Vacancy title:
Legal Officer

Jobs at:
Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA)

Deadline of this Job:
3rd March 2018

Duty Station:
Uganda

Job details:
Funding Source: UNHCR
Duty Station: Uganda
Reports to: Project Manager
Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA) is an international African humanitarian and development organization that positively contributes towards improving the living standards and conditions of those adversely affected by disasters and conflict in the Horn, East & Central Africa by implementing WASH, Health, Education, Livelihoods, Community service & development and Protection programs in the region for a period of more than 20 years.

About UNHCR Project:
HIJRA with funding from the UNHCR in Uganda is implementing a multi-sectoral Program for refugees in Oruchinga settlement (Isingiro district), Nakivale settlement (Isingiro district) and Nyakabande Transit Center (Kisoro district).

Job Summary: The Legal Officer will identify legal needs in the field and provide counselling and representation in relevant administrative bodies. The Legal Officer will work with community leaders to support advocacy at the community level and engage in mediation and negotiation as needed.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• The protection of populations of concern is met through the application of International and National Law, relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles.
• The protection strategy incorporates a thorough age, gender and diversity (AGD) analysis and reflects the Organization’s global, regional and country level priorities.
•  The participation of persons of concern is assured through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community based approaches.
• Protection incidents are immediately identified and addressed.
•  Analytical reports of protection trends and issues are produced on a monthly and ad hoc basis.
•  Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
•  Promote International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
•  Foster their consistent and coherent interpretation and application through mainstreaming in all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations.
• Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related activities and partners in particular within the newly established protection response framework.
• Compile data from the field and partners in a systematic manner. Draft consolidated reports on update impact of the protection response framework and legal issues.
•  Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to the operation and draft legal notes, as required.
• Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
•  Contribute to and facilitate a program of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
•  Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.
• Contribute to capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
•  Participate in initiatives to capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures. Authority (decisions made in executing responsibilities and to achieve results)
•  Decide in consultation with the supervisor and the protection unit issues to be researched and topics for thematic reports.
• Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
•  Line-manage the staff including day-to-day management, development and training, appraisals, etc.
•  Facilitate regular staff meetings to ensure awareness of project objectives, and opportunity for feedback.
• Provide staff coaching and technical supervision to develop ownership / responsibility for activities.
• Make sure all possible durable solutions are explored for persons of concern.
•  Take a lead role plan of action, to ensure the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers through interventions with local authorities and other entities on instances of arbitrary arrest and detention. Ensure the people of concern have access to legal and fair hearing in court through court follow ups, prison monitoring etc.
•  Sensitize the Community and Local authorities on Refugee law and Human Rights relating to refugees and others of concern to UNHCR, in order to ensure that national legislation is in compliance with International Legal Standards.
•  Advocate for legal aid services from the different legal aid service providers and Pro bono services from legal practitioners for the purpose of disposing of refugee cases at court.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The ideal candidate for the HIJRA Legal Officer job opportunity must hold a Law degree/ human rights or a comparable discipline
• Three years of work experience in the same field of development and humanitarian work and NGOs’
• Ability to produce high-quality legal documentation
• Ability to present and defend cases in a court of law
• Excellent presentation and communication skills and the ability to interact with a number of different partners and contacts, including governmental authorities, UNHCR, victims and their families etc.
•  Must possess communication and negotiation skills.
• Strong judgments skills are also a necessity
• Someone who can make ethical and moral decisions
•  Sociable and open minded
• A person who can keep confidential information
•  Must have a solid knowledge of the local law and be able to grasp new concepts with ease and accuracy
• Very organized and need to have good time management skills to meet deadlines on time.

Job application procedure
All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send an application letter and Curriculum Vitae including telephone and email contacts of three referees including your current/most recent employer.

Application should be addressed to the:

Country Program Manager,
Humanitarian Initiative Just Relief Aid (HIJRA),
P.O. Box 37703, Kampala, Uganda.

Email to: vacancies.ug@hijra.or.ke . The subject line should read: “Legal Officer.”

NB: Please note that interviews will be done on a rolling basis given the urgency of the positions.