IOM Ethiopia is in the process of consolidating its protection work into a thematic Protection Unit which will encompass and supervise all protection work that is currently fragmented across various programmes, notably the Migration Management and Governance, Immigration and Border Governance, Cross border Response, Preparedness and Response, Peace and Development coordination, Public Health among others. Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Mission, and the direct supervision of the Head of Programmes and in close coordination with all relevant stakeholders, the Senior Programme Officer (Protection) will lead the Protection Unit and provide thematic guidance and formulate, develop and manage IOM Ethiopia’s Protection portfolio and exercise technical, operational, financial and administrative management responsibility for projects and/or programmes in coordination with the relevant Programme Managers. The Senior Programme Officer (Protection) will also develop and manage the implementation of the country's protection strategy.

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

1. Develop, plan and implement protection strategy and provide strategic oversight, leadership, and management of the Protection Unit, from staff management, recruitment, supervision, resource mobilization and planning, monitoring the quality of activities and ensuring adaptation of response.

2. Provide guidance and the elaboration and follow-up of work plans, monitoring, evaluation and reporting systems as well as operational administrative and financial management for the protection aspects of relevant portfolios under Immigration and Border Governance, Cross border Response, Preparedness and Response, Peace and Development coordination, Migration management and Governance, Public Health projects and Guide Project Managers (PMs) implementing protection programmes to maintain oversight of project cycles, and ensure programmes are consistent with audit and donor requirements.

3. Lead in mainstreaming of protection across all IOM Ethiopia’s interventions in line with IOM internal guidance into overall IOM response and decision-making.

4. In coordination with Headquarters (HQ) and RO (Regional Office) Protection Division (PXD), advocate for and disseminate the protection division mandate, provide authoritative advice and direction for training and capacity building sessions where needed in line with IOM and global standards.

5. Develop and update an IOM Protection strategy based on a Protection Analysis, for IOM Ethiopia that is inscribed with IOM country, regional and global strategic frameworks, and in coordination with the PXD HQ, and RO Nairobi Emergency and Post Crises (EPC) and PXD teams. Ensure coherent, consistent and complementary protection activities and approaches within various programmes and projects. Regularly update the senior management on the protection mainstreaming and key protection challenges arising in various programmes and advise on a course of actions to be taken to address them.

6. In link with PXD HQ, Global MHPSS, and RO Nairobi as relevant, and in close cooperation with the protection project managers, oversee the updating of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and ensure the continuous review and adaptation of the SOPs and other tools for protection, child protection and gender-based violence (GBV) casework, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) programmes, and community engagement strategies. Oversee the endorsement and good application of a multi-partners referral pathway for critical incidents case management and child protection including unaccompanied and separated children (UASC).

7. In coordination with relevant programme managers, oversee and ensure the integrity and quality of the response for persons with specific needs and vulnerabilities, including unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) and ensure the development and implementation of early identification procedures, referral pathways, trends analysis and risk mitigation.

8. Ensure the recruitment of a qualified Protection team including Protection (directly) and MHPSS(in coordination with MHPSS HQ) and organigram based on the Protection analysis and strategy, assessment of risks, needs of the population, staffing requirements and programme capacities. Establish a delegation of tasks for the overall management of the IOM protection team.

9. Ensure regular collaboration and communication among all protection colleagues, including protection officers and caseworkers; MHPSS teams; interpreters/cultural mediators and child protection specialists and the rest of the IOM Ethiopia’s teams. Maintain regular communication with the protection experts in IOM Headquarters (HQ-PXD) and RO Nairobi EPC and PXD to ensure the operations priorities and protection issues are also flagged globally.

10. Actively participate in internal and multi-partner senior management coordination meetings. Liaise with key protection partners including the implementing partners. Represent IOM and the Protection portfolio in coordination fora and other meetings, in coordination with IOM EPC and PXD RO and HQ represent the Organization in regional and global level protection platforms.

11. Liaise and coordinate all matters related to protection with other IOM missions as needed, and more specifically support as required by the Protection team and operations in Sub Offices.

12. Provide strategic advice, guidance and expertise to partners and team members and all mission staff, including overseeing training on protection-related matters, including protection mainstreaming in all the responses; protection principles; child safeguarding and child protection; accountability to affected populations (AAP); gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response; prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation (PSEA); disseminate tools and guidance to build a protective environment.

13. Serve as the mission PSEA focal point for the mission and work with the PSEA national officers, programme managers and project developers to ensure appropriate PSEA integration into programme design and implementation. Act as PSEAH focal point for the mission ensuring high-level support to PSEAH activities and integration into programmes.

14. Establish and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders on Protection-related matters through potential new joint or integrated activities, or ensuring the implementation of ongoing coordination or joint activities.

15. Make strategic recommendations, provide advice and regular updates on the implications of established programmes, policies needs, plans, priorities and strategic objectives to the Head of Programmes, and prepare reports covering protection-related activities; briefing, statistical/narrative reports and background notes including specific information requested by IOM, the Donor, Governments, and other entities. Ensure all reporting requirements are met promptly.

16. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education

• Master's degree in Political or Social Sciences, International Development, Law and/or International Relations, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with seven years of relevant professional experience; or,

• University degree in the above fields with nine years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Specific experience working within the humanitarian protection sector, including established programme coordination, representation, and managerial responsibilities;

• Proven experience managing complex emergency, humanitarian, and transitional programming;

• Demonstrated experience in implementing and supervising case management programmes, including through remote support;

• Proven experience in the field of prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence;

• Experience in the management of counter-human trafficking projects and/or in conducting complex case management;

• Demonstrated experience in advocacy on sensitive matters;

• Experience in liaising with governmental authorities, and other national/international institutions;

• Demonstrated experience in working with multisectoral coordination system in Nexus (Humanitarian, development, peacebuilding);

• Extensive experience in coordinating activities with various stakeholders both at the global level and in the field, including with implementing partners;

• Professional experience in the humanitarian and development fields relating to migration, refugee, and IDP issues, showing increasing levels of responsibility; and,

• Professional experience should include fieldwork in multiple duty stations

Skills

• In-depth knowledge of the broad range of migration-related subject areas dealt with by the organization;

• Excellent donor liaison and fundraising skills;

• Excellent track record of effective working relationships with the private sector, government officials, and UN agencies;

• Proven leadership and negotiation skills, particularly in a multi-stakeholder and multi-cultural environment;

• Sound knowledge of financial and business administration and management practices/principles;

• Sound and proven understanding of internal and international migration issues as they relate to migration policies;

• In-depth knowledge of UN and bilateral donor programming; and,

• Knowledge of IOM project development procedures (including PRIMA) and processes

Languages

IOM’s official languages are English, French, and Spanish. All staff members are required to be fluent in one of the three languages.

For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written). Working knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an advantage.

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified applicants can apply online using THIS LINK