JPO 26-05 Junior Professional Officer

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

Circular Letter No CL5294 13 October 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 26-05 Ocean Policy and Pollution Response Marine Environment Division

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

Date of issue: 13 October 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 extension up to a total of two 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: a) Ability to draft a range of documents (reports, briefing notes) combined with excellent research and analytical skills; b) Proven ability to think strategically; work independently and in teams; c) Organizational skills and a high degree of initiative together with the ability to work under pressure and manage high volumes of work; d) 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 e) Integrity, discretion, accuracy and meticulous attention to detail. Professional experience: Professional experience in project management and/or experience with the oil industry, research institutes, international or regional organizations, governmental organizations or similar institutions or previous experience in the field of oil spill preparedness and response. Academic qualifications: Advanced University degree (Masters) in international project management, international relations, international development, environmental science and/or management or other closely related discipline Language skills: Excellent command and total fluency in both written and spoken English and French is essential. Other skills: Excellent computer skills. High degree of competency in the use of Microsoft 365 applications. Web editing experience would be an asset. Able to work effectively in a highly multicultural environment. 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.

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

MARINE ENVIRONMENT DIVISION GLOBAL INITIATIVE FOR WEST, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA (GI WACAF)

Position number: JPO 26-05 Admin number: ADMIN/26/64

Specific professional experience:

One to two years of professional experience in project management and/or experience with the petroleum industry, research institutes, international organizations, public authorities or similar institutions or previous experience in the field of oil spill preparedness and response is an asset. Knowledge of United Nations administrative processes is a plus. Experience of working internationally, particularly on the African continent, would be an advantage.

Specific professional qualifications:

Advanced University degree (Masters) in international project management, international relations, international development, environmental science and/or management or other closely related discipline.

Any additional skills:

Excellent command and total fluency in both written and spoken English and French is essential. Advanced computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, web editing). Able to work effectively in a highly multicultural environment.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Under the joint supervision of the Head, Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation (OPRC), Marine Environment Division, IMO and the GI WACAF Project Manager (IPIECA), the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) will assist in carrying out responsibilities related to the implementation of the Global Initiative for West, Central and Southern Africa (GI WACAF) Project. The Project is a joint initiative between the petroleum industry, through IPIECA, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that aims to build and strengthen oil pollution response capacity at national and regional levels across twenty-two West, Central and Southern African countries, for the protection of the marine and coastal environment. The role will require frequent travel, primarily within the twenty-two African countries covered by the GI WACAF project, as well as some participation in other conferences and events. In particular, the incumbent will:

• Support the implementation of the GI WACAF biennial programme of work by assisting in the preparation and implementation of a programme of oil pollution response-related capacity-building activities. This includes meetings, workshops, training courses, seminars, and webinars, as well as regional conferences, which may be delivered virtually, in person or in hybrid modality;
• Support the GI WACAF Project Manager by assisting in all tasks linked to project administration, such as coordination of meetings, record keeping and reporting;
• Contribute the development of terms of reference and issuance of contracts for external consultants engaged to support the delivery of activities;
• Assess consultants’ performance against terms of reference and deliverables, and review and provide input to consultants’ reports;
• Liaise with government and industry focal points to ensure timely delivery of activities and project continuity;
• Assist in the preparation and production of project outreach material in the field of pollution prevention, preparedness and response, and attend and contribute to relevant conferences, meetings and seminars;
• Ensure regular update and maintenance of the GI WACAF website and general online presence;
• Prepare and deliver presentations at training courses, conferences and workshops in support of the project; and
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned.

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