Protection Associate - Swiss UN Volunteer Associate Programme
Rwanda, Eastern Province, Kirehe
Nonprofit/Community/Social Services/International Cooperation
Other
Date of last update: 2026-07-20 (Expiry date: 2026-08-17)
Job description
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The compatibility is only an indication and should not discourage you from applying if you think your profile matches. It is also not taken into consideration for recruitment.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organisation working to save lives, protect rights and build a better future for refugees, internally displaced communities and stateless people. They work to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find refuge from violence, persecution, war or disaster at home. UNHCR also works to end statelessness for millions of people worldwide without a nationality.
UNHCR Kirehe Sub-Office manages and supports protection and assistance services for refugees and asylum seekers in Mahama Refugee Camp, where many people remain in protracted displacement. The office works with partners, UN agencies, NGOs, local authorities, and international organizations to coordinate services, conduct field monitoring, and engage with communities. In light of reduced humanitarian funding, it also supports efforts to strengthen refugee self-reliance and graduation strategies.
As Protection Associate you support UNHCR as follows:
Support community-based protection, Child Protection, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) procedures;
Promote refugee participation, feedback, and age, gender and diversity (AGD)-sensitive approaches;
Assist with coordination, documentation, advocacy, and capacity building;
Support referrals and follow-up for protection risks and vulnerable cases;
Contribute to refugee self-reliance and inclusion in national services;
Etc.
Part of the UN Volunteer Associate Programme "Swiss Talent at the United Nations", this position is sponsored by the Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD).
Social Security
- You will be serving on a UN volunteer contract. Your UN health insurance and travel will be covered and you will be receiving a living allowance to cover for your living costs in the duty station. Find more information in the UNV "Unified Conditions of Service" and the UNV "Entitlement calculator".
- Because of the volunteering and international nature of your contract, you may not be entitled to unemployment insurance upon your return to Switzerland, nor will any contributions to your national social security (AHV/AVS) be made from the living allowance you will be receiving. Soliswiss, our partner and expert will be available to advise on your individual social security situation.
Please find the full job description here:
More information
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Vacancies: 1
Working hours (%): 80-100% / 100%
80-100% / 100%Type of contract: Volunteer
Duration: 12 months
Education level: Master's degree
Driving licence: Car driving licence
Macro-area: Sub-Saharan Africa
Level of experience: Junior Professional, 1 to 3 years
Area of work Definition: Migration
Area of work: Democracy, Governance, Human Rights, Law, Public Administration
Type of organisation: Multilateral Organisations
Join date: February 2027
Skills required
For the programme:
- Swiss nationality;
- Master's degree;
- Ideally 12 months of relevant professional experience (min. 3 months - max. 24 months);
- Max. 28 years old at the date of application;
- Excellent command of English and 2 official Swiss languages (one active = C1/C2, one passive = A2/B1);
- Proven interest in joining the international cooperation sector.
- Driving license for PHRD financed positions.
For this position:
- Master's degree in Development, Law, Human Rights, Social Work, Social Science, Political Sciences;
- Demonstrated interest and/or experience (ideally one year) in community-based protection programming and delivery of protection services;
- Proven ability to support quality, timely, and effective protection responses in close collab-oration with refugees, colleagues, government counterparts, and protection partners;
- Familiarity with UNHCR protection frameworks and policies related to Child Protection and GBV, including Best Interests Procedures (BIP) Guidelines, Inter Agency Child Protection Minimum Standards, and GBV Case Management Standards;
- Exposure to participatory approaches and community engagement methodologies aimed at strengthening accountability and inclusion of affected populations;
- Knowledge of protection information management systems and tools;
- Previous experience working with vulnerable, marginalized, or at-risk populations would be considered an asset.
Please find more details in the full job description.
We are committed to gender balance and encourage applications from qualified individuals of all genders. We also welcome applications from people with different gender identities and from people with different backgrounds, including sexual orientation, disability, cultural or religious background. We value an inclusive working environment that promotes equal opportunities and a non-discriminatory culture.
Important details regarding your application
Make sure your profile on cinfoPoste is complete and up to date:
- Motivation letter in English (not more than 3500 characters, to be inserted in the pop-up window when you click on 'apply')
- CV in English incl the exact length and the % of your employments
- Work certificates, diplomas and university credentials (as PDF) uploaded under the section "documents" in your login area
- Copy of your driving license
Find useful tips and resources related to UN applications on the cinfo website and read this article.
Application deadline: 17 August 2026
First round of interviews carried out by cinfo: between 09 and 18 September 2026
Final selection: made by the host organisation based on cinfo's recommendation and a second interview with them. Selected candidates will be informed towards the end of October 2026.
Onboarding and training: The onboarding process will start after the selection. Selected candidates will have to attend mandatory predeparture training in January 2027.
Entry on duty: Departure is possible after the mandatory training. The final departure date will be discussed after the selection and depends on several factors.
Are you interested in the programme "Swiss Talent at the United Nations"? Do you have specific questions about the process and how to apply? Join us on Zoom during our Live Q&A sessions on Thursday, 23 July at 12:15pm or Tuesday, 11 August at 5:30pm. More information about the sessions via this link.
Any questions? Contact Michal Habegger, cinfo's Recruitment Specialists, recruitment@cinfo.ch
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