Job: Community Services Associate

Location: Dohuk, Iraq
Deadline: Monday, 28 October 2013

The

Iraq Operation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iraq invites qualified candidates to apply for the following vacancy: Functional Title & Grade: Community Services Associate; G-6

Fixed Term Appointment P.N. 10021569

Duty Station: Dohuk- Iraq

Contractual Status: OPERATIONAL CONTEXT

Date of Issue: 22 October 2013

Deadline for applications: 28 October 2013

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

The Community Services Associate is part of the Community Services Unit in the Country Operation, which is an integral part of the Protection team. The incumbent reports to the Head of Unit, and normally supervises some support staff. The community services role, broadly described, is to act as a critical interface between UNHCR and communities of concern, providing an AGD sensitive analysis of community risks and capacities that form the essential foundations to all UNHCR work in a given country context. Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, Community Services staff work directly with communities to leverage their capacities for community-based protection. To fulfil this role, the Community Services Associate, and all Community Services staff, are required to spend a substantial percentage of their time working outside of the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of persons of concern. The incumbent will undertake the following responsibilities under the direct supervision of the Community Services Officer:

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT.

Accountability

• Effective support and advice is provided to promote AGD sensitive analysis of community risks and capacities as the essential basis for all of UNHCR's work.
• Support and advice is provided to establishing community activities which address the social, cultural, and livelihood needs of populations of concern.
• Support and advice is provided to involve the host community in the protection of persons of concern.
• The Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) approach is applied in all aspects of his/her protection and solutions work on behalf of persons of concern.

Responsibility

• Assist functional units, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) and senior management to integrate participatory and community-based approaches in the overall protection delivery strategy and operational procedures.
• Work with host communities to identify opportunities for national civil society involvement in improving the protection of persons of concern.
• Work with implementing and operational partners as well as with displaced and local communities to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organisational and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and prevention and response to SGBV.
• Assist in analyzing protection risks and capacities of communities of concern.
• Support participatory assessments by multifunctional teams and ongoing consultation with persons of concern.
• Assist in planning and monitoring of programmes and budgets, with an AGD perspective.
• Build office capacity for community-based protection through training and establishing systems for community mobilization and participation of persons of concern. Authority
• Contribute to the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR's work.
• Initiate AGD sensitive interventions at the appropriate level on community-based protection issues and to respond to protection concerns and incidents within the office, with external interlocutors, groups and individuals based on agreed parameters.
• Identify and select which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

• Planning and organizing;
• Analytical thinking;
• Stakeholder management
• Education: Completion of the Secondary education;
• Training/certificate in the related field of work.
• Job Experience: Minimum of 6 years previous relevant job experience.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

LANGUAGE: Good knowledge of English and other UN language (written/oral/comprehension).

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

Knowledge of Arabic is essential; Knowledge of Kurdish would be an asset; Knowledge of Administrative/financial rules, procedures, processes in the context of UNHCR offices and Field operations. UNHCR learning programmes (PLP); Knowledge of MSRP;

Interested applicants should forward the UN history form (P-11) with a covering letter in English explaining their interest in the position to: e-mail: irqerbad@unhcr.org Please indicate the post title you are applying for in the subject. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted, and engagement is needed immediately.

More Info and Application