National Protection Officer

Context/Reporting line:

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) operates in camps, informal settlements, and areas of return and relocation to provide specialized protection assistance. Protection activities aim to prevent and respond to human rights violations including gender-based violence and exploitation. IOM’s overarching goal of protection is to place the rights and well-being of migrants, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), regardless of their status, at the center of its operations. This means ensuring the protection of migrants across the full spectrum of migration management and governance. IOM uses a rights-based approach to identify and address needs in humanitarian and transition and development contexts, seeking to secure individual and group rights and to create a society in which these rights are recognized and upheld.

Under the general guidance of the Deputy Chief of Mission, the overall supervision of the Head of the Protection Division, and the direct supervision of the Protection Coordinator, the National Protection Officer will be responsible for supervising and coordinating protection activities in identified areas of implementation in Iraq and facilitating protection mainstreaming and the centrality of protection across IOM programmes.

Core Functions / Responsibilities

1. Provide specialized technical and administrative support for developing, managing, and implementing protection projects in displacement, return, and informal sites, ensuring that all initiatives reflect localized needs, integrate local community engagement, and promote sustainable protection solutions. Support the empowerment of local civil society organizations in managing protection services to ensure local ownership and sustainability.
2. Oversee specialized protection interventions, including protection and GBV case management, community-based protection, cash for protection, information campaigns, and protection context analysis.
3. Support the coordinator in financially and technically managing projects, ensure expenditures align with project cycles, deliverables are met on time, and quality services are delivered safely and dignifiedly.
4. Closely collaborate with other IOM Divisions on joint programming and coordinated activities and approaches in and outside of camp settings and in areas of return and relocation.
5. Support the development of advocacy messages on protection issues (displacement, returnees, trafficking, GBV, etc.) that can be used to foster sustainable reintegration ensuring that the voices of affected communities and local partners are represented in advocacy efforts.
6. Liaise and closely coordinate with government and non-government stakeholders, including local authorities and civil society, to promote localization strategies. Assist in the development of joint implementation plans and capacity-building activities that strengthen local protection mechanisms, ensuring that local partners play a central role in service delivery.
7. Participate in external engagement such as donors, government institutions, civil society organization, and interagency coordination meetings.
8. Evaluate training needs on protection issues and capacity building among IOM field staff, implementing partners, and other stakeholders, and provide training on relevant protection topics, as necessary.
9. Draft reports covering protection-related activities, briefings, statistical/narrative reports, and background notes. Provide specific information requested by IOM, Governments, and other entities.
10. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in Humanitarian Affairs, Political Science, Law, Human Rights, Development Studies Psychology and Social Science or a related field from an accredited academic institution; or
• University degree in the above fields with 2 years of relevant professional experience.

Experience and Skills:

• Experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, protection and human rights.
• Experience in providing direct assistance to vulnerable individuals.
• Experience in liaising with governmental authorities, other national/international institutions and NGOs, as well as in Iraq is an asset.
• Working experience with an operational UN agency or a major international NGO in the field of protection and assistance of refugees, IDPs, and migrants.
• In-depth knowledge of the broad range of migration-related subject areas dealt with by the Organization.
• Knowledge of UN and bilateral donor programming.

Languages:

• Fluency in English, Kurdish and Arabic is required.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications via this link:

https://jobs.my-soc.org/apply/20250714102137/Y02hwUEMKyGl68QkmfvtgxVc4