Project Officer (Food Security) (P)

Tags: international relations climate change Russian English Spanish language
  • Added Date: Saturday, 07 February 2026
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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 atย 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:

Internal candidates Candidates from the following non-represented member states:ย 
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.

Organizational Context and Scope

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) faces severe climate vulnerability and food insecurity, compounded by high dependence on imported, ultra-processed foods. The Japan funded project Strengthening Food Systems to Address Migration Drivers in the Marshall Islands will implement climate-smart gardens, composting systems, and indigenous crop nurseries at two boarding schools in RMI (Northern Islands High School in Wotje and Marshall Islands High School in Majuro) and surrounding communities. The project aims to enhance climate resilience and food security by establishing sustainable, school- and community-based food systems that improve nutrition and reduce reliance on imported foods. Activities include infrastructure upgrades, nutrition-focused meal planning, and training for youth, women, and kitchen staff.

Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Mission and direct supervision of the Head of Sub-Office in Majuro, the Project Officer (Food Security) will support the implementation and monitoring of the project.ย 

1. Project Coordination and Implementation

Support day-to-day implementation of activities under Outcome 1 (community and school food systems) and Outcome 2 (boarding house nutrition and infrastructure upgrades). Support timely delivery of outputs such as climate-smart gardens, compost hubs, water systems, and kitchen upgrades.

2. Stakeholder Engagement

In coordination with the programme manager, liaise with government partners (Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce, Public School System), Canvasback Wellness Center, local councils, and community groups. Facilitate participatory planning sessions and maintain strong relationships with schools and community leaders.

3. Technical Support and Training

In coordination with the programme manager, organize and support training sessions for youth, womenโ€™s groups, and kitchen staff on gardening, composting, and healthy cooking. Gather and analyze information on culturally appropriate menu development and provide technical information on food safety practices to support programme planning and implementation.

4. Monitoring and Reporting

Track progress against the results matrix and work plan. Prepare narrative and financial reports in line with IOM and donor requirements. Document lessons learned and best practices for replication.

5. Procurement and Logistics

Support procurement of gardening infrastructure, water pumps, rainwater harvesting systems, and kitchen equipment. Coordinate transportation of goods to Majuro and Wotje.

6. Visibility and Communication

Contribute to visibility materials and knowledge-sharing products. ย Review compliance with donor branding and communication guidelines.

7. Perform other duties as maybe assigned

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

Masterโ€™s degree in International Relations, International Development, Political or Social Sciences, Migration Studies, Climate Change, Agriculture, or a related field from an accredited academic institution; or, University degree in International Relations, International Development, Political or Social Sciences, Migration Studies, Climate Change, Agriculture, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with ย two years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

Minimum two years of relevant professional experience in project coordination, community engagement, or food security programming; and, Experience in climate-resilient agriculture or nutrition-focused interventions is an asset.

Skills

Excellent English verbal and writing skills; In-depth knowledge of migration and climate issues including the national context; Good understanding of key stakeholders and coordination dynamics; and, Understanding of various IOM reporting tools and communication guidelines.

Languages

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–!

IOMโ€™s official languages are English, French, and Spanish.ย 

For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written). Working knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) and/or Japanese 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

IOMโ€™s competency framework can be found at thisย link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.

Valuesย - 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 indicators Level 1

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.

Notes

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.

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.

The list of NMS countries above includes all IOM Member States which are non-represented in the Professional Category of staff members. For this staff category, candidates who are nationals of the duty stationโ€™s 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 theย IOM e-Recruitmentย systemย (for internal candidates linkย here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.ย 

For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website:ย IOM Careers and Job Vacancies.

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