Islamic Philanthropy Officer

Tags: international relations finance English Spanish UNESCO Environment
  • Added Date: Thursday, 29 May 2025
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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. Staff members holding a regular, fixed-term or short-term graded contract will not retain their contract type if appointed to an ungraded position.

Background: ย The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration, working closely with governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental partners. Established in 1951, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. The Islamic Philanthropy Fund (IPF), launched by IOM in February 2025 in Riyadh under the supervision of Private Sector Partnerships Division at the HQ, IPF aims to harness the power of Islamic charitable giving to support some of the world's most vulnerable migrant and displaced populations. This initiative aligns with Shariah principles and seeks to provide a sustainable source of income to ensure the safety and dignity of those affected by crises.

The Private Sector Partnerships Division (PSP) sits within the Office of Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications under the overall oversight of the Director General. PSP builds partnerships with the private sector that enable IOM's strategic priorities and engage the private sector as a key stakeholder in migration through impactful and innovative partnerships. PSP leads strategic outreach and engagement with the private sector and Islamic Philanthropy Fund and provides Headquarters, Regional and Country Offices with assistance and expertise relating to initiating, establishing, and maintaining partnerships with the private sector and IPF. PSP is responsible for the development and implementation of IOMโ€™s Private Sector and IPF Strategy which provides a framework for how IOM engages with the private sector and IPF partners to support safe, orderly, and regular migration. PSP oversees engagement with the private sector and IPF, establishes and coordinates IOMโ€™s private sector and IPF partnerships due diligence process, builds staff capacity in private sector and IPF partnership-building and oversees the Goodwill Ambassador programme and celebrity partnerships.

IOM has had a presence in the United Kingdom since 1995. The UK office supports migrants through a variety of resettlement, support, and protection activities. The relationship between IOM and the UK has grown significantly, with the UK being one of IOM's largest donors and an influential Member State. IOM UK collaborates with the government and other partners to provide emergency response, resettlement assistance, and durable solutions for displaced populations.

Objective: Under the overall guidance of the Chief of Mission in the UKย and with technical coordination from the Private Sector Partnerships Division to ensure alignment with IOM's overall strategic goals and objectives for the IPF, the incumbent will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive Islamic Philanthropy strategy in the UK. This role will focus on mobilizing resources through Zakat, Sadaqah, and other Islamic charitable giving mechanisms by engaging international charities, financial institutions, foundations, corporations, high-net-worth individuals, and relevant stakeholders within the UK.

๐Ÿ“š ๐——๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—›๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—š๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐—ฎ ๐—๐—ผ๐—ฏ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—จ๐—ก ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฏ! ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿค ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ก๐—˜๐—ช ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐˜๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—š๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—จ๐—ก ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฏ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜ ๐˜€๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—จ๐—ก๐—›๐—–๐—ฅ, ๐—ช๐—™๐—ฃ, ๐—จ๐—ก๐—œ๐—–๐—˜๐—™, ๐—จ๐—ก๐——๐—ฆ๐—ฆ, ๐—จ๐—ก๐—™๐—ฃ๐—”, ๐—œ๐—ข๐—  ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ผ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€! ๐ŸŒ

โš ๏ธ ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ง๐ ๐ž ๐˜๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐‹๐ข๐Ÿ๐ž ๐๐จ๐ฐ: ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ž๐ซ๐Ÿ๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐“๐ž๐œ๐ก๐ง๐ข๐ช๐ฎ๐ž๐ฌ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ž๐ญ ๐š ๐ฃ๐จ๐› ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐”๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐๐š๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐Ž๐–!

Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

Scope of Work:

Strategic Planning and Landscape Mapping Develop a comprehensive strategy for the growth and sustainability of the Islamic Philanthropy Fund (IPF) in the UK. Map out the IPF landscape in the UK, including how UK-based Islamic charities and grantees operate, and identify the specific regulatory frameworks applicable to them. Assess the size and volume of funds mobilized by Islamic charities, with a particular focus on Zakat and Sadaqah donations. Utilize existing research to map Muslim communities involved in alms-giving, detailing their size, geographic distribution (including parliamentary constituencies), socio-economic profiles, and key entry points such as diaspora organizations. Establish a detailed IPF profile for the UK, based on these assessments, and provide recommendations on potential partnerships for initiatives of mutual interest. Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Developmentย  Identify and engage with key stakeholders, including Islamic organizations, community leaders, private sector entities, high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), Islamic finance and banking stakeholders, Muslim social media influencers and key Islamic institutions responsible for issuing Fatwas. Develop products, tools, engagement plan to successfully establish partnerships with these Islamic institutions and other key actors. Organize and facilitate meetings, workshops, and events to promote the IPF and foster collaboration. Map Islamic charities that deliver international assistance and identify areas of joint interest with IOM. Fundraising and Resource Mobilization Design and implement targeted fundraising campaigns based on the mapped landscape and stakeholder insights. Develop proposals and grant applications to secure both financial and in-kind support. Secure 2-5 strategic partnerships to mobilize resources with support from the mission and Private Sector Division. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Establish a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the IPFโ€™s impact. Prepare regular progress reports, including comprehensive monitoring and evaluation outputs, with actionable recommendations for continuous improvement. Ensure compliance with IOM policies and maintain transparent documentation of all activities and transactions. Ensure strong coordination with IOMโ€™s PSP Division and internal IPF stakeholders, to exchange good practice and support global efforts.ย 

Expected Outcomes and Deliverables:

Strategic Growth Framework: A detailed strategic plan for the IPF in the UK, incorporating insights from the landscape mapping and community profiles. Comprehensive IPF and Community Mapping A thorough map of UK-based Islamic charities, grantees, and their operational and regulatory contexts. Assessment of funds mobilized, especially through Zakat and Sadaqah. Mapping of Muslim communities engaged in alms-giving, including size, location, socio-economic status, and access points. Identification of types of projects, beneficiaries, and key countries receiving funds from UK Muslim donors. Mapping of Islamic charities involved in international assistance and potential collaboration areas with IOM. Identification of key Islamic institutions for Fatwas and partnership opportunities. Stakeholder Engagement Reports: Documentation of engagement activities, stakeholder insights, and partnership development progress. Fundraising Campaign Materials and Proposals: Campaign assets and funding proposals tailored to the UK Islamic philanthropic landscape. Resource Mobilization: Achievement of 2-5 partnerships and successful mobilization of cash and in-kind donations. Impact and Compliance Reporting: Regular reports demonstrating the Fundโ€™s impact, compliance with IOM policies, and recommendations for improvement. Education Master's degree in business administration, Islamic Banking/Finance, International Relations, Development, Marketing, Communications or a related field from an accredited academic institution with seven years of relevant professional experience; or University Degree in above fields with nine years relevant professional experience. Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database. ย  Experience At least seven years of experience in fundraising in a non-profit or international organization or the philanthropic arm of a for-profit organisation, with proven success in mobilizing Islamic philanthropy and Islamic finance resources. In depth knowledge of UK-based Islamic philanthropy. Strongย understanding of Islamic philanthropy principles and practices. Established network and relationships with Zakat houses and/or Islamic Social Finance stakeholders. Experience in the field of external communications is desirable.ย 

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Languages Fluency in English is required (oral and written). IOMโ€™s official languages are English, French and Spanish. Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments. ย  Required Competencies ย  IOMโ€™s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process. ย  Values - all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these three 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 indicators 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 Organizationโ€™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 โ€“ behavioural indicators (applicable only if position is with direct reports) Leadership: Provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example and demonstrates the ability to carry out the Organizationโ€™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 Organizationโ€™s goals and communicates a clear strategic direction. Humility: Leads with humility and shows openness to acknowledging own shortcomings. Notes Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation. This post is subject to local recruitment. Only those holding a valid residence and work permit for the country where this position is based will be eligible for consideration. Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, verification of residency, visa, and authorizations by the concerned Government, where applicable. 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 online recruitment system. The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application. For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies

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