Protection Officer (P)
Organizational Context
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Liberia collaborates with the government, UN agencies, CSOs, and international partners to address migration, humanitarian, and development challenges. The Protection Officer, reporting to the Chief of Mission, will manage and coordinate the Country Office’s Protection Programme, encompassing child protection, counter-trafficking, violence against women and girls, disability inclusion, and assistance to vulnerable migrants.
Job Purpose
The Protection Officer is responsible for managing, coordinating, and overseeing the Country Office’s Protection Programme activities and strategies in Liberia. This includes child protection, counter-trafficking, violence against women and girls, disability inclusion, and assistance to vulnerable migrants. The role involves technical advice, program design, implementation, monitoring, and ensuring adherence to IOM's protection standards and rights-based approaches. The officer will also develop referral pathways, conduct protection risk analyses, manage project implementation, provide operational guidance and mentorship to staff, and represent IOM in coordination meetings. The purpose is to strengthen safe programming, enhance staff and partner protection capacity, and ensure effective responses to the evolving needs of migrants in Liberia.
Responsibilities
Provide technical advice on protection programming and mainstreaming across activities. Design, implement, and monitor protection interventions aligned with IOM standards and rights-based approaches. Offer technical guidance on case management, vulnerability screening, and assistance to vulnerable migrants. Develop and maintain referral pathways and coordination mechanisms with protection actors. Facilitate protection risk analysis and integrate mitigation measures. Review and monitor compliance with IOM protection standards, data protection, and PSEAH commitments. Conduct protection assessments and analyses to inform strategy. Manage protection project implementation, monitoring activities, and expenditures. Provide operational management, guidance, supervision, and mentorship to program staff. Participate in technical coordination meetings and inter-agency forums. Prepare technical inputs for donor reports and project documentation. Develop project proposals and activities based on emerging trends and donor interests. Prepare and submit quality program reports. Develop and maintain data collection and analysis mechanisms for programs. Assess program progress and advise on improvements. Conduct field visits to manage and support program implementation.
Work Experience
Demonstrated experience in migrant protection, child protection, counter-trafficking, Gender-Based Violence (GBV), or protection mainstreaming. Experience in conducting protection assessments, vulnerability analyses, and managing complex protection cases for vulnerable migrants. Experience coordinating with protection actors and establishing referral systems. Experience in developing and delivering protection-related capacity-building activities. Experience in program development and liaising with governmental and international institutions is also required.
Skills
Strong knowledge of migrant protection principles, protection mainstreaming, and specialized programming. Familiarity with IOM and inter-agency protection standards, procedures, and guidelines. Understanding of protection case management, referral systems, and protection-sensitive approaches. Knowledge of IOM protection frameworks, data protection, and PSEAH standards. Excellent management, coordination, and supervisory skills. Strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills. Strong analytical and drafting abilities. Ability to analyze protection risks and provide technical guidance in complex contexts. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.