Job Identification (Reference Number):ย 13162
Position Title:ย Chief of Mission (CoM) of Country Office with Coordinating Functions for Mediterranean (COMED)ย
Duty Station City:ย Rome
Duty Station Country:ย Italy
Grade:ย D-1
Contract Type:ย Fixed-term (1 year with possibility of extension)
Recruiting Type: Director
Vacancy Type:ย Call for Expression of Interest
Initial duration: One Year with Possibility of Extension
Closing date: April 13, 2025
Introduction
Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.
IOM is committed to ensuring a workplace where all employees can thrive professionally, while working towards harnessing the full potential of migration. Read more about IOM's workplace culture at IOM workplace culture | International Organization for Migration
Internal and external candidates will be considered for this vacancy. For the purposes of this vacancy, internal candidates are defined as staff members holding a regular, fixed-term or short-term graded or ungraded contract, including Junior Professional Officers (JPOs), staff on Special Leave Without Pay (SLWOP), and staff members on secondment/loan released by the Organization, unless otherwise specified in their contract.
For the purpose of this call, the following are considered first-tier candidates:ย
Internal candidates External female candidates: Candidates from the following non-represented member states:Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Comoros, Congo (the), Cook Islands, Dominica, Federated States of Micronesia, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Holy See, Iceland, Israel, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Namibia, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Second tier candidates include:
All external candidates, except candidates from non-represented member states of IOM and female candidates.ย
Context
IOM is the leading organization in the field of migration and has a staffing complement of 22,000+ staff in more than 580 locations worldwide.ย
Under the direct supervision of the Sub-Regional Director (SRD) in Brussels, the Italy Country Office with Coordinating Functions for the Mediterranean (COMED) ensures linkages, coordination, and communication between the Country Offices (COs) in Malta and the Holy See, which are within its direct area of responsibility (AoR), the Sub-Regional Office (SRO) in Brussels, the Regional Office (RO) in Vienna, and Headquarters (HQ) as delegated by the SRD. The functions and responsibilities of the COMED for its direct AoR are outlined under the Country Offices with Coordinating Functions (COCF) ToRs.ย
The COMED has additional responsibilities to ensure linkages, coordination, communication, and resource mobilization for Mediterranean countries at inter-regional and global dialogues, events, stakeholder consultations, programmes, and policy discussions and to communicate migration trends and challenges, including policies and emergencies, in the Mediterranean to HQ and relevant stakeholders. The COMEDโs broader coordinating function for the Mediterranean region are to act as a convener and coordinator, and, beyond the direct AoR, does not include financial, administrative, and programmatic oversight. The COMED relies on close coordination with the Regional Directors (RDs) for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Europe and Central Asia (ECA), the SRD Brussels, HQ, and Mediterranean Chiefs of Mission (COMs) and Heads of Office (HoOs) to enhance cross-regional engagement that addresses global strategic objectives and responsive, route-based approaches to migration. ย
Special consideration should be given to efforts for localisation and geo-political sensitivities as advised by relevant regional and country office staff and should rely on inclusive and transparent communications within the Mediterranean and with relevant HQ colleagues. Intra-regional dialogues, events, stakeholder consultations, programmes, and policy discussions should be led by the relevant RO and coordinated with the COM of the COMED; global and inter-regional Mediterranean dialogues, events, stakeholder consultations, programmes, and policy discussions will be led or delegated by the COMED and coordinated with relevant ROs, COs, the SRO Brussels, and HQ.
The COMED provides supervision and support to the countries in its direct AoR, as identified in the staff advisory of May 31, 2024, the COCF TORs, or any other official communication thereafter. The broader responsibilities and accountabilities of the COMED for the Mediterranean countries outside of its direct AoR do not follow this advisory or the COCF ToRs and will be outlined herewith.
Mediterranean countries covered by the COMED:ย
Under RO MENA: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria
Under RO ECA: Tรผrkiye, Bosnia and Herzegovina (including Albania and Montenegro under the Bosnia and Herzegovina COCF), and under SRA Brussels: Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, France, Spain
COMEDโs direct AoR: Malta, Holy See
Strategic Guidance:ย
The Chief of Mission (COM) of the COMED will provide strategic planning and technical guidance to the aforementioned regional and country offices on inter-regional and global engagement for the Mediterranean in close coordination with RD MENA, RD ECA, SRD Brussels, HQ, and relevant COMs/HoOs. This includes contributing to country and regional strategies, leading and spearheading inter-regional and Mediterranean-specific strategies, and providing relevant ROs and COs with strategic guidance and analysis of relevant policies, data collection and analysis, dialogues, priorities, fundraising mechanisms, and the efficacy and appropriateness of programming and resource mobilization strategies.
Representation and Partnership:ย
The COM or HoO of Mediterranean COs remains primarily responsible for all national-level liaison, representation, partnerships, projects and operations within country and as outlined in their post description. The reporting line is to the COM of the COCF, RD, or SRD. The relevant RDs and SRDs within the Mediterranean remain primarily responsible for intra-regional liaison, representation, and partnerships within the region and as outlined in the post description and the RO/SRO terms of reference. Any significant updates, issues, red flags, or concerns should be communicated to the COM of the COMED.
The COM of the COMED will maintain representational roles and functions for Italy and their direct AoR and will facilitate engagement for the broader Mediterranean with key partners based in Italy in coordination with the MENA and ECA RDs, SRD Brussels, relevant COMs/HoOs, and HQ. The COM of the COMED may also be delegated by the Office of Partnerships, Advocacy, and Communications to represent IOM with Rome-based UN Headquarters, and by the Global Office Brussels Director to represent IOM to European Union agencies and bodies within the COMED direct AoR. ย The COM and other relevant staff of the COMED support in matters of representation for all Mediterranean countries during high level visits for Italy-based government, UN, diplomatic, civil, and non-government partners or liaison support due to geographical/logistical constraints, as delegated by the SRD Brussels and in coordination with MENA or ECA RDs. The COM of the COMED will support liaison and engagement, where the presence of partners is limited within Mediterranean countries, as designated by the SRD Brussels and in coordination with MENA or ECA RDs and if relevant with HQ divisions, including potential coordination with Development Banks, civil society, private sector, and multilateral actors, where required with regional or sub-regional bodies as delegated by the hierarchy.
Resource Mobilization:ย
The COM of the COMED is responsible for supporting resource mobilization of the Mediterranean countries on Mediterranean issues, particularly for regional and inter-regional funding and as conveners for Italian initiatives in an inclusive and balanced manner, with consideration for countries within the Mediterranean which do not have or have limited regional or local donor presence. Resource mobilization must consider IOMโs Strategic Plan, thematic, regional and inter-regional strategies, priorities of Member States, migration and political dynamics within the Mediterranean, and should be conducted in coordination with the MENA and ECA RDs, SRD Brussels, the Regional Project Development Officer (RPDO), relevant COMs/HoOs, and HQ, with priority focus of the COMED on inter-regional initiatives and opportunities.
Internal Coordination and Communication:ย
The COM of the COMED is accountable for ensuring inclusive and transparent coordination across regions and countries within the Mediterranean, and on Mediterranean-specific opportunities, challenges, trends, and events with HQ, ROs, and COs in a transparent and systematic manner, which allows for continuous multilateral communication. This includes supporting engagement with Regional Thematic Units, RPDO, Regional Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Officers (RPMEO), the Regional Resource Management Unit, as well as RO leadership as delegated by the relevant RD. Communication lines between all COs in the Mediterranean, the Regional Offices and HQ remain open, however the COM of the COMED and the relevant RDs, SRD, COMs, and HoOs are responsible for sharing of information with the COMED.
Project Proposal and Report Endorsement:ย
While the COM of the COMED should be informed of projects under development in the Mediterranean, the project review and endorsement remains with the respective functional expertise in the relevant Regional Office per the IOM Project Handbook.
Possible Supporting Functions Provided by the COMED:ย
Project Support Unit: Where present and relevant, the COMED's Project Support Unit will make its services available to the ROs and COs within the Mediterranean in an inclusive and balanced manner for inter-regional or Italian-led programming. This could include support in project development, reporting, monitoring and evaluation, and communications, as needed, and should be coordinated with relevant RO Project Support Units.Strategic Communications: Where present and relevant, the Media and Communications Officer or focal point of the COMED will support their counterparts in ROs and COs in the Mediterranean with strategic communications, media, and external engagement, as needed and relevant to Italian-led, inter-regional, and/or international programming or interventions.Perform such other duties as may be assigned.Education
Masterโs degree in Political or Social Science, International Relations, Business Administration, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with fifteen years of relevant professional experience.Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.ย
Experience
Significant experience in general management as well as project and resources management;Significant experience in diplomacy, fundraising and public relations, as well as in liaising with governmental and diplomatic authorities and international institutions; and,Experience in delivering large and diverse programmes in complex settings in a range of migration programming, both in the context of emergency and development programmingย
Skills
Excellent communications skills, both oral and written; Ability to prepare and deliver speeches on various activities of the Organization;Strong liaison and negotiation skills;In depth knowledge of the broad range of migration related subject areas dealt with by the Organization;Knowledge of UN and bilateral donor programming;Knowledge of Monitoring and Evaluation procedures and Frameworks;Effective resources management skills, sound knowledge of financial and business administration and of the principles and practices of management;Ability to deliver during crisis response; and,Good level of computer literacy.ย
Languages
IOMโs official languages are English, French and Spanish.
For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written).
Working knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, 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
IOMโs competency framework can be found at this linkย
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 โ behavioural indicatorsย
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 Organizationโs 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 โ behavioural indicatorsย
Leadership: Provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example and demonstrates the ability to carry out the Organizationโs 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 Organizationโs goals and communicates a clear strategic direction.Humility: Leads with humility and shows openness to acknowledging own shortcomings.ยNotes
Please note that the deadline for submitting Expressions of Interest (EoIs) has been extended toย Sunday, 13 April.
In addition, the eligibility criteria for expressing interest in roles covered by the Pathways Pool have been widened, as outlined in the Pathways Pool guidelines (see section 4):
current staff members who are members of the Pathways Pool will now also be able to express interest in relevant roles at lower-level grade(s);current staff members who are not members of the Pathways Pool may also express interest in roles covered by the Pathways Pool if the positions they encumber are due to be abolished as part of structural adjustments and if they meet certain requirements (as per Pathways Pool guidelines section 4). However, they will have to undergo a Fast-Track Pathways Assessment if they are being considered for the role.ยFor any questions, please contact pathwayspool@iom.int.
Previous applicants do not need to re-apply.
Internationally recruited professional staff are required to be mobile.
Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.
For this staff category, candidates who are nationals of the duty stationโs country cannot be considered eligible.
Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, security clearances.
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, 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-Recruitmentย 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.