Protection Officer (Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Child Protection (CP)) (P)

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 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, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 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.

Organizational Context and Scope

Under the overall supervision of the Senior Programme Coordinator (SPC) and the direct supervision of Programme Manager (Assistance to Vulnerable Migrants), the Protection Officer (Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Child Protection (CP)) will assist in developing, implementing, and reporting on interventions to address the needs of survivors of GBV and migrant children in the country office, Libya.

The Central Mediterranean Route (CMR) remains one of the most dangerous migration routes worldwide. A significant number of migrants continue to travel from their countries of origin to Northern Africa enroute to Europe, in search of better economic opportunities. International Organization for Migration (IOM) data shows that from 2017 to date, 30% of migrants in transit and destination countries in the CMR route experience exploitative practices during their migratory journey and are in need of protection services. Those identified in Libya receive need-based support from IOM protection teams. IOM continues to address these challenges and support affected populations, with the support from the European Commission (EU), the governments of the Netherlands, Italy, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom, to implement comprehensive protection programmes aimed at promoting the safety, dignity, and rights of migrants along this dangerous migration route.

Since 2023, the instability at the borders with neighboring countries has impacted migration to and from Libya and further exacerbated risks and vulnerabilities inside Libya. As of August 2023, 125,802 individuals are identified as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and 705,426 are identified as returnees (previously displaced persons returned to their locations of origin). As of July 2025, IOM Libya's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) programme identified over 867,000 migrants in Libya. Around eight in ten (78%) were men, 11 per cent were women, and 11 per cent were unaccompanied children. The main nationalities were Niger, Egypt, Sudan, Chad, and Nigeria, which remained similar for each round of data collection.

The protection crisis in Libya disproportionately affects the most vulnerable groups, and severe human rights violations continue to be perpetrated with impunity. IOM protection work in Libya is multi-fold and aims to improve service delivery to populations in vulnerable situations including but not limited to survivors of gender-based violence, unaccompanied and separated children and victims of trafficking; implement community based protection programming to raise awareness and foster resilience; strengthen institutional mechanisms through capacity building and advocacy on topics such as counter trafficking and smuggling of migrants, child protection, access to education, and human rights; and advocate for the decriminalization of irregular migration and establishment of alternatives to detention, especially for migrants in the most vulnerable situations including but not limited to children, women and migrants with health needs.

Responsibilities

1. In coordination with the Programme Manager (Assistance to Vulnerable Migrants), provide technical, administrative, and logistical support to the implementation of the mission’s Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Child Protection (CP) programming and contribute to the expansion of existing GBV and CP initiatives in line with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) guidelines, IOM Libya’s strategy, and national priorities.

2. Liaise with United Nations (UN) agencies and other relevant actors in addressing GBV and CP concerns and contribute inputs into inter-agency reports and strategic documents.

3. Support the development and revision of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and other capacity development material, focused on GBV and child protection, including referral pathways, and support their implementation once feasible.

4. Provide guidance to GBV and CP support staff and coordinate day-to-day GBV and CP activities, including participation in Best Interest Assessment (BIA) and Best Interest Determination (BID) processes, to help ensure activities are carried out in line with IOM Protection principles, internal guidance notes, and IASC minimum standard guidelines.

5. Guide GBV and CP support staff in ensuring children at risk and survivors of gender-based violence are timely identified in coordination with referral actors and provided counselling and other appropriate survivor-centred case management response services.

6. Coordinate with the team leads and inter-agency networks on GVB and CP protection activities and support training development and delivery on GBV and CP topics. This will be done in collaboration with all other relevant units.

7. Contribute to GBV and CP-related inputs for division-level and mission-level strategic documents and participate in GBV and CP coordination platforms, as requested.

8. Support internal service mapping exercises focused on GBV and CP. Coordinate with other UN agencies and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) partners to contribute to the development of inter-agency strategic documents and service mapping exercises.

9. Provide technical support on preventing GBV and CP risk mitigation measures, child safeguarding, as well as other child protection topics, with support from relevant team leads.

10. Contribute to monthly reports and project development efforts on GBV and CP.

11. Undertake duty travel as required.

12. Performs such other duties as may be assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Master’s degree in Law, International Relations, Psychology, Social Sciences, Development Studies and Planning, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with two years of relevant professional experience; or,
• University degree in the above fields with four years of relevant professional experience.

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

Experience

• Experience in the fields of protection and GBV programming, child protection, supporting Best Interest Determination (BIDs) processes, gender mainstreaming, and/or humanitarian affairs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region or Gulf states or similar contexts;
• Experience supporting coordination within the United Nations (UN) system, particularly with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and amongst interagency partners, including governments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and communities;
• Experience in organizing and facilitating GBV, GBV risk mitigation, child protection trainings, development of GBV or child protection operational and strategic documents, as well as communication materials to promote behaviour change;
• Experience contributing to proposal development and the development of standard operating procedures and tools;
• Experience using IOM’s Migrant Management Operational System Application (MiMOSA) system for case management is an advantage;
• Experience in project management, monitoring, and evaluation is an asset; and,
• Experience in developing and implementing interventions on disability inclusion and gender is desirable.

Skills

• Knowledge of GBV and child protection case management principles and approaches;
• Familiarity with IOM’s Accountability to Affected Populations framework, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), and IOM child safeguarding policy is preferable;
• Demonstrated ability to work across a wide variety of sectors/ teams on cross-cutting themes;
• Knowledge and understanding of IOM’s institutional approach on GBV, Child safeguarding, child protection, and related strategies, policies, rules, and regulations;
• Ability to adapt key concepts from the GBV Coordination Handbook, familiarity with the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS), as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) ethical and safety recommendations for researching, documenting, and monitoring sexual violence in emergencies;
• Knowledge of the UN system and architecture;
• Knowledge of mainstreaming best practices and partnership models to ensure coordination of the same across a diversified range of actors;
• Ability to work with and maintain strict confidentiality when necessary;
• Good written and oral communication skills, effective in liaison with external partners;
• Efficiency, flexibility, a high level of professionalism, and the ability to work under pressure and adhere to strict deadlines; and,
• Ability to organize work, work independently, and prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks, maintain attention to detail, and coordinate with a variety of stakeholders.

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 (oral and written).

Working knowledge of Arabic is highly desirable, and another official UN language (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.

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

• 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

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, any residency or visa requirements. Vacancies close at 23:59 local time 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