Protection Officer

International Organization for Migration

Under the overall supervision of the Thematic Specialist in the Regional Office and direct supervision of the Chief of Mission (CoM), and in close cooperation with relevant departments at Headquarters (HQs) and Regional Office (RO), the Protection Officer will be responsible and accountable for managing, coordinating and overseeing the Country Office s (CO) Protection Programme activities and strategies, including child protection, counter-trafficking and smuggling of migrants, violence against women and girls, men and boys, Disability Inclusion, assistance to vulnerable migrants, and overall specialized protection programming in the CO.

Education

• Master s degree in International Relations, Political Science, Humanitarian Affairs, Economic Development, Business or Public Administration, International Studies or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience, or;
• University degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Experience in programme development and capacity-building activities;
• Experience in direct implementation of protection interventions, particularly, GBV;
• Experience in supervising protection risk assessments and protection monitoring;
• Experience in liaising with governmental and diplomatic authorities as well as with national and international institutions; and,
• Experience in organizing consultations, workshops and seminars with high level stakeholders.

Skills

• Proven ability to establish and maintain strong working relations with relevant Government counterparts, international organizations and private sector entities;
• Excellent management, coordination, and information management skills;
• Detailed knowledge of the UN System, NGOs and other international organizations/institutions;
• Knowledge of protection programming, migration data, labour migration patterns and ability to negotiate with government authorities;
• Good knowledge of human and financial resources management;
• Strong conceptualization, analytical and writing skills;
• Strong communication, organizational and interpersonal relationship skills;
• In depth knowledge of the broad range of migration related subject areas dealt with by the Organization;
• Knowledge of UN and bilateral donor programming; and,
• Capacity to establish and maintain partnerships with development partners, government counterparts, UN agencies, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders.

Languages

IOM s official languages are English, French and Spanish. All staff members are required to be fluent in one of the the three languages.

For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written). Working knowledge of Arabic and French, and of another official UN language (Chinese, Russian, and Spanish) is an advantage.

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.

Required Competencies

IOM s competency framework can be found at this link Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.

Values- all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
• Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies behavioural indicators Level 2

• Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organization s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
• Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way

1. Oversee and manage the Protection programming across the CO and provide technical support to other units of the CO on Protection Mainstreaming to ensure safe programming and capacity development.
2. Oversee the effective development and implementation of CO s Protection, AAP and MHPSS, PSEA programming by exercising administrative, operational and financial management for relevant projects.
3. Provide operational management, guidance and supervision to the Head of Protection Center and its staff, assisting on programmatic strategy and implementation, including where to focus programme resources and address operational challenges with focus on protection. Mentor and support staff, conduct relevant trainings and ensure capacity building of Programme staff.
4. Support the HoP and CoM in the implementation and mainstreaming of the programmatic strategy; provide technical inputs on where to focus programme resources and recommendations to address operational challenges as they arise, in close coordination with the Protection Division at RO/HQ and other relevant Units at RO/HQ ensuring consistency with IOM policies, guidance and global standards.
5. Establish, maintain and further expand strong relationships across UN Agencies, humanitarian organizations, government and community interlocutors, and with a broad range of other local interests toward the successful implementation of CO s Protection programming and MHPSS Programmes including IOM s representation at national and international levels.