Senior Project Associate (Livelihoods)

Introduction

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 internal and external candidates. 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, internal and internal-equivalent candidates are considered as first-tier candidates.

Organizational Context and Scope

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all and does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. 
IOM is a major actor in post-conflict recovery and reconstruction, and as such is heavily involved in livelihoods development and job creation programmes. IOM’s strengths lie in its field presence around the country and operational capacity to rebuild community infrastructure, conduct vocational and other trainings, provide grant funding at local level to support business development, and support a variety of other areas key to recovery. 
Under the overall supervision of Head of Livelihoods Technical team and the direct supervision of the National Project Officer – Livelihoods, the incumbent will be responsible for supporting programmes related to livelihoods portfolio under the area of responsibility. The post will be based in Erbil, Iraq, with travel/roving to various regions/governorates within Iraq as needed to support livelihoods activities and teams.
 

Main Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Support the National Project Officer – Livelihoods through the development and updating of training materials for beneficiaries and target groups, including business development, employability, labour standards, registration, banking and other relevant livelihoods training materials. 

• Conduct regular monitoring, spot-check visits and pre/post assessments of trainings and livelihoods activities, and provide feedback to technical and operational teams on areas for improvement. 

• Conduct regular capacity-building sessions for operations teams on training materials, livelihoods tools, systems and processes. 

• In coordination with the National Project Officer – Livelihoods, support the development and updating of programme tools and coordinate with Information Management colleagues for the integration of these tools into relevant information management systems. 

• Travel to project sites across Iraq, as required, to monitor beneficiaries and target groups who have received IOM livelihoods assistance and ensure that activities are implemented in accordance with livelihoods guidelines, tools, policies and procedures. 

• In coordination with the National Project Officer – Livelihoods, conduct quality control and quality assurance of livelihoods activities, including monitoring, verification, mentorship, community feedback mechanisms, community engagement and other relevant livelihoods interventions. 

• Support coordination with external stakeholders, including government entities, local authorities, NGOs, private sector partners and other relevant actors, to facilitate alignment of livelihoods interventions with national policies and local development priorities. 

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• Track and monitor conducted trainings and relevant livelihoods activities in the system, perform quality checks, identify errors, communicate them to teams, support teams to correct mistakes and report system issues or errors to relevant colleagues to improve system tools. 

• Prepare reports, briefs and overviews on trainings, sessions and livelihoods activities for internal and external use, including reporting to stakeholders, donors and other relevant entities. 

• Review and quality check uploaded business plans, verification documents and other relevant programme documentation under the livelihoods portfolio. 

• In coordination with the National Project Officer – Livelihoods, monitor, compile and submit regular progress reports on activities and tools developed by the livelihoods team. 

• In coordination with the National Project Officer – Livelihoods, monitor programme indicators and work closely with operational teams to ensure that livelihoods activities are on track and implemented in line with approved workplans. 

• Assist in the internal coordination of referrals to other units and divisions, as relevant to livelihoods programming. 

• Support field teams to mainstream gender, disability, protection, accountability to affected populations and other cross-cutting issues into livelihoods programming. 

• Document and provide feedback to field teams on updated changes in livelihoods SOPs, technical guidance, tools and implementation guidelines. 

• Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Political or Social Sciences, International Relations, Development Studies, Migration Studies, Human Rights, Law or related fields from an accredited academic institution with four years of relevant professional experience.

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•  School diploma with six years of relevant professional experience.

   

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

Experience

• Experience in liaising with governmental authorities, national/international institutions, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations; 

• Experience in working with migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons, victims of trafficking and other vulnerable groups; and,

• Prior work experience with international humanitarian organizations, non-government or government institutions/organization in a multi-cultural setting is an advantage.

   

• Experience in coordinating with local authorities, service providers, community representatives, and other operational stakeholders is desirable. 

• Experience in data collection, consolidation, reporting, and use of implementation tracking tools is desirable. 

   

Skills

• Position specific skills, for example:

• Knowledge of livelihoods, recovery, resilience, or community-based programming approaches. 

• Good understanding of field implementation, operational follow-up, and monitoring processes. 

• Ability to review activity documentation, track implementation progress, and support timely reporting. 

• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities under tight deadlines. 

• Strong communication and coordination skills, with the ability to work effectively with colleagues and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds. 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. 

• Knowledge of data management, reporting tools, and information tracking systems is an advantage.

   

Languages

All IOM staff members in all categories are required to be fluent in one of the IOM's official languages (English, French, Spanish).

For this position, 

Fluency in English is required 

Arabic and Kurdish are advantage Languages

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

Required Competencies

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

Values - all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these five values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
• Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators Level 2

• Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
• Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

Managerial Competencies – behavioural indicators Level 2, if with direct reports

• Leadership: Provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example and demonstrates the ability to carry out the Organization’s vision. Assists others to realize and develop their leadership and professional potential.
• Empowering others: Creates an enabling environment where staff can contribute their best and develop their potential.
• Building Trust: Promotes shared values and creates an atmosphere of trust and honesty.
• Strategic thinking and vision: Works strategically to realize the Organization’s goals and communicates a clear strategic direction.
• Humility: Leads with humility and shows openness to acknowledging own shortcomings. 

Notes

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 certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, security clearances.

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, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities.

IOM does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training or other fee). IOM does not request any information related to bank accounts.

IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM e-Recruitment system (for internal candidates link here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.

No late applications will be accepted. 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