Project Officer, Protection Mainstreaming

Organizational Context

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), established in 1951, is a UN-related agency focused on promoting humane and orderly migration. It provides services and support to governments and migrants, aiming to save lives, protect people on the move, and facilitate regular migration pathways. The organization is committed to a respectful, inclusive, and supportive workplace. This role operates within the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), where IOM provides essential services like case processing, health assessments, cultural orientation, and transportation.

Job Purpose

This Project Officer position is crucial for implementing protection mainstreaming efforts within the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) support for the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Working under the guidance of the Senior Programme Coordinator, Protection Mainstreaming, the role ensures that IOM's Resettlement Support Center (RSC) activities adhere to protection standards, including accountability to affected populations. The purpose is to enhance the safety, dignity, and access of vulnerable individuals throughout the resettlement process. This involves supporting the identification and assistance of at-risk cases, managing feedback mechanisms, providing training to staff, and ensuring program accessibility. The role contributes to the overall effectiveness and protection-sensitive delivery of USRAP services, aligning with IOM's mandate to protect people on the move.

Responsibilities

The Project Officer is responsible for supporting the implementation of protection mainstreaming and accountability to affected populations within RSC activities. This includes ensuring adherence to relevant standards and guidelines, providing support to vulnerable individuals, managing and reviewing access initiatives, and enhancing feedback and complaint mechanisms. The role involves hiring, training, and supervising protection mainstreaming staff. The officer will coordinate with relevant USRAP colleagues to apply minimum standards and provide feedback on the use and development of protection tools and materials. Key duties include identifying and supporting vulnerable individuals, managing expedite processes, conducting data reviews, and making protection referrals. The officer will also support periodic reviews of RSC activities for accessibility, maintain community feedback mechanisms, and contribute to information sharing on protection mainstreaming topics. Training RSC personnel on protection mainstreaming is a core responsibility, along with supporting monitoring efforts and liaising with external partners on protection-related concerns. The role requires demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of USRAP, upholding professional conduct, and ensuring confidentiality.

Work Experience

Required experience includes work in RSC processing activities, monitoring program implementation, analyzing data, and preparing reports. Experience in protection or social work, particularly with vulnerable groups, is essential. The role also requires experience liaising with government counterparts, UN agencies, and NGOs, as well as familiarity with refugee migration issues. Completed formal training or awareness-raising about the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) is also necessary.

Skills

Key skills include strong drafting and documentation abilities for reports and briefing materials. The candidate must demonstrate responsibility, effective stakeholder engagement, continuous learning, clear communication, initiative, and strong performance management. Planning, risk anticipation, and goal setting within the area of responsibility are crucial. Mastery of the subject matter, contribution to a collegial team environment, incorporation of gender perspectives, and awareness of technological solutions are also important. The ability to coordinate actions with partners, deliver objectives in challenging situations, and work effectively with local authorities and beneficiaries to advance objectives is required.

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