VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Post Title:                                Legal Counsellor

Organization:                           Welthungerhilfe (WHH)

Location:                                  Istanbul, Turkey

Duration:                                  1 year with the possibility of extension (2 months probation)

Starting:                                   As soon as possible

Benefits:                                   Competitive package

Application closing Date:         23/08/2020

Background:

Welthungerhilfe is a private, non-profit-making, politically independent and non-denominational organization that supports people living in deprivation and poverty, irrespective of the color of their skin, their religious beliefs or their worldview. WHH is working in the fields of development cooperation and humanitarian aid, relief aid, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

The main purpose of the project is to facilitate access to qualified protection services for people in need, whether provided by public institutions or by providing services directly through WHH or through project partners.

Additionally, the project will focus on capacity building for local partners and duty bearers alike, as well as engaging with targeted communities in order to identify protection risks through protection monitoring.

WHH implements projects in Turkey assisting Syrians under Temporary Protection in their various needs, ranging from the provision of basic needs requirements through cash transfer, protection related interventions and livelihoods activities. WHH receives funds from its donors for its projects. At times the duration of the announced post may be extended, however if funds are cancelled or cannot finance an extension, the activities may stop completely or partially before the envisaged date and the employment contract shall be terminated.

Position Summary:

The Legal Counsellor is responsible to provide direct counselling to refugees with legal needs, provide technical support the case management team for case follow up and organize awareness raising activities for refugees. He/she will advocate for vulnerable refugees and/or high-risk cases to access their rights. Legal Counsellor will represent WHH vis-a-vis other NGOs, in coordination efforts with local authorities and other stakeholders for protection related matters.

Responsibilities of Legal Counsellor:

Technical advice and guidance

• Provide individual counselling to beneficiaries on legal rights and obligations
• Conduct the case management steps for legal cases, closely work and follow up with case management team
• Supervise case management team for their cases’ legal problems
• Apply to public institutions on behalf of beneficiaries or accompany them there when necessary
• Identify and report the needs of legal information among refugee community, plan and implement awareness raising activities accordingly
• Monitor the data and trends in protection, especially for refugees’ registration and access to services, and report them as required.
• Engage with relevant stakeholders (counterparts in project partners, other NGOs, bar associations international organisations and public institutions) for cooperation and case referrals
• Conduct case-based advocacy, especially for high-risk cases, through petition writing, applying to relevant institutions and other proper methods
• Support content creation for information dissemination
• Regularly follow up the updates of legislation and legal practices regarding refugees in Turkey, provide timely inputs and feedback to project management by clarification on legal language
• Actively participate in cluster/coordination meetings and ensure effective information flow for updates.

Reporting and Communications:

• Weekly and/or monthly-based reporting to Head of Project
• Sustain relations with stakeholders in the field
• Work closely with WHH Case Management team and Protection Expert in İstanbul
• Coordinate with different departments within the organization upon request of the management team

Representation

• Attend and feedback to relevant coordination meetings, clusters and/or working groups
• Represent WHH towards other NGOs in protection sector, as well as public institutions

General

• Respect confidentiality of work contents and rights of the clients
• Maintain professional boundaries at all times

In addition to the above, the Legal Counsellor may be asked to carry out other duties requested by the Head of Project.

Required Qualifications:      

• Education: Bachelor’s degree of Law from reputable a university in Turkey. Proven academic studies in human rights, refugee law and migration management would be highly desirable. Certified trainings on refugee protection and humanitarian work standards are assets.
• Work Experience: At least 2 years of experience in refugee protection projects in a similar position.
  • Previous working experience in NGOs and/or international organizations is a must
  • Previous experience in working in accordance to international standards of case management, child protection, SGBV is highly desirable
  • Knowledge of the Turkey refugee context (Syrian and non-Syrian) and of relevant legislation is a must.

Technical Skills:

• Excellent command of legislation regarding refugees
• Experience of face-to-face information provision to refugees
• Sound knowledge of protection and case management
• Experience in organizing awareness raising activities for groups
• Good presentation skills
• Good command of Microsoft office tools (MS Word, MS Excel, Outlook at a minimum)

Personality requirements

• Good team player, strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work within different cultural environments
• Self-motivated and able to work proactively
• Ability to motivate and develop skills of others
• Decision-making skills and problem-solving ability
• Very good communication skills
• Attentive to details
• Co-operative

Language Skills: Excellent command of English and Turkish (written and spoken). Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.

The Legal Counsellor will be obliged to maintain confidentiality regarding all information obtained in the course of his/her work during the employment at Welthungerhilfe and thereafter.

Application instructions:

The applicants should submit a letter of motivation and CV in English to gelbasla.com by 23/08/2020 at the latest. CV should include information about education, qualifications, professional experience and professional references.

Referance code: Job Application Legal Counsellor –TUR1006

Please be advised that only short-listed candidates will be contacted. WHH reserves the right to recruit a candidate who matches the required profile before the above deadline.