Protection Program, Senior Legal Officer

Saint Andrew’s Refugee Services, Cairo

Call for Applications: Protection Program, Senior Legal Officer

Founded in 1979, StARS is a refugee service provider in central Cairo that works to enhance the quality of life for refugees and vulnerable migrants through five broad program areas: education, psychosocial, legal, community outreach and unaccompanied youth and children support services. We provide high-quality services meeting the unaddressed needs of refugees, and we provide a safe and inclusive space for displaced people to come together as a community. We work for refugees, with refugees, to make rights recognition a reality.

StARS’ Mission: Driven by a commitment to solidarity and human dignity, StARS works both as displaced people and for displaced people to support the resilience and leadership of individuals and communities in their pursuit of an enhanced quality of life.

StARS’ Vision: StARS envisions a future where displaced people and the societies they join stand in solidarity, recognizing the strength and leadership of refugees. In this world, the displaced thrive with dignity, claiming their rights and enriching our shared human experience.

Standard of Professional Conduct: StARS and all its staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in StARS’ Code of Conduct, Child Safeguarding Policy, and PSEAH policy.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: StARS is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. StARS expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.

We serve people from many places, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

To learn more please visit our website: www.stars-egypt.org or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/standrewsrefugeeservices?fref=ts

Description of the Program: Refugee Legal Aid Program

The Refugee Legal Aid Program provides advice and representation to refugees seeking recognition by UNHCR through refugee status determination procedures in Egypt, assists refugees in accessing resettlement to safe third countries, and advises refugees on protection matters. The Refugee Legal Aid Program is seeking a Protection Senior Legal Officer to assist and advise vulnerable refugees on protection matters.

Role

Under the supervision of the Director of the Refugee Legal Aid Program and Protection Program Coordinator, the Protection Senior Legal Officer is responsible for the supervision of the Refugee Legal Aid Program drop-in and emergency response clinic, and for supervising provision of advice to refugees and vulnerable migrants approaching StARS for emergency legal support and referral. The Protection Senior Legal Officer is responsible for reviewing intakes conducted by Legal Officers to ensure appropriate and accurate follow-up and/or advice is provided to refugees and vulnerable migrants, as well as reviewing and making referrals to UNHCR for registration and/or legal assistance, and internal referral within the Refugee Legal Aid Program for refugee status determination or resettlement screening. The Protection Senior Legal Officer is also responsible for training Legal Officers on conducting intakes, preparing referrals for legal assistance or UNHCR registration. Further responsibilities include protection casework in complex or urgent cases, coordination with other StARS departments to facilitate referrals from the Refugee Legal Aid Program's drop-in clinic to other StARS services to address extralegal needs, and supporting the Protection Program Coordinator in preparing reports.

Responsibilities

Legal and Technical

• In collaboration with the Protection Program Coordinator, review and improve intake and screening procedures for identifying at-risk refugees and vulnerable migrants to be prioritized for services.
• Monitor on a daily basis the progress of the Refugee Legal Aid Program’s drop-in and emergency response services to ensure that clients’ needs are addressed promptly.
• Adapt the assignment of Legal Officers to respond to higher numbers of clients approaching the Refugee Legal Aid Program drop-in and emergency response clinic.
• Supervise and review emergency and drop-in intakes of potential clients.
• Review recommended follow-up actions and advice provided by Legal Officers to clients accessing the Refugee Legal Aid Program’s drop-in and emergency response clinic.
• Maintain good working knowledge of UNHCR policies and procedures.
• Support Legal Officers prepare referrals to other services on behalf of clients accessing the Refugee Legal Aid Program’s drop-in and emergency response clinic.
• Support Legal Officers in drafting, and reviewing detention reports and referrals for legal assistance to UNHCR’s Protection Unit.
• Support Legal Officers by reviewing and submitting referrals to UNHCR’s Registration and Protection Units to resolve registration and legal hurdles.
• Support Legal Officers with follow-up communication and inquiries to UNHCR regarding legal, registration and resettlement cases.
• Supervise the general legal counseling and advice provided to refugees regarding their applications for registration, protection, and resettlement with UNHCR.
• Supervise Legal Officers in providing general assistance and counseling to refugees regarding access to complementary pathways and family reunification.
• Ensure that assessments conducted through the drop-in and emergency response clinic assess extra-legal needs of clients.
• Support Legal Officers in referring clients to other StARS Programs or external service providers as appropriate.
• Undertake comprehensive case management practices including maintaining and updating electronic databases and records for each client, and keeping detailed notes of all casework activities.
• Adhere to the Nairobi Code of Ethics, the StARS Policies and Procedures Manual, and the StARS Code of Conduct.

Programmatic

• Assist the Refugee Legal Aid Program Coordinators in development and implementation of team policies and procedures.
• Support with development of contingency plans to ensure appropriate coverage of the Refugee Legal Aid Program’s drop-in and emergency response clinics.
• Ensure a limited backlog of clients pending follow-up is built up from the Refugee Legal Aid Program drop-in and emergency response clinic.
• Provide case reporting data to the Refugee Legal Aid Program Coordinators as requested for purposes of accurately reporting work to senior management, funders, and others.
• Attend and contribute to team meetings and other staff meetings.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with refugee communities in Cairo in collaboration with StARS’ Community Outreach Department.
• Build and maintain relationships with psychosocial and education staff and operational partners.

Supervisory

• Supervise the Refugee Legal Aid Program Legal Officers.
• Assist the Refugee Legal Aid Program Coordinators in the recruitment of volunteer legal advisors and other staff.
• Assist the Refugee Legal Aid Program’s Coordinators in conducting intensive two-to-three-week training for new volunteers and staff two to three times per year.
• Under the supervision of the Protection Program Coordinator, to train Legal Officers upon program induction and following development and implementation of new services.
• Assist the Refugee Legal Aid Program Coordinators in the management of staff caseloads, and the provision of case specific advice.
• Engage proactively in promoting self-care among volunteers and other staff.
• Ensure high quality legal advice and representation and a refugee rights-based approach.

Finance and Administration

• Undergo probation and regular performance appraisals.

Communication and Reporting

• Communicate regularly with the Refugee Legal Aid Program Coordinators, reporting on all major issues and developments in the field and within the Refugee Legal Aid Program.
• Conduct trend analysis through a quarterly review of the Refugee Legal Aid Program’s drop-in and emergency response services, including the number of clients accessing services, the reasons for clients to seek the Refugee Legal Aid Program’s assistance, and the follow-up services provided by the Refugee Legal Aid Program.
• Promote information-sharing within the Refugee Legal Aid Program and StARS on all issues affecting the populations we serve.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will be energetic, articulate, and comfortable interacting with diverse segments of society. They will have demonstrated a firm commitment to human rights and refugee issues.

Essential Qualifications

• Current or previous lived experience of forced displacement.
• English being the official language of UNHCR Egypt and StARS, the Protection Senior Legal Officer must have a strong command in oral and written English.
• Fluency in Arabic or another language spoken by refugee communities in Egypt.
• A minimum of one year of experience in working with refugees in legal or protection issues OR an undergraduate university degree in a related field (international development, international law, development or political studies) with relevant experience OR a qualified lawyer in any jurisdiction (J.D., LLB or equivalent) with relevant experience.
• Excellent legal research, analytical, and drafting skills.
• Knowledge of UNHCR guidelines and procedures.
• High computer literacy level.
• Knowledge of the general protection situation and vulnerabilities of refugees in Egypt.
• A demonstrated commitment to and sensitivity toward vulnerable or displaced people.
• Ability to live and work in a fluid security environment.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, well organized, self-motivated, and reliable.
• Demonstrated compassion for refugees and displaced people.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team as well as individually.
• A positive attitude and sensitive manner when dealing with clients including a range of interviewing skills for dealing with challenging scenarios, particularly in advocating for survivors of violence, trafficking, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence.

Desirable Characteristics

• Experience designing and conducting training for non-technical audiences.
• Managerial experience or familiarity with volunteer oversight.
• Life and work experience in Egypt or with an urban refugee population.

Working Hours: The Protection Senior Legal Officer is expected to be at work for 40 hours per week, between the hours of 9am and 5pm, from Sunday to Thursday. Longer hours, evening and weekend work are sometimes necessary. Work will be conducted both in StARS premises and also in refugee communities and centers.

Reporting to: Protection Coordinator

StARS salaries are standardized per position according to a pay scale and are not negotiable based on the individual experiences and qualifications of the candidate. StARS salaries are competitive with the local market. Position salary will be discussed at the shortlisting and interview stage.

This position is subject to a three-month probationary period, at which time the employee’s performance will be reviewed.

Closing date for applications: 14 February 2026

Anticipated Starting date: 22 February 2026

To apply: Please send your Cover Letter and CV and brief legal writing sample to applications@stars-egypt.org using the subject line “Protection Senior Legal Officer”. All applications should provide contact information for two professional/academic reference (referees will only be contacted after interviews).

Note: Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for an interview.

StARS salaries are standardized per position according to a pay scale and are not negotiable based on the individual experiences and qualifications of the candidate. StARS salaries are competitive with the local market. Position salary will be discussed at the shortlisting and interview stage.

This position is subject to a three-month probationary period, at which time the employee’s performance will be reviewed.

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal candidate will be energetic, articulate, and comfortable interacting with diverse segments of society. They will have demonstrated a firm commitment to human rights and refugee issues.

Essential Qualifications

• Current or previous lived experience of forced displacement.
• English being the official language of UNHCR Egypt and StARS, the Protection Senior Legal Officer must have a strong command in oral and written English.
• Fluency in Arabic or another language spoken by refugee communities in Egypt.
• A minimum of one year of experience in working with refugees in legal or protection issues OR an undergraduate university degree in a related field (international development, international law, development or political studies) with relevant experience OR a qualified lawyer in any jurisdiction (J.D., LLB or equivalent) with relevant experience.
• Excellent legal research, analytical, and drafting skills.
• Knowledge of UNHCR guidelines and procedures.
• High computer literacy level.
• Knowledge of the general protection situation and vulnerabilities of refugees in Egypt.
• A demonstrated commitment to and sensitivity toward vulnerable or displaced people.
• Ability to live and work in a fluid security environment.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, well organized, self-motivated, and reliable.
• Demonstrated compassion for refugees and displaced people.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team as well as individually.
• A positive attitude and sensitive manner when dealing with clients including a range of interviewing skills for dealing with challenging scenarios, particularly in advocating for survivors of violence, trafficking, torture, and sexual and gender-based violence.

Desirable Characteristics

• Experience designing and conducting training for non-technical audiences.
• Managerial experience or familiarity with volunteer oversight.
• Life and work experience in Egypt or with an urban refugee population.