Senior SGBV Assistant, G5, FTA – JO 35840

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Senior GBV Assistant supports the operations efforts to fulfil UNHCR’s mandate and associated obligations on GBV prevention, risk mitigation and response based on policy and guidance.

The Senior GBV Assistant works under direct supervision of a more senior GBV/Protection colleague who defines overall work objectives and provides regular advice and guidance. S/he collaborates closely with the UNHCR management and the Protection team in the country and strengthens working relations with other agencies involved in GBV prevention, risk mitigation and response.

The Senior GBV Assistant will focus on individual case management and provision of counselling to GBV survivors, while strengthening safe and ethical data collection.

S/he promotes alignment with GBV minimum standards and respect of GBV Guiding Principles.
S/he also ensures that persons of concern, women and girls, are involved with the Office 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

• Support activities in GBV prevention and response with implementing and operational partners
• Support the implementation of multi-sectorial response to GBV (including health, psychosocial support, case management, legal, and security).
• Contribute to measures to prevent and respond to GBV incidents.
• Contribute to safety audits and other relevant assessments.
• Support the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for GBV response as well as other protection/solutions activities.
• Support the provision of case management to GBV survivors (if relevant in operation) in line with GBV Guiding Principles;
• Liaise with other protection units for relevant referrals (including to the durable solutions unit).
• Assist in drafting reports, routine correspondence, updating relevant databases and compiling statistics for the protection unit / section.
• Ensure the wishes of survivors are prioritized as per the survivor-centred approach. Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures for GBV as well as the GBV minimum standards and Guiding Principles.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education

Certificates and/or Licenses
Human rights, Social Anthropology, Social work, Law, International Development, Social Sciences, or other relevant field.

HCR Protection Learning Prg
HCR Gender Equality Lrng prg
HCR Gender-Based Violence

Relevant Job Experience
Essential: 2 years of previous work experience relevant to the function of GBV in a local context and having experience in the field of GBV prevention, mitigation and response, broader protection or social work involving empowerment of women and girls, gender, child protection, mental health, counselling and working with survivors, humanitarian and development issues. Knowledge of GBV minimum standards, Guiding Principles and GBV case management standards.

Desirable: Knowledge and experience of participatory approaches to engaging with and mobilizing communities. Good understanding of displacement and protection issues including, child protection, education and the application of the Age, Gender and Diversity Policy.

Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention programming
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) risk mitigation
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) response programming
PR-Refugee Women issues
PR-Interviewing and counselling refugees/asylum seekers and in individual case management
PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)

Language Requirements
Fluency in Spanish and working knowledge of 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.

Operational Context

El Salvador has a population of 6.7 million people, with at least 20% of El Salvador’s population living abroad. It has a small, dollarized economy closely linked to the United States, from which it receives remittances that constitute around 20% of its GDP. 22.8% of its population lives below the poverty line, out of which 4.5% are extremely poor. In 2018, the Government acknowledged the phenomenon of internal forced displacement and published a Profiling Study on Internal Mobility due to violence in El Salvador, which estimated that approximately 1.1% of the population were forced to move internally due to violence. In July 2018, as a result of a constitutional ruling of the Supreme Court, public institutions were ordered to recognize the existence of internal displacement nationwide, and to take appropriate measures to prevent and mitigate its impact at national and local levels. In 2020, the Government signed an IDP law, which UNHCR supported in congress.
There is now the need to design specific policies, further develop the legal framework and to support the Government in implementing them throughout the territory. UNHCR is working closely with the Government on the introduction of legal and policy frameworks to implement the provisions of the 2020 IDP law. UNHCR is also supporting the strengthening of national mechanisms for the protection of forcibly displaced persons with shelter, livelihoods, education, psycho-social support, legal counseling, land and property protection, among others. UNHCR has been working in high risk communities to bring such protection services, as well as supporting with solutions. Since July 2019, El Salvador is part of the Comprehensive Regional Framework for Protection and Solutions (MIRPS) and has committed to take concrete steps to assist, protect and find suitable solutions for forcibly displaced people. UNHCR is currently present in 40 communities and 17 Municipalities nationwide.
The incumbent will be part of the Protection Unit and s/he will be direct supervised by the Assistant Protection Officer. The incumbent will collaborate closely with the UNHCR management and the Protection team in the country and strengthens working relations with other agencies involved in SGBV prevention, risk mitigation and response.
Cross-Functional Competencies desirable: Analytical Thinking, Planning and Organizing, Political Awareness.

Candidates interested in applying for this position must be national from El Salvador or must hold a valid work permit in El Salvador at the time of application, recruitment, and hire.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified & may be required to sit for a test & will undertake a competency-based interview
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted during the application. Applicants must provide complete & accurate information pertaining to their personal profile & qualifications. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision, or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
UNHCR is committed to diversity & job inclusion, therefore, all people are encouraged to apply for this vacancy regardless of religion, age, sex, ethnicity, disability, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation
Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to proof of full vaccination for COVID-19.
Remuneration:
A competitive compensation & benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances & benefits, please visit the portal of the International Civil Service Commission at: http://icsc.un.org
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing, or any other fees)