonian and English is essential. Knowledge of Russian, Ukrainian, and/or other UN languages is an asset.
Knowledge of International Refugee and Human Right Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles is an asset.
. No late applications will be accepted.
. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview.
. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).
. The applicant should be a citizen of Estonia at the time of applying for the position.