Protection Officer (Child Protection)

Position Title: Protection Officer (Child Protection)

Duty Station: Kaiserslautern, Germany

Classification: Professional Staff, Grade P2

Type of Appointment: Fixed term, one year with the possibility of extension

Estimated Start Date: As soon as possible

Closing Date: 10 October 2023

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 a diverse and inclusive work environment. Read more about diversity and inclusion at IOM at www.iom.int/diversity.

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:

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

Antigua and Barbuda; Barbados; Botswana; Cabo Verde; Comoros; Congo (the); Cook Islands; Dominica; Fiji; Grenada; Guinea-Bissau; Holy See; Iceland; Kiribati; Lao People's Democratic Republic (the); Madagascar; Marshall Islands; Micronesia (Federated States of); Namibia; Nauru; Palau; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Seychelles; Solomon Islands; Suriname; The Bahamas; Tonga; Tuvalu; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu

Second-tier candidates include:

All external candidates, except candidates from non-represented member states.

Context:

IOM’s operations cover diverse thematic areas such as: Humanitarian Relief Assistance, Protection (including Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Child Protection), Shelter and Non-food items, Health and Psychosocial Support, Resettlement, and Movement Management.

Under the overall supervision of the Assistance Programme Coordinator, the direct supervision of the Protection Coordinator, and in collaboration with relevant teams onsite, the Protection Officer (Child Protection) will be responsible and accountable for the following:

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

1. Provide technical, administrative and logistical support to the Protection Coordinator in relation to the implementation of general coordination and prioritization of protection activities across the areas of protection mainstreaming, casework and community-based protection, with a specific focus on child protection.
2. Supervise a protection field team composed of case workers specialized in child protection and the Best Interests of the child Procedure (BIP), and organize the child protection team’s work.
3. Act as a BIP coordinator, helping to ensure BIP is implemented in a timely manner with regard to risks of children, including Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC), checking that caseworkers and BIP panel members are duly trained on BIP, Child Rights, and Child Protection, and the integrity of the whole BIP. In this capacity, monitor the BIP in line with standards and closely coordinate with necessary Best Interest Determination (BID) panel members. Act as a BIP reviewer, hence as a reviewer of Best Interest Assessment (BIA) and BID.
4. Coordinate closely with Protection Officers and teams specialized in General Protection and, as well as other teams within the AP and partners to support the implementation of functional referral pathways and specifically Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) on child-specific activities such as protection and MHPSS community-based activities targeting youth, adolescents or children, child-friendly spaces, or Mental Health and Psychosocial Support-Children Protection (MHPSS-CP) cross referrals as required.
5. Liaise with relevant stakeholders and counterparts on child protection, as directed by interagency and IOM minimum standards for Child Protection and on BIP, and in close coordination with the supervisor.
6. Identify gaps and challenges in the implementation of child protection activities, including child protection mainstreaming, and community-based protection with regard to children, and recommend possible solutions to the Protection Coordinator.
7. Contribute to the development and implementation of BIP and child protection strategies; support child participative needs assessments and safety audits, produce, share, and discuss reports and recommendations from findings with the Protection team and Assistance Programme (AP) management.
8. Provide technical inputs to contribute to the development of child protection and BIP standards operating procedures (SOPs), reports within the frames given by data protection, and monitoring tools (such as reporting templates, SOPs, and relevant referral pathways, etc.) in line with global and IOM standards on child protection and BIP, with the aim to ensure the integrity and the quality of the specialized programming.
9. Provide technical and process support for the establishment and functioning of the ProtectionInformation Management system and regular records updating.
10. Facilitate the mainstreaming of Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), more specifically child safeguarding and child-friendly and participative feedback mechanisms in protection activities.
11. Evaluate and document training needs within the protection team as well as across AP such on the identification of UASC, child-friendly procedures and communication across the site, and safe and ethical referrals, and organize or conduct training sessions on child protection, including Child Best Interest Procedure, and child safeguarding matters.
12. Coordinate the reporting on UASC and CP, and help consolidate weekly reports on onprotection activities, red flags, and recommendations for AP management.
13. Participate in internal and external coordination meetings as requested by the supervisor.
14. Support Protection Coordinator in relevant logistical and administrative arrangements.
15. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education

• Master's degree in Social Work, Political Science, Human Sciences, International Law, International Relations, Public Administration, or a related field from an accredited academic institution, with at least two years of relevant professional experience; or,
• University degree in the above fields, with four years of relevant working experience.

Experience

• Experience in direct implementation of child protection programming in contexts of migration or displacement, addressing migrant, refugee, and IDP issues, showing increasing levels of responsibility.
• Experience directly implementing and coordinating specialized Best Interest of the ChildProcedure, either extensive experience as a case worker, either as a BIP reviewer and/ or coordinator.
• Experience in supervising and guiding field teams with a strong background in protection in humanitarian and crisis settings, particularly case management for children at risk.
• Experience in child safeguarding mechanisms and PSEA.
• Experience managing and running child-friendly spaces in displacement and transit settings.
• Demonstrated experience in protection case management, including capacity building, supervision and coaching of caseworkers, development and revision of technical tools; and field experience.
• Experience in conducting capacity development activities related to child protection and safeguarding.
• Sound knowledge of inter-agency Child Protection standards and guidelines.
• Experience in conducting ethical safe assessments, data collection, and information-sharing.
• Excellent track record of effective working relationships with government and non-government partners and communities.
• Knowledge or experience in project management, results-based management, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL), and Monitoring and evaluation (M&E), an asset.
• Knowledge of Protection Information Management (PIM).
• Professional experience should include fieldwork in multiple duty stations.
• Working experience in the hardship conditions is an asset.

Skills

• Proven work ethics and commitment to humanitarian principles.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with persons of diverse cultural and national backgrounds.
• Excellent organizational, facilitation, communication, presentation, and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Languages

IOM’s official languages are English, French, and Spanish.

For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written). Working knowledge of either Dari and/or Pashto is an advantage.

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.

1

Accredited Universities are the ones listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database (https://whed.net/home.php).

Required Competencies:

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, and makes people feel safe, respected, and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – Behavioural Indicators level 2

• 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 Organization’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 – Behavioural Indicators level 2

• Leadership: Provides a clear sense of direction, leads by example, and demonstrates the ability to carry out the Organization’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 Organization’s goals and communicates a clear strategic direction.
• Humility: Leads with humility and shows openness to acknowledging own shortcomings.

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link.

https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/about-iom/iom_revised_competency_framework_external.p df

Competencies will be assessed during a competency-based interview.

Other:

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 endorsed by the Appointments and Postings Board 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 station’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, and security clearances. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required for individuals hired on or after 15 November 2021. This will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.

Vacancies close at 23:59 local time Geneva, Switzerland on the respective closing date. No late applications will be accepted.