JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

 Position: Legal Officer

Duty Station: Gashora Camp in Bugesera District and Kiziba Camp in Karongi District

Job type: Full-Time

Duration: 7 Months with possibility of extension.

I.    Background

 Prison Fellowship Rwanda (PFR) is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the government of Rwanda and its relevant agencies, local and international partners and volunteers to foster restorative justice, unity and reconciliation, peace building, psychosocial healing initiatives, promotion of human rights and provision of legal assistance and development in Rwanda. Prison Fellowship Rwanda was founded on 01/07/1995, affiliated to the Prison Fellowship International in 1997.  It was officially registered and recognized by the ministerial law no 037/17, of 23/10/2002 as a non- profit organization and published in official gazette of the Republic of Rwanda in 2002.

Prison Fellowship Rwanda in partnership with UNHCR and the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA) is ensuring access to justice and respect of human rights is strengthened by providing legal assistance, legal education, civil registration and documentation to refugees living in different Camps. Currently Prison Fellowship Rwanda is looking for a qualified and highly motivated candidate of high moral character and professional integrity to fulfil the position of Legal Officer to manage the overall project implementation at Camp site.

Key Responsibilities

Under the Supervision of the Project Coordinator, the Legal officer is responsible to undertake the following specific tasks:

1. Ensuring that all project components are implemented according to the project plans, in order to meet all goals and objectives;
2. Be responsible to support the day-to-day management of the project to ensure its effective, efficient and cost-sensitive management;
3. Ensure the annual and quarterly planning, implementation of activities, monitoring/reviewing of activities, timely reporting as per project agreement;
4. Monitor project plans and ensure the overall coordination of the project activities and coordinate the work of paralegals;
5. Conducting group Refugee Status Determination periodic workshops/classes to educate asylum seekers about mandate RSD procedures and how to prepare their claims;
6. Detention monitoring of detention facilities throughout the country to ensure that any detained person of concern receives justice;
7. Ensure that refugees/asylum seekers understand the importance of immediate civil registration;
8. Be responsible for the elaboration of project progress, annual, monthly  and other types of reports;
9. Facilitate Asylum seekers Applicants’ ability to exercise their right, wherever possible;
10. To provide an Asylum seeker’s applicant sound, confidential legal and procedural advice, to ensure that asylum’s applicant refugee claim is fully and accurately presented, and that the asylum seekers Applicant’s rights are protected and respected throughout the UNHCR RSD procedure;
11. Provide assistance with the completion of various form and documents relevant to the RSD process;
12. Develop and encourage new and innovative solutions that will contribute to sustainable improvements of well-being of refugees/asylum seekers ;
13. Providing legal assistance and representation to person of concern;
14. Contributing towards development of IEC materials;
15. Represent the organization in different meetings and other relevant events related to the project;
16. Facilitation of civil registration;
17. Ensure a strong collaboration with partners including UNHCR, MINEMA and other implementing partners on the field;
18. Attendance of interviews throughout the RSD process, including where applicable at the appeal stage, as well as in re-opening procedures and procedures for cancellation, revocation or cessation of refugee status.
19. Leading of awareness-raising sessions on human rights and crime prevention
20. Perform any other task assigned by the management in relation to a success of the project.

II.    Essential skills and qualifications

The candidate must meet the following minimum qualifications and experience:

• Skills and Abilities: Fluency in written and spoken English, Kinyarwanda and Knowledge of French will be added advantage.
• Skills and Competencies: Demonstrated success achieving goals and communicating cross-culturally.
• Be a team player, detail-oriented, patient, professional, and reliable.
• Strongly motivated by humanitarian work
• Able to work under pressure, especially in court hearing proceedings
• Open-minded and adaptable
• At least 3 years of experience of working in the field with direct engagement with persons of concern.
• Demonstrated expertise in the field of Protection, Legal aid, Community rehabilitation services, mediation, counselling, and humanitarian settings.

Qualifications.

• Bachelor in Law; good knowledge of human rights standards, Rwanda national laws, good knowledge of alternative dispute resolution methodologies and RDS procedures

To apply, please send the following by e-mail to [email protected] attaching the following:

Degree and ID;

CV (maximum 3 pages);

Two recommendations of previous relevant work;

All documents should be one PDF document.

Please include ‘’ Legal Officer ’’ in the subject line of the application e-mail. Due to the large number of applications, Prison Fellowship Rwanda will only be able to respond to short-listed candidates. The application deadline is on 18^th/ May/ 2021.

The application can be addressed to the Executive Director of Prison Fellowship Rwanda. For more information about Prison Fellowship Rwanda, consult: www.pfrwanda.com

Done at Kigali on 5^th/May 2021.

Bishop Deogratias GASHAGAZA

Executive Director

Prison Fellowship Rwanda