JPO 26-04 Junior Professional Officer

4 ALBERT EMBANKMENT LONDON SE1 7SR Telephone: +44 (0)20 7735 7611 Fax: +44 (0)20 7587 3210

Circular Letter No CL5179 24 April 2026

To: IMO Member States

Subject: Position in the IMO Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme

1 The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization has the honour to announce a position for a Junior Professional Officer (JPO).

2 The IMO Junior Professional Officer (JPO) programme is a voluntary programme under which Member States sponsor the secondment of young professionals from their country to work at IMO. The secondment is for a period of two or up to three years. JPOs are engaged at the P.2 level and are assigned substantive work while serving at IMO, in addition to receiving on-the-job training and familiarization.

3 Selection of candidates for a place on the programme is on a competitive basis. Selected JPOs would be expected to take up their assignment following a successful recruitment process.

4 Member States willing to participate in the programme are encouraged to nominate a maximum of three applicants per JPO position (see the annex for details). Applications received directly from candidates will not be accepted: only nominations submitted through the respective sponsoring Member State will be considered. Nominations from sponsoring Member States should be accompanied by a nomination letter and contain a covering letter from the candidate as well as an IMO Personal History form. Nominations from sponsoring Member States should reach the Organization no later than 31 December 2026.

5 Nominated candidates participating in the programme should note that there is no expectation of conversion to, or engagement in, a permanent position in the Organization after completion of the period of the JPO assignment.

6 In nominating candidates for a position in the programme, the sponsoring Member State agrees to bear the responsibility of all costs related to the JPO. The JPO programme is independent from, and JPO posts are additional to, the posts financed by the Organization’s regular budget. The terms of engagement of nominated JPOs are agreed through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding confirming, inter alia, the sponsoring Member State’s commitment to cover all JPO-related costs directly or through IMO. All costs must be paid in advance to IMO, before the JPO joins the Organization, so that it is not compromised financially.

7 In accordance with a standard Memorandum of Understanding, salaries, benefits, travel costs, etc., of a JPO may be paid using one of two modalities: directly to the JPO by the sponsoring Member State under the modality of "Gratis Personnel", or through the Organization on the basis of a yearly reimbursement by the sponsoring Member State as “Reimbursement through IMO”.

8 Under the modality of “Reimbursement through IMO” a yearly contribution from the sponsoring Member State to offset the Organization’s administrative support costs (normally 12% on the sum expended) will be levied.

9 Under the modality of “Gratis Personnel”, a target annual support cost charge of US$10,000 will be sought, however an alternative contribution to the Organization's costs may be made, in cash or in kind, on the basis of an agreement between the Organization and the nominating Member State.

10 In the case of a nomination of “Gratis Personnel” by a developing country, the administrative support cost of US$10,000 per annum may be charged to an appropriate technical cooperation regional capacity-building budget.

11 All nominations should be sent by email by the sponsoring Member State quoting in the subject line the specific JPO position number. All nominations should be sent to: rsd@imo.org.

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ANNEX

POST NUMBER SECTION DIVISION JPO 26-04 Office of the Director Maritime Safety Division

JUNIOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICER (JPO) PROGRAMME GENERAL INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL JPO POSITIONS

Date of issue: 24 April 2026 Deadline for nominations: 31 December 2026 Recruitment information: Appointments are subject to funding by the Member State for a period of one year with the possibility of a yearly extension up to a total of three years, subject to requirements and satisfactory performance. All JPO positions are subject and limited to funding by the nominating Member State. IMO does not guarantee employment beyond the JPO appointment period. Required competencies: The successful candidate will have:

1. ability to draft a range of documents (reports, briefing notes) combined with excellent research and analytical skills;
   1. proven ability to think strategically, work independently and in teams;
   2. organizational skills, tact and high degree of initiative together with the ability to work under pressure and manage high volumes of work;
   3. proven ability to adapt to varied environments and maintain effective working relations at all levels with people with different languages, nationalities and cultural backgrounds; and
   4. integrity, discretion, accuracy and meticulous attention to detail. Professional experience: Minimum two years’ experience in relation to the requirements of the post; work experience in an international context would be desirable.
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Academic qualifications:

University degree or equivalent professional qualification in relation to the requirements of the post. Language skills: Excellent command of written and spoken English is required; knowledge of other official languages of the Organization will be an advantage. Other skills: Competent in the use of Microsoft Office. Ability to prepare reports, briefs, presentations and analysis would be essential. How to apply: Since this is a position financed by a nominating Member State, only nominations submitted directly by a sponsoring Member State will be accepted. Member State nominations should include (1) a cover letter and (2) an up-to-date Personal History Form-(PHF) from the nominee. The nominee’s cover letter should state the reasons for applying and relevant experience to the role. Member State nominations must be submitted to the following email address: rsd@imo.org.

Please quote the relevant JPO position number in the subject line of the nomination

Kindly do not submit nominations via multiple routes.

*** IMO encourages the nominations from Member States of qualified women. IMO will make every effort to facilitate the employment of persons with disabilities.

MARITIME SAFETY DIVISION OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

Position number: JPO 26-04 Admin number: ADMIN/26/21

Specific professional experience:

• Minimum two years of relevant professional experience
• Basic understanding of STCW Convention and FAL Convention and related measures adopted by IMO and would preferably have experience in these fields. Experience in related professional activities or technical co-operation projects will be considered
• Experience supporting committee/working group processes (drafting, meeting servicing, action follow-up) in a national administration, industry or international context is desirable.

Specific professional qualifications:

University degree (or equivalent) in maritime studies, nautical science, marine engineering, maritime administration, transport/logistics, public policy, law, international relations, or a related discipline.

Language skills:

Excellent command of written and spoken English is required; knowledge of one or more official languages of the Organization will be an advantage.

Other skills:

• Excellent research, analytical, organizational and drafting skills.
• Competent in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); ability to manage information and basic datasets.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multicultural environment and manage multiple tasks under pressure; high attention to detail and discretion.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the MSD Director, the incumbent will:

1. Support the Secretariat’s work on the comprehensive review of the 1978 STCW Convention and Code, including maintaining relevant working files (e.g., list of identified gaps, agreed amendments and proposals pending consideration, mapping tables, documents trackers) and assisting with the consolidation and analysis of documents submitted;
2. Assist in preparing draft Secretariat documents, as well as background notes, briefings and other meeting materials related to STCW matters for consideration by the Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW), the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) and related working/drafting groups;
3. Support intersessional work streams, including correspondence groups related to the work on the STCW Convention and Code (including follow-up actions, summary and compilation of outcomes and preparation of progress reports), and coordinate, as appropriate, with other IMO divisions and external stakeholders;
4. Contribute with research and analysis to informing proposed amendments to seafarer standards of competence and related provisions, including those concerning emerging technologies, digitalization/e-certification, simulator based training, and other human-element topics addressed within the comprehensive review of the 1978 STCW Convection and Code;
5. Assist, as required, with the review, update and editorial preparation of relevant IMO model courses and training-related outputs, ensuring alignment with the amended STCW

Convention and Code and assist with any measures intended to facilitate their effective implementation;

1. As a secondary responsibility, assist in the research, development, organization and execution of technical co-operation projects relating to the promotion and implementation of the FAL Convention, including support to Maritime Single Window (MSW) implementation projects;
2. As a secondary responsibility, assist the Secretary of the Facilitation Committee and the Expert Group on Data Harmonization, including working and drafting groups, through preparation of documents, briefs, reports and action follow-up;
3. Assist in the preparation for, servicing and follow-up of meetings of committees, sub-committees and working/drafting groups handled by the Director’s Office, including document management, coordination of contributions and tracking of decisions; and
4. Perform any other duties which may be assigned.

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