Introduction

This project seeks to facilitate the establishment of the effective asylum system in Ukraine through improvement of the institutional capacity of state authorities to deal with refugees and asylum seekers and enhancement of the access to legal assistance and legal remedies for refugees and asylum seekers.

Responsibilities

• Lead the advocacy directions assigned, and identify and implement most appropriate advocacy activities.
• Preparation and lodge the complaints to ECHR on the issues of violations of asylum seekers and refugees’ rights.
• Identify the legal gaps in Ukrainian legislation concerning asylum seekers and refugees and suggest improvements need to be made in order to ensure that the Government’s legal and policy response to asylum procedure in Ukraine is clearly implemented.
• Draft new legislation, including amendments, regulations and instructions, to address the concerns identified;
• Liaise with the UNHCR partners to follow-up on the situation for asylum seekers and refugees in Ukraine.
• Organize and conduct meetings with main actors involved in the decision making at local, national and international levels.
• Support the activity of the Tenth of April in any other aspect that is required and provide advice to the Tenth of April staff on any legal issues arisen.

Required qualifications

Applicants will need to fulfill the following minimum requirements:

• Higher education in law, international relations, refugee or migration studies, conflict studies;
• Minimum 5 years of work experience in the field of advocacy, including human rights protection sphere. Experience of work in the sphere of protection of refugees and asylum seekers’ rights in the sphere of providing with the international protection;
• Cultural sensitivity and diplomacy;
• Proven capacity to conduct lobbying and advocacy activities, design, and produce quality knowledge products, including policy and legal papers, etc;
• Experience or knowledge of humanitarian aid and development policy and research as well as specific knowledge and experience in working with refugee human rights situation;
• Knowledge and adherence to the principles of humanitarian work;
• Excellent ability to communicate effectively in English, Ukrainian and Russian, both verbally and in writing;
• Ability to work independently and to meet deadlines;
• Ability to work in close collaboration with team members;
• Good analytical skills and attention to detail;
• Commitment to team work;
• Highly motivated and flexible person.
• High analytical skills, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong negotiation skills.

We Offer

Full-time employment in the friendly and motivating working environment.

Application Process

Motivation letters explaining the interest in the position and CVs in English should be sent to [email protected] with the subject: “Application for the Vacancy of a Legal Analyst / ECHR Advocate REF”.

Only short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview, no late applications will be accepted.

Deadline for applications: 05.11.2018.

Should you have any further questions regarding the vacancy, please contact us via email: [email protected], or by phone: +38 (048) 766-00-04, +38 (093) 662-85-24.

Background Information

Ukraine is a signatory to the 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugees and has undertaken relevant commitments to build asylum protection system on national level in accordance with international standards. However, Ukrainian government provides refugees with very limited support. Under its core mandate UNHCR assists the local government to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees, people who were forced to flee across borders.

The project “Community Empowerment and Social Assistance to Refugees and Asylum seekers” aims at implementing UNHCR social and community empowerment component of the protection response.

Experiences of displacement due to armed conflicts, persecution, or disasters put significant psychological and social stress on individuals, families and communities. The ways in which refugees experience and respond to loss, pain, disruption and violence vary significantly and may in various ways affect their mental health and psychosocial wellbeing or increase their vulnerability to develop mental health problems. Therefore, Mental Health and Psychological Support Service should be an obligatory element of UNHCR refugee response. Mitigating of short-term and long-term risks and consequences for mental health and psychological well-being of persons, families and communities are an integral part of UNHCR protection mandate.

Duties and Responsibilities
The Psychologist as the team member is expected to:

• provide the applicants with psychological service upon their request;
• conduct systematic screening among the concerned population in order to indicate persons with specific psychological needs, in particular SGBV victims, tortures survivors, unaccompanied minors, child soldiers, single women at risk, older persons at risk, disabled persons, members of separated families, etc.;
• develop and implement rehabilitation plans in coordination with team members and the relevant state agencies;
• provide the applicants with urgent psychological assistance;
• file all relevant information on the persons’ of concern (PoCs’) psychological health in personal cases;
• participate in Monthly Subsistence Allowance Committees to consider the issue on financial assistance granting, clarify the psychological state of the applicant and its influence on his self-reliance (if required);
• advice on referring to psychiatric counseling;
• accompany social counselors during home visits to the applicants in order to access their social situation (if required);
• facilitate group therapy (if required);
• provide the psychological staff of Odesa TAC with methodological support (if required);
• engage refugees as peer-to-peer supporters;
• ensure that mental care services are delivered in accordance with UNHCR policies and strategies, minimum of international standards and in line with the government policies.
• assist in mapping the existing state and non-state institutions which provide with psychological services, refer the PoCs’ in the case of need;
• in collaboration with social counselors facilitate the applicants in getting access to the existing institutions of mental health care;
• ensure providing with psychological support with using of AGD-approach.

Qualifications Required:

• General understanding of the UNHCR mission and mandate.
• Master’s degree in Psychology Science.
• At least 3 years of experience in counseling and psychotherapeutic work with consequences of stress, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic consequences of crisis situations.
• Demonstrated expertise in implementing several psychotherapeutic methods.
• Keen capacity to work with various categories of traumatized individuals, such as victims of gender based violence, tortures survivors, child soldiers, unaccompanied or separated minors, others.
• Timely passing self-therapy activities, inter- and supervision sessions.
• Computer skills (MS Office essential).
• Knowledge of oral and written English and Ukrainian.

Skills Required:

• Tolerant behavior in order to respect individuals of various cultures, ages, genders, races, religions, traditions, sexual orientation.
• Team Working in order to work together on the common tasks.
• Time Management Skills in order to analyse the workload, assign priorities, and maintain focus on productive endeavours.
• Written and oral Communication Skills.

Location:
The selected Psychologist will be based with the project team in Odesa and work under the Project Manager supervision.

Conditions:
The contract is expected to begin at the earliest convenience and be available till the end of the 2018. The selected psychologist is expected to share the workload with a colleague of an opposite gender (50%-time employment).

How to apply:
Interested applicants should submit their letter of motivation and CV in English to [email protected] indicating “Psychologist” in the subject of the email.

The deadline for applications is 31 August 2018.

Contacts: +38 048 766 00 04; +38 093 662 85 24

“The Tenth of April” seeks to sustain its workforce diversity. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.