Deadline for Applications
Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)
BFamily Type (not applicable for home-based)
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
Target Start Date
Terms of Reference
Duty station: Boa Vista / Roraima
Volunteer category: National UN Volunteer Specialist
Contract duration: 12 months
Mission and objectives: UNHCR works to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge after fleeing violence, persecution, war, or disaster. Since 1950, UNHCR has provided vital support during multiple crises around the world, offering assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced and stateless people, many of whom have nobody else to turn to.
UNHCR’s mandate is not only to save lives but also to help build better futures for millions of people forced from their homes. In Brazil, UNHCR supports the government-led response to Venezuelan refugees and migrants under "Operação Acolhida", with a strong focus on community-based protection (CBP), inclusion in national systems, and durable solutions.
Assignment context:
In 2022, Brazil hosted 562,589 refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless persons, and other people needing international protection, most of them coming from Venezuela, Haiti, and Cuba.
UNHCR supports authorities in further expanding Brazil’s progressive refugee public policies to ensure effective access to rights and services. The organization works to promote self-reliance, socio-economic inclusion, and integration of refugees and migrants through their insertion into national programs.
Brazil has always played a pioneering and leading role in refugee protection. It was the first country in the Southern Cone to ratify the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees in 1960. Refugees in Brazil enjoy government protection and are entitled to documents, work, study, and exercise the same rights as any foreign citizen with regular status.
UNHCR has a head office in Brasília and field offices in São Paulo, Manaus, Boa Vista, Belém, and Pacaraima. We work closely with the Comitê Nacional para os Refugiados (CONARE) and in coordination with federal, state, and municipal governments, civil society, the private sector, and academia.
In Roraima, where the majority of Venezuelans enter Brazil, UNHCR provides direct support to indigenous and non-indigenous refugees and migrants under Operação Acolhida. Indigenous communities – including Warao, E’ñepa, Kariña, and others – face specific protection challenges such as language barriers, cultural dislocation, and difficulties accessing documentation and services.
This UN Volunteer will play a key role in advancing these efforts, serving as a bridge between UNHCR, government partners, and the communities themselves.
This UN Volunteer assignment aims to strengthen community-based protection with a special focus on indigenous refugees and migrants, ensuring their voices are heard, that they gain access to documentation and naturalization processes, and that culturally appropriate activities are delivered effectively.
Task description:
Under the supervision of the Head of Protection Unit, the National UN Volunteer Community-Based Protection Assistant (focus on Indigenous Issues) will:
1. Indigenous Engagement and Projects Support
• Serve as a focal point for engagement with indigenous refugees and migrants, ensuring culturally sensitive and participatory approaches.
• Support implementation, monitoring, and reporting of project activities, namely under the Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) project, thus ensuring that community workshops, culturally appropriate livelihood initiatives, and improved access to services are completed by year-end.
• Facilitate consultations and dialogues with indigenous leaders and communities to validate priorities and co-design solutions.
• Ensure that communications and outreach materials are culturally appropriate and accessible for indigenous communities.
2. Registration and Naturalization Support
• Assist indigenous refugees and migrants in accessing civil registration and documentation, including birth certificates and IDs.
• Support information campaigns on documentation and naturalization pathways, helping communities understand steps and eligibility.
• Liaise with Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social (MDS), Fundação Nacional dos Povos Indígenas (FUNAI), Federal Police and other relevant authorities to remove barriers to documentation and advocate for inclusive practices.
• Track and follow up on complex documentation and naturalization cases, ensuring referrals and timely resolution.
3. Community-Based Protection Core Functions
• Maintain a regular field presence in shelters and community spaces, building trust and engaging directly with persons of concern and host communities.
• Conduct vulnerability assessments and participatory appraisals with indigenous and non-indigenous communities to identify risks, needs, and capacities.
• Promote community mobilization, supporting the establishment and strengthening of community-led structures and ensuring inclusion of women, youth, older persons, and persons with disabilities.
• Foster initiatives that promote peaceful coexistence and inclusion between host and refugee communities.
• Collaborate with civil society and refugee-led organizations (RLOs) to co-develop initiatives addressing protection-related questions, as well as health, education, culture, and livelihoods.
4. Monitoring, Coordination, and Reporting
• Monitor protection trends and community dynamics, particularly related to indigenous issues and documentation gaps.
• Support coordination of project activities (including under the Multi-Partner Trust Fund MPTF project) with UN agencies, government partners, and NGOs.
• Contribute to planning, monitoring, and reporting on community-based protection (CBP) and project initiatives, ensuring community feedback informs programming.
• Draft reports, briefs, and summaries on indigenous engagement, registration progress, and project outputs.
5. Other Duties
• Support training sessions for colleagues, partners, and government actors on CBP, indigenous rights, and documentation processes.
• Represent UNHCR in community meetings, coordination forums, and project monitoring visits.
• Perform other related tasks to advance CBP, indigenous inclusion, and projects’ implementation.
In addition to the above, UN Volunteers are encouraged to join the mandate of UNV within the framework of its assignment and promote voluntary action through integration into communities in the development of your work. As such, UN Volunteers must dedicate part of your work time to one of the following activities recommended:
• Strengthen your knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteering by reading relevant publications from both the UNV program and external, as well as playing an active role in the UNV activities (e.g. at UNV events)
commemoration of International Volunteer Day);
• Know and develop traditional and/or local forms of volunteering in the host country;
• Provide annual and assignment self-assessment reports on UNV actions, results and opportunities;
• Contribute articles/reviews of your experiences in the field and submit them to headquarters for inclusion on the website, publications, pamphlets/newsletters, press releases, etc. of UNV;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of the Volunteering service in UNV line or promote the use of the service to individuals and relevant local organizations where technically possible.
Required education: Bachelor degree or equivalent
Area(s) of specialization (education): International Relations and International Development, Cultural Studies, International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science, and Anthropology, Law, International Law and Human Rights or other clearly related disciplines.
Required experience: At least 3 years
Required skills and experience:
Essential: Job experience within the field of community-based protection, community services, social work, and human rights.
Desirable:
- Knowledge of UN policies and procedures;
- Field experience;
- Commitment to help refugees and willingness to cooperate with counterparts;
- Good analytical skills;
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills in a multi-cultural setting;
- Experience of working with refugees;
- Ability to live and work in the difficult and harsh conditions of developing countries is essential.
- Experience in drafting documents and reports is an asset
- Previous experience with the UN system is an asset.
Area(s) of exertise: Community Development; Crisis and Emergency response and Social Work.
Languages: Fluency in English, Spanish and Portuguese are required.
Competencies and values:
• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management
Living conditions and other remarks:
The assignment will be in Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima state in northern Brazil. Boa Vista is considered a family duty station with a moderate (B) hardship classification. Living conditions are generally adequate, with reasonable access to health services and basic amenities.
No furnished housing available. Power cuts are frequent but short. Accommodation options vary from shared housing to individual rentals, and the UNHCR operation does not provide housing; therefore, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging their own accommodation and living essentials.
Basic health services are available but specialized services are not offered locally.
Travelers are advised to carry a supply of the necessary prescription medications. The yellow fever vaccine is mandatory, and evidence of yellow fever vaccine is required (at least ten days before the trip to the area). Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya and yellow fever are transmitted by the same mosquito, Aedes Aegypti. Preventive measures are key. The mosquito feeds mainly at dusk and dawn, indoors, in shaded areas or when the weather is cloudy. Wear long-sleeved clothing, use insect repellents, place windows with screens, keep residences cool with air conditioning and use mosquito nets. Boa Vista, like other urban centers in Brazil, has areas with security concerns. The United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) classifies Brazil as security level 3 (moderate) and advises exercising caution due to the risk of serious and violent crime, including theft, armed robbery, and assaults. It is recommended to avoid unsafe neighborhoods, especially at night, and to follow UNDSS security guidelines strictly. Demonstrations or public gatherings can occur unexpectedly and may turn violent; UN personnel must comply with UNDSS recommendations at all times. For missions in rural areas or indigenous reservations, special procedures may apply; UN personnel should consult with the local DSS office in advance
Additional information regarding the selection process, position, and working conditions will only be made available to pre-selected candidates. Information on entitlements at the duty station is available at https://app.unv.org/calculator.
The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.
https://www.unv.org/.
Other information
Inclusivity statement:
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin, or other status.
Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements:
Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity’s policy
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Eligibility:
This position is advertised to internal and external applicants. Candidates must be legally present in Brazil at the time of application, recruitment and hire. Only Brazilian citizens or candidates legally present in Brazil will be considered eligible.
Only short-listed candidates will be notified. The recruitment process might include written test and/or oral interview for this job opening. No late applications will be accepted.
Remuneration:
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered depending on relevant experience as per the requirements of the job advertisement.
Applications:
All applications must be submitted online in Workday. Email applications will not be accepted. Incomplete and late applications will not be accepted. Please note that the application deadline will be based on Central European Summer Time (CEST, UTC+01:00). Submissions received after this time will not be considered.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates might be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview.
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted during the application. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and 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 and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, sexual orientation, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNHCR seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
UNHCR has a zero-tolerance policy against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA). SEA is unacceptable behavior and prohibited conduct for UNHCR personnel. It constitutes acts of serious misconduct and is therefore grounds for disciplinary measures, including dismissal. Any concerns or suspicions about a possible case of SEA should be reported immediately to the Inspector General’s Office (IGO) at [email protected] or through the online complain form at https://www.unhcr.org/php/complaints.php or by confidential fax: +41 22 739 73 80.
Standard Job Description
Required Languages
English,
Spanish,
PortugueseDesired Languages
,
,
Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Certifications
Work Experience
Other information
This position doesn't require a functional clearance
Remote
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