Organizational Context
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.
IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.
IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into four main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Coordination, (ii) Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization, (iii) People and Strategy, and (iv) Legal, Governance Support and Accountability.
IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.
IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
Migration and displacement are core strategic priorities for IFRC, reflected in Strategy 2030, the Movement Migration Strategy 2025–2030, and with increased ambition expressed with the launch of the new Global Migration and Displacement Platform in 2025. This position sits within the IFRC Secretariat to provide migration technical, and quality assurance support to the Humane, Dignified, Sustainable Migration and Return Programme, a bilateral initiative led and funded by the Swedish Red Cross through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
Job Purpose
The Senior Officer, Migration provides specialised technical guidance on migration in alignment with IFRC policies, the Movement Migration Strategy, and the objectives of the Humane, Dignified, Sustainable Migration and Return Programme.
The role ensures that migration standards and protection‑linked approaches are integrated across all relevant aspects of the programme and supports National Societies in strengthening their institutional and operational capacities on migration.
The incumbent provides operational and technical support to NS, IFRC teams in countries and the Swedish Red Cross, ensuring coherence with relevant policy frameworks and contributing to the achievement of the country results frameworks of the five National Societies participating in the programme. The Migration senior officer also plays a key role in ensuring broader alignment across IFRC’s migration portfolio by working closely with regional migration coordinators and collaborating with colleagues across departments to promote consistency, quality, and complementarity of migration‑related activities.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Technical Migration advice
- Lead the day‑to‑day collection, analysis, and documentation of migration trends, risks, vulnerabilities, and opportunities across programme countries, in coordination with National Societies and regional teams
- Ensure consistent use of IFRC tools and support the development or adaptation of migration tools
- Provide tailored, high‑quality technical support to each NS, ensuring coherence with IFRC frameworks, tools, quality standards and the migration strategy.
- Support the integration of migration across protection, health, and livelihoods activities at implementation level.
- Conduct technical reviews of project documents, baselines, assessments, referral pathways, protection strategies, and country plans
- Provide practical guidance to National Societies on operationalising do no harm and principled approaches in field activities.
- Contribute to learning, documentation, and reporting by capturing lessons learned, good practices, and operational challenges
- Promote the use of participatory and accountable approaches (CEA, feedback and complaint mechanisms, participatory project reviews) to strengthen programme quality, relevance, and community ownership of activities.
- Support the Route Based Approach component of the programme.
Institutional Strengthening of National Societies
- Support National Societies to review, develop or update migration strategies, policies, guidance and organisational procedures to align with Movement standards and national contexts.
- Provide technical advice on migration‑specific components of NS capacity strengthening in migration creating capacity strengthening plans.
- Assist NS in identifying gaps in access to services for migrants and returnees, barriers to impartial information, risks of exclusion, and protection issues.
- Facilitate cross‑country learning, peer exchange, and communities of practice linked to migration.
Evidence & Data and impact
- Support National Societies in systematically collect, analyze and generate migration evidence, through lessons learnt, case studies, good practices and stories of impact.
- Ensure impact evidence is contributing to the Migration and Displacement Platform.
- Analyze migration‑linked findings to inform technical recommendations.
Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)
Reporting and documentation:
- Support the development, updating, and tracking of results framework products, ensuring data quality, adherence to indicators, and compliance with agreed timelines.
- Maintain strong knowledge‑management systems, ensuring structured documentation of processes, evidence, tools, and good practices.
- Support safe and inclusive programme design and reporting using sex‑age‑disability‑disaggregated data (SADDD)
Risk oversight
- Identify risks within the migration areas and ensure mitigation measures.
- Uphold principled humanitarian action and the Fundamental Principles across all technical work.
- With support of the Risk managers, team leader and CCD/regional offices, foster a risk management culture.
Education
Required:
- Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) in a relevant field related to migration, displacement, humanitarian action, international relations, social policy or related technical discipline.
- Demonstrated professional expertise in migration and displacement programming, or systems-strengthening.
Preferred:
- Basic Delegates Training Course (BTC), WORC, IMPACT or equivalent knowledge
Experience
Required:
- Minimum 3 years of relevant professional experience in the humanitarian or development sector with a significant portion at global, multi-regional or cross-country level.
- Demonstrated experience in programme processes, including results frameworks, MEAL planning, and integrated programming.
- Experience working within the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, or a humanitarian aid organization, in a developing country and /or working with migrants and refugees.
- Experience in narrative reporting
Preferred:
- Proven experience in risk management, safeguarding, data responsibility, and programme quality assurance.
Knowledge, Skills and Languages
Required:
- Advanced knowledge of migration and displacement trends, frameworks, and operational modalities, including cross-border approaches
- Knowledge of IFRC operational framework, tools and procedures.
- Excellent analytical, research and evidence-generation capabilities
- Ability to work effectively within a matrix management structure, leveraging technical expertise across multiple teams.
- Cultural sensitiveness with the ability to communicate effectively in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual and cross-functional team-setting, including global/dispersed teams.
- Excellent communication, facilitation and presentation skills for internal and external audiences.
- Demonstrated proactiveness, with the ability to anticipate needs, identify opportunities and proposing solutions.
Preferred:
- Demonstrated ability to lead technical quality assurance, including monitoring, evaluation, learning, risk management and safeguarding.
- Proficiency with standard digital tools and platforms, including collaborative workspaces, data management tools, and Microsoft Office applications.
Languages:
Required:
- Fluent spoken and written English
Preferred:
- Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)
