Overview
The Protection Officer will be responsible for conducting protection assessments, identifying risk mitigation strategies, and ensuring the rigorous application of the Return and Reintegration Due Diligence Process. The role involves providing technical guidance and support to national and international protection staff.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct protection assessments and identify risk mitigation strategies.
- Ensure rigorous application of the Return and Reintegration Due Diligence Process.
- Lead and provide technical guidance and day-to-day support to national and international protection staff.
- Provide technical briefings and structured updates for engagement with Government counterparts.
- Coordinate with IOM missions in countries of origin to facilitate remote counselling, protection assessments, and case specific follow-up.
- Liaise with consular authorities to facilitate access to documentation.
- Collaborate with relevant units and programmes to ensure migrants have access to essential multidisciplinary services.
- Liaise with national actors and relevant protection actors for referrals.
- Ensure appropriate protection information management.
- Ensure compliance with Migrant Management Operational Systems Application (MiMOSA) reporting.
- Oversee protection-related aspects of accommodation facilities.
- Participate in relevant coordination mechanisms or task forces.
- Represent IOM in various meetings and forums.
- Ensure coordinated preparation for return movements.
- Monitor the implementation of protection activities.
- Keep stakeholders informed about ongoing activities and developments.
- Identify operational and protection priorities and coordinate the design of new projects.
- Contribute to budget planning, allocation and monitoring.
- Perform other duties as may be assigned.
Required Experience
- Experience working with migrants, civil society, and governments;
- Proven experience in leading and managing a large multinational team;
- Proven experience managing protection programming across multiple countries, as well as mainstreaming protection across operations;
- Proven experience providing protection and assistance to migrants in vulnerable situations and communicating with individuals who have complex needs;
- Experience working in programs that include a movement operations component is an advantage;
- Experience coordinating complex protection and return cases in legally and politically sensitive contexts, including situations of unclear admission status;
- Experience engaging with consular authorities and multiple IOM missions to facilitate documentation (LPs/TDs), remote counselling, family tracing and reintegration feasibility assessments;
- Experience in budget coordination and donor-compliant resource planning, including inputs to project development for AVR/TCN and protection-related programming;
- Experience with IOM or other UN agencies, particularly working on assisted voluntary return and reintegration, and specialized protection programs, is preferred.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Social Sciences, International Relations/Affairs, Research, Law 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.
