At a time when global forced displacement is at UNHCR record levels, the work of protection professionals has never been more critical. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, continues to play a leading role in safeguarding the rights, dignity, and well-being of millions of forcibly displaced people worldwide. In this context, UNHCR has announced a compelling opportunity for experienced protection practitioners: the position of Senior Protection Assistant (GS5) based in Brasília, Brazil.
This full-time, six-month temporary assignment, running from 1 January 2026 to 30 June 2026, offers qualified candidates the chance to contribute directly to one of the most progressive refugee protection environments in the Global South. With a strong national legal framework, innovative asylum systems, and a dynamic civil society, Brazil provides a unique operational setting for protection work that blends policy, field engagement, and strategic coordination.
Brazil’s Protection Context: A Regional Model
Brazil is widely recognized as a regional leader in refugee and migration protection. As of June 2025, the country hosted 887,350 people in need of international protection from more than 100 countries. Among them, 158,209 individuals have been formally recognized as refugees, with Venezuelans comprising the vast majority.
Brazil applies the Cartagena Declaration’s expanded refugee definition, enabling prima facie recognition for people fleeing generalized violence, massive human rights violations, and other serious disturbances to public order. This approach has benefited populations from Venezuela, Afghanistan, Syria, and beyond. In addition, Brazil provides protection to individuals persecuted due to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender-based risks such as female genital mutilation.
Innovations such as electronic refugee status determination (RSD) systems, humanitarian visas, and temporary residence pathways have significantly enhanced efficiency and access to protection. Initiatives like Operation Welcome have supported over 148,000 Venezuelans through reception, documentation, shelter, and voluntary relocation to nearly 1,000 municipalities. Brazil has also pioneered community sponsorship models, most recently for Afghan refugees, with plans to expand to other nationalities.
Despite these advances, challenges remain. Indigenous Venezuelan communities face compounded vulnerabilities related to documentation, food insecurity, healthcare access, education, and language barriers. Climate-related emergencies, such as the 2025 floods in Rio Grande do Sul, further underscore the importance of protection-sensitive, inclusive humanitarian responses.
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The Role: Senior Protection Assistant (GS5)
Within this complex and evolving context, the Senior Protection Assistant plays a pivotal role in supporting UNHCR’s protection mandate. Based in Brasília, the incumbent will support the Country Office Protection Unit in implementing the 2026 protection and solutions strategic priorities, in line with international standards and national, regional, and global best practices.
Reporting to senior protection colleagues, the Senior Protection Assistant provides quality, timely, and effective protection support to persons of concern (PoC). The role combines technical expertise, community engagement, coordination, and analytical work, making it ideal for professionals who are both field-oriented and policy-aware.
Key Responsibilities and Duties
The position encompasses a broad range of protection functions, including:
- Application of international and national law, as well as UN, UNHCR, and IASC policies, standards, and codes of conduct.
- Counselling and guidance for persons of concern on protection issues, including liaison with authorities to facilitate the issuance of civil and personal documentation.
- Support to Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)-based programming, working closely with implementing and operational partners.
- Information gathering and interviews related to refugee status determination, statelessness, durable solutions, and social needs assessments.
- Participation in individual case management, including cases involving gender-based violence (GBV) and child protection.
- Monitoring and reporting on protection incidents such as refoulement, expulsion, and access to asylum.
- Contribution to national strategies on child protection, education for refugees, and statelessness prevention.
- Drafting of reports, correspondence, and analytical documents, as well as maintaining databases and compiling statistics.
- Capacity building initiatives to strengthen national and local protection systems.
- Risk identification and management, ensuring protection delivery is informed by risk-based decision-making.
- Oversight of protection service delivery, ensuring integrity and accountability among implementing partners.
A central element of the role is ensuring that refugees and other persons of concern are actively involved in decisions that affect their lives, reinforcing UNHCR’s commitment to accountability to affected populations (AAP).
Desired Profile and Qualifications
UNHCR seeks a protection-oriented professional with a strong academic and practical background in areas such as law, international law, international relations, political science, or social sciences. The ideal candidate demonstrates:
- In-depth knowledge of international refugee and human rights law, including GBV, child protection, and statelessness frameworks.
- Experience with RSD and SSD procedures, as well as protection responses for victims of trafficking and migrant smuggling.
- Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills, with the ability to translate protection principles into practical field-level guidance.
- Proven capacity to engage effectively with government counterparts, civil society, academia, refugee-led organizations, and UN partners.
- Experience in training and capacity building on refugee protection and related topics.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, a collaborative mindset, and a clear commitment to inclusion, neutrality, and respect for diversity.
- Adherence to UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity, and respect for diversity.
From a language perspective, C1-level Portuguese and B2-level English are mandatory, reflecting the operational needs of the role. Knowledge of Spanish at B2 level is considered an asset.
Contract Conditions and Eligibility
Eligibility is limited to Brazilian citizens or candidates legally present in Brazil at the time of application, recruitment, and hire. The vacancy is open to internal UNHCR staff and candidates with prior UNHCR experience, as defined in the job announcement.
UNHCR offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, aligned with UN common system standards. Importantly, the organization reiterates its zero-tolerance policy toward sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, discrimination, and abuse of power.
Why This Opportunity Matters
For protection professionals, this role represents more than a temporary assignment. It is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to one of the world’s most forward-looking refugee protection systems, while working within a diverse, multidisciplinary UNHCR team. The Senior Protection Assistant will be at the heart of efforts to strengthen asylum systems, promote inclusion, support durable solutions, and ensure that refugees’ voices are heard in policy and practice.
In a global landscape marked by displacement, inequality, and climate-related risks, roles like this are essential to translating international protection principles into real-world impact.
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How to Apply
All applications must be submitted online through UNHCR’s Workday recruitment platform. Email applications will not be accepted, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
