Senior Project Associate
Organizational Context
This position is based in Sabah to enhance IOM Malaysia’s operational presence and engagement with local authorities, civil society, community actors, service providers, and partners. The role supports field coordination, stakeholder engagement, activity implementation, and monitoring, contributing to IOM's efforts in strengthening capacities and facilitating partnerships in East Malaysia.
Job Purpose
The Senior Project Associate will strengthen IOM Malaysia’s operational presence in Sabah by supporting day-to-day field coordination, stakeholder engagement, and activity implementation. The role is crucial for planning, coordinating, and monitoring project activities across various portfolios, including migration, protection, and border governance. The incumbent will provide regular updates on developments in Sabah, assist in enhancing government capacities, promote protection-sensitive migration management, and facilitate durable partnerships, thereby contributing significantly to IOM's mission in East Malaysia.
Responsibilities
Support the planning, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of project activities in Sabah in collaboration with the Programme Coordinator and relevant units. Serve as the Sabah-based operational focal point for liaison with state and federal authorities, civil society, community leaders, service providers, and UN agencies. Organize and deliver project activities such as meetings, trainings, workshops, and field assessments. Monitor field implementation, identify challenges, document needs, and propose solutions for timely project delivery. Contribute to strengthening victim identification, referral pathways, and service mapping through engagement with service providers. Assist in collecting, consolidating, and analyzing field information and stakeholder inputs, ensuring data protection compliance. Draft project documentation including reports, briefing notes, and presentations. Support knowledge management by maintaining project archives. Coordinate administrative, logistical, procurement, finance, security, and travel arrangements for project activities in Sabah.
Work Experience
Experience in liaising with governmental authorities, civil society, community actors, and UN agencies in Sabah. Experience in migration, protection, counter-trafficking, community engagement, social services, humanitarian assistance, or development programs. Demonstrated experience in project implementation, field coordination, activity monitoring, report writing, and administrative follow-up. Prior work with international organizations, NGOs, or government institutions in Sabah is advantageous. Familiarity with trafficking in persons, migrant protection, irregular migration, statelessness, labor migration, or border governance issues in Sabah is desirable.
Skills
Excellent coordination, communication, writing, documentation, and computer skills. Strong interpersonal, facilitation, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with sensitivity to local dynamics and diverse communities in Sabah.