Head of Partnership and Programme Support Unit (P)

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations and the leading UN agency in the field of migration. Working closely with governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental partners, IOM promotes humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It saves lives and protects people on the move, drives solutions to displacement, and facilitates pathways for regular migration, while providing services and advice to governments and migrants. 

IOM is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive and supportive workplace where all employees can thrive professionally and feel valued. By creating such an environment, IOM aims to better harness the full potential of migration and strengthen its support to people on the move.

IOM invites candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply and provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process when required. Learn more about IOM’s workplace culture at IOM workplace culture | International Organization for Migration.

Applications are welcome from first- and second-tier candidates, particularly qualified female candidates as well as applications from the non-represented member countries of IOM. For all IOM vacancies, applications from qualified and eligible first-tier candidates are considered before those of qualified and eligible second-tier candidates in the selection process. 

For the purpose of this vacancy, the following are considered first-tier candidates:

1. Internal candidates
2. Candidates from the following IOM Member States that are not represented among staff members in the Professional and higher categories: 

Bahamas, Barbados, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Congo (the), Cook Islands, Dominica, Federated States of Micronesia, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Holy See, Iceland, Israel, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Namibia, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Vanuatu 
 

Second tier candidates include:
All external candidates, except candidates from non-represented member states of IOM.

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Mission (COM) and in close coordination with the Head of Programmes (HOP) and relevant units at country, regional and headquarters levels, the Head of Partnership and Programme Support Unit will be responsible for managing the Unit, which encompasses Programme Development and Reporting, Strategic Communications, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL), and Information and Knowledge Management.

The Head of Partnership and Programme Support Unit will support the COM and HOP in strengthening mission-wide programme quality, portfolio coherence, strategic planning, resource mobilisation, donor engagement and internal coordination. This includes oversight of the project pipeline, proposal development, donor and institutional reporting, partnership intelligence, evidence generation, quality assurance, compliance-sensitive documentation, and contributions to UN, government, and inter-agency frameworks, in line with IOM standards and the One UN approach.

1. Support the Chief of Mission (COM) and Head of Programmes (HOP) on the Country Office’s (CO) strategic planning and positioning, including the development of strategies, appeals and other strategic submissions aligned with IOM global and regional priorities, the Strategic Results Framework, Rwanda’s national priorities and relevant UN frameworks.
2. Support the CO's resource mobilisation efforts by analysing migration trends, donor and country policies and priorities, funding opportunities and partnership entry points, and defining and implementing proactive fundraising strategies in coordination with Programme Managers and relevant units.
3. Lead the development and implementation of the CO’s donor and partner outreach approach, maintaining strategic dialogue with existing and prospective partners and positioning the Mission’s priorities.
4. Coordinate and oversee development of MEAL systems in line with IOM’s Strategic Results Framework (SRF) to put forth mission-level results-based management, ensuring that results, deliverables, risks and performance trends are assessed, and that evidence and lessons inform programme quality, strategic planning and adaptive management.
5. Support policy, government liaison and external engagement functions, ensuring consistency of institutional messaging, adherence to reporting and escalation protocols, and alignment with the CO's strategic priorities.
6. Coordinate CO contributions to UN, government and inter-agency planning, programming and reporting processes, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and other relevant national, regional and institutional frameworks.
7. Lead programme and project development, including concept notes, proposals, results matrices, budgets, appeals and Project Information and Management Application (PRIMA) submission packages, ensuring a results-based approach and compliance with IOM standards, donor requirements and internal clearance processes.

8. Maintain strategic oversight of the CO’s project portfolio and pipeline, including reporting obligations, revisions, extensions, closures, expenditure trends, delivery constraints and key risks; maintain mission-level project information, management dashboards, institutional records and lessons learned; and ensure timely analysis, escalation and follow-up with the HOP, Resources Management Unit (RMU) and Programme Managers.

9. Oversee donor and institutional reporting and quality assurance processes, ensuring that proposals, reports, strategic documents and visibility products are accurate, evidence-based and compliant with IOM standards, donor obligations, data protection requirements and institutional clearance procedures.
10. Manage the Partnership and Programme Support Unit and provide strategic oversight of its Programme Development and Reporting, Strategic Communications, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning, and Information and Knowledge Management functions, ensuring coherent work planning, supervision and timely support to programme teams.
11. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

• Master’s degree in Political or Social Science, International Relations, International Development, 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.

Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.

• Experience in programme development, donor reporting, strategic planning, results-based management, resource mobilisation and project cycle management in humanitarian, development or migration-related contexts;
• Experience supervising staff and coordinating cross-functional teams, including reporting, MEAL, communications, donor relations or knowledge management functions; and,

• Experience liaising with donors, government counterparts, United Nations agencies and internal institutional stakeholders, including Regional Office (RO) and Headquarters (HQ), is required.

   

• Strong knowledge of programme quality, proposal development, donor reporting, portfolio monitoring, compliance and results-based management;
• Advanced research, writing, outreach and communications skills;
• Good understanding of MEAL concepts, results frameworks, indicators, evaluation planning, data quality assurance and learning processes; and,

• Demonstrable knowledge of Rwanda’s political, development, migration and humanitarian context.

   

For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written).

Working knowledge of another official UN languages (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.

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.

Internationally recruited professional staff are required to be mobile. Please refer to this link for guidance on IOM Job Category. Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation. This selection process may be used to staff similar positions in various duty stations. Recommended candidates will remain eligible to be appointed in a similar position for a period of 24 months.

Appointment will be subject to all clearances, including medical and security, as well as accreditation, and any residency or visa requirements. Vacancies close at 23:59 local time in Geneva, Switzerland on the respective closing date. No late applications will be accepted.

IOM has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and IOM, including sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and any forms of discrimination. IOM is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

IOM conducts reference checks and background verification, including through system-wide databases such as ClearCheck, to help ensure that candidates have no record of misconduct, including on sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, or fraud. Candidates are expected to uphold these standards and principles at all times.

IOM does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process—whether for application, interview, processing, training, or otherwise—and does not request any information related to bank accounts.

IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM WAVE system (for internal candidates, link here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies.