Protection Officer (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, 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 overall supervision of the Chief of Mission (COM) and the direct supervision of the Head of Programme and in close coordination with relevant units in the Country Office (CO), Regional Office (RO) at Headquarters (HQ), Protection Division (PXD), Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), the Protection Officer will provide strategic, technical and managerial coordination for IOM Guinea’s Protection portfolios.

The Protection Officer will have mission-wide responsibility for the implementation of the Protection programming, ensuring high-quality implementation, donor compliance and alignment with IOM policies and international standards.

The position will ensure coherence, complementarity and alignment of protection and MHPSS interventions, with a strong focus on:

• Protection and assistance to Guinean returnees in situations of vulnerability;
• Strengthening national and local protection, MHPSS and referral systems;
• Reinforcement of government and partner technical capacities; and,
• Transition from direct assistance toward sustainable, nationally anchored systems.

The Protection Officer will supervise the mission’s protection and MHPSS teams, and will contribute to the development of partnerships, referral mechanisms, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and inter‑sectoral coordination frameworks in line with IOM policies and international standards.

A- Strategic Leadership & Programme Management

1. →

   Coordinate the implementation of IOM Guinea’s Protection portfolios, ensuring coordination between different protection projects and thematic areas.

2. →

   Manage the full implementation of protection programmes, including planning, budgeting, donor compliance, reporting, monitoring of results and coordination with consortium partners and national counterparts.

3. →

    Provide technical support and guidance to all protection teams, including cross-cutting thematic areas and multi-sectoral projects. 

4. →

   Contribute to the development of new protection and/or MHPSS project proposals, building on lessons learned, identified gaps and emerging needs.

    

B- Team Management & Supervision 

1. →

   Provide direct supervision and technical guidance to the mission’s protection and MHPSS teams. 

2. →

   Ensure effective workload planning, performance management, mentoring and capacity development of protection teams.

3. →

   Promote the consistent application of harmonized tools, methodologies and approaches across teams to ensure quality, consistency and accountability of services.

C- Protection, MHPSS & Case Management Systems

1. →

   Coordinate and monitor quality implementation of protection case management, MHPSS support,  and referrals for beneficiaries assisted by IOM.

2. →

   Ensure that protection and MHPSS interventions adopt a rights‑based, Age Gender and Diversity (AGD)‑sensitive and survivor‑centred approach, including for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Trafficking in Persons (TIP) survivors, children, persons with disabilities and persons with severe mental health needs.

3. →

    Contribute to the development, revision and coordination of the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to:

• →

  Protection case management

• →

  MHPSS 

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  Referrals (health, legal, social, child protection, GBV, livelihoods)

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  Information sharing and data protection

D- Partnerships, Referrals & Coordination

1. →

   Establish, maintain and strengthen working relationships with relevant government institutions, UN agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations and community‑based structures involved in protection and/or MHPSS.

2. →

    Coordinate the development and operationalization of referral pathways linking IOM interventions with national and local services, including health, social services, child protection and community‑based mechanisms.

3. →

   Represent IOM in relevant national and sub‑national coordination mechanisms, technical working groups and inter‑agency fora.

4. →

    Plan and coordinate capacity building of staff and partners on protection, including case management, protection mainstreaming, diversity and inclusion, child protection, Counter-trafficking and related topics. Coordinate closely with Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) Officer regarding relevant capacity development for protection staff and partners, as well as with MHPSS. 

5. →

   Support the reinforcement of government and partner technical capacities through training, joint implementation and system‑strengthening approaches.

E- Reporting, Knowledge Management & Donor Visibility

1. →

   Ensure high‑quality donor and institutional reporting of protection activities.

2. →

    Coordinate knowledge management, learning and documentation of good practices,  incorporating lessons learned as a basis for programme adaptation and future design.

3. →

   Ensure donor visibility and compliance with IOM and donor communication requirements.

4. →

   Perform other duties as may be assigned. 

• Master’s degree (or higher) in Political or Human Sciences, International Relations, Public Administration Management, or a related field from an accredited academic institution, with at least 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 designing protection, counter- trafficking and related support programmes in various contexts;
• Experience in coordination, community-based approaches that are customized to address a range of vulnerabilities across diverse groups to prevent main risk factors such as human trafficking, re-migration;
• Professional experience in direct implementation of protection programming in contexts of migration or displacement; and,
• Experience of working in the field and familiarity with the region will be an advantage. Proven experience in managing multi‑project protection and/or MHPSS portfolios, including supervision.

• Good project management, communication, writing, and organizational skills; with the ability to prepare clear, accurate, and concise donor and institutional reports; 

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds, governmental authorities, national and international institutions, and Non-Governmental Organizations;

• Knowledge of Protection principles and IOM policies and procedures;

• Knowledge of data-driven approaches that guide collective action across local agencies and institutions and the priorities of the response in the programme;

• Commitment to help persons of concern and willingness to cooperate with counterparts;

• Knowledge and experience in facilitating training and developing curricula;

• Capacity to support knowledge management, documentation, and information management processes; and,

• Good level of computer literacy, including experience with databases, reporting tools, and standard office applications. 

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

Working knowledge of another official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, 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.