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Introduction
Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.
IOM is committed to ensuring a workplace where all employees can thrive professionally, while working towards harnessing the full potential of migration. Read more about IOM’s workplace culture at IOM workplace culture | International Organization for Migration
Applications are welcome from first- and second-tier candidates, particularly qualified female candidates as well as applications from the non-represented member countries of IOM. For all IOM vacancies, applications from qualified and eligible first-tier candidates are considered before those of qualified and eligible second-tier candidates in the selection process.
For the purpose of this vacancy, the following are considered first-tier candidates:
Internal candidates
Candidates from the following IOM Member States that are not represented among staff members in the Professional and higher categories: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Comoros, Congo (the), Cook Islands, Dominica, Federated States of Micronesia, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Holy See, Iceland, Israel, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Namibia, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Second tier candidates include:
All external candidates, except candidates from non-represented member states of IOM.
Organizational Context and Scope
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the UN Migration Agency. With 175 member states it is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. Established in 1951 and now active in over 400 field locations worldwide, IOM works with partners, government and civil society to:
1. Assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration and human mobility;
2. Advance understanding of migration issues;
3. Encourage social and economic development through migration; and
4. Uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.
Over the past years, IOM has worked closely with national and local authorities and communities across sub-Saharan Africa to address displacement, supporting the planning of and implementation of evacuation measures, the provision of humanitarian assistance to displaced populations, the coordination and management of sites hosting displaced communities, and promoting the achievement of durable solutions. IOM is also at the forefront of efforts to support the mainstreaming of migration into disaster preparedness, disaster response, disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation into continental, regional, and national development policies and plans, and actively engages with governments, communities, and local partners to build the resilience of communities to climate change.
In May 2023, representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) of the European Commission began discussions on an action to be implemented under the Regional Multi-Annual Indicative Plan for Sub-Saharan Africa (RMIP SSA) for 2024 which resulted in the development of the “Regional Responses to Climate Displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa” programme (RE2CLID) outlining a regional response to climate displacement.
The RE2CLID programme seeks to enhance the resilience, self-reliance, and protection of Displacement-Affected Communities (DACs) living in areas at risk of disasters, environmental degradation, and the adverse effects of climate change. The programme operates across two highly vulnerable sub-regional clusters, inclusive of Cluster 1 – the Lake Tanganyika Basin, encompassing Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania, and Cluster 2 – the Southern Africa and South-West Indian Ocean region, including Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Comoros. The objective of the programme is to improve overall capacity to respond to and increase overall resilience to disaster displacement at the regional level through strategic interventions regionally, nationally, and locally.
The action is framed around three main objectives: Strengthen systems that enable to avert, minimize and address displacement, and promote effective adaptation and resilience of communities most exposed to displacement risks due to climate hazards; Improve the governance and management of natural resources and agricultural land use in ways that create sustainable livelihoods for displaced and host communities; Help population displaced attain climate resilient durable solutions and enable social cohesion in host and return communities. By addressing the root causes of disaster-induced displacement and fostering inclusive, climate-resilient solutions, RE2CLID aims to reduce vulnerability and enhance long-term resilience in displacement-affected communities.
Under the direct supervision of the Regional Deputy Director for Operations, the overall supervision of the Regional Director for East Horn and Southern Africa, and in close coordination with Managing Missions and Country project teams, the Regional Thematic Specialists and the Global Office, the Regional Programme Specialist, Regional Responses to Climate Displacement (RE2CLID) will be responsible and accountable for the overall strategic and technical coordination of the RE2CLID programme to ensure the implementation of harmonized, coherent, and technically sound activities based on timely and informed decision making at regional level. The Regional Programme Specialist, Regional Responses to Climate Displacement (RE2CLID) will also lead regional activities of the RE2CLID, supervise the Regional Support Team, act as the principal focal point for regional organizations, and serve as the primary liaison with the European Commission and other institutional partners at the regional level.
Responsibilities
1. Coordinate the implementation of the programme at regional level and facilitate decision-making in a timely, harmonised/coherent and informed manner at the level of the action.
2. Lead the planning and implementation of regional activities and lead stakeholder engagement and partnership development at regional level and actively identify resource mobilization opportunities to complement, amplify the impact and strengthen the sustainability of RE2CLID initiatives.
3. In coordination with the Managing Missions and Global Office (GO) Brussels, engage regularly with the European Commission on the overall programme strategy and orientation, participate to Regional Steering Committees, and provide high level guidance on the development, implementation and adjustment of programme activities.
4. Work with Managing Missions to ensure alignment with donor requirements and compliance with IOM’s institutional project management policies and procedures, including financial management, human resources, reporting, visibility, and risk management protocols.
5. Ensure the development and use of harmonized systems, procedures and tools for the planning, implementation and monitoring of the project, including budgets, and annual workplans; provide capacity development to missions on their use, and provide troubleshooting in coordination with Cluster Management missions and relevant RO and GO Units.
6. Provide day-to-day technical guidance and support to implementing missions, conduct regular in-country deployments and ensure the integration global policy directions and thematic innovations into RE2CLID programming, in coordination with Managing missions.
7. Identify needs for additional technical and programmatic support and mobilize internal and external resources as necessary in close coordination with the Managing missions, Regional Thematic Specialists, Regional Resource Management Unit, the Global Office and HQ Units.
8. Support the integration of actions to address protection risks, including gender-based violence, and ensure the integration of inclusive approaches within all programme components regionally, emphasizing the active participation of women, children, youth, persons with disabilities, DACs, and marginalized groups.
9. Provide guidance on the development of area-based approaches and localization of activities implemented to ensure the sustainability of actions and the development of exit strategies.
10. Facilitate timely and coherent communication and information sharing across clusters, conduct cross cluster trend analysis and promote cross-cluster and institutional learning, including by preparing policy inputs and capturing lessons from implementation at the regional level.
11. Supervise the Regional Support Team, regularly track progress made in the implementation of the action in coordination with Managing Missions, support problem-solving and escalate any high-level unresolved issues for timely decision-making.
12. Convene and lead the Internal Programme Committee to ensure cross-cluster coordination and strategic alignment and participate in the RE2CLID Senior Management Team meeting to raise unresolved issues and ensure high-level decision-making in coordination with the Deputy Regional Director.
13. Represent IOM and RE2CLID in related regional and global strategic forums, lead advocacy and visibility efforts at the regional level, and ensure the implementation of an effective external communication strategy of programme achievements and lessons learned, in close coordination with Cluster Managing Missions, the European Union Delegations (EUDs), Country managers and IOM’s Media and Communication Department.
14. Serve as the primary liaison with key regional partners, including but not limited to Regional Economic Communities, Regional Organizations, Regional Offices of UN, Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Multilateral Banks etc.
15. Ensure coordination with other IOM offices and programmes not directly included in RE2CLID, identifying synergies, sharing tools, and supporting institutional coherence on disaster preparedness, disaster response, disaster risk reduction, climate action and durable solutions to increase impact of the RE2CLID initiative regionally.
16. Guide Cluster Managing missions with the drafting and timely submission of periodic progress reports, briefings, and other documents, and ensure accurate documentation of RE2CLID programme achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and best practices at regional level.
17. Ensure the implementation of baseline, mid-line and endline assessments regionally.
18. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Education
Master’s degree in international development, International Relations, Social Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Disaster Management, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with at least seven years of relevant professional experience: or,
University degree in the above fields with at least nine years of relevant professional experience.
Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.
Experience
Significant experience in programme management and coordination, including multi-country or regional programmes on disaster preparedness, disaster response, displacement management, disaster risk reduction, and durable solutions is essential.
Extensive operational experience in contexts affected by displacement due to crises – including disasters and conflict – is essential.
Significant experience in developing and implementing area-based and localization strategies is essential.
Extensive experience in coordinating multi-country actions, supervising diverse and multicultural teams, managing technical backstopping structures, and coordinating programme support functions across countries; and,
Strong expertise covering a wide range of thematic areas, particularly those related to displacement management, emergency preparedness, emergency response, disaster risk reduction, durable solutions, climate change adaptation, and environmental governance; with at least six years of relevant experience in displacement crisis and post crisis contexts.
Skills
Proven expertise in designing strategic guidance and operationalizing “whole of displacement” responses across the humanitarian, peace, and development nexus is essential.
Demonstrated expertise in managing large-scale donor-funded initiatives, particularly with the European Union, including donor relations, strategic planning, visibility, and reporting.
Proven ability to lead regional partnership development, policy engagement, and high-level representation, including with UN agencies, regional organizations, government entities, and civil society, in regional and global fora.
Familiarity with regional cooperation mechanisms in areas targeted by the action is highly desirable.
Demonstrated strategic leadership and coordination skills in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, with sound judgment and the ability to make timely, informed decisions.
Capacity to analyse and synthesize technical and policy information and to translate complex concepts into actionable strategies, plans, and guidance.
Proven ability to maintain flexibility and professionalism under pressure, and to adapt quickly to changing priorities and evolving circumstances.
Excellent interpersonal and representational skills, including the ability to communicate effectively, negotiate diplomatically, and foster collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders; and,
High proficiency in digital collaboration tools and office applications, including spreadsheets, databases, and knowledge management systems.
Languages
All IOM staff members in all categories are required to be fluent in one of the IOM’s official languages (English, French, Spanish).
For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written).
Working knowledge of French and Portuguese is highly desirable.
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 five 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 3
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.
Managerial Competencies – behavioural indicators Level 3
Leadership: Provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example and demonstrates the ability to carry out the Organization’s vision. Assists others to realize and develop their leadership and professional potential.
Empowering others: Creates an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.
Building Trust: Promotes shared values and creates an atmosphere of trust and honesty.
Strategic thinking and vision: Works strategically to realize the Organization’s goals and communicates a clear strategic direction.
Humility: Leads with humility and shows openness to acknowledging own shortcomings.
Notes
Internationally recruited professional staff are required to be mobile. Please refer to this link for guidance on IOM Job Category.
Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.
This selection process may be used to staff similar positions in various duty stations. Recommended candidates will remain eligible to be appointed in a similar position for a period of 24 months.
Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, security clearances.
Vacancies close at 23:59 local time Geneva, Switzerland on the respective closing date. No late applications will be accepted.
IOM has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and IOM, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities.
IOM does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training or other fee). IOM does not request any information related to bank accounts.
IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM e-Recruitment system (for internal candidates link here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies
How to apply
Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications HERE by 31 March 2026 at the latest, referring to this advertisement.