Senior Project Associate (Livelihoods)

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations and the leading UN agency in the field of migration. Working closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners, IOM promotes humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It saves lives and protects people on the move, drives solutions to displacement, and facilitates pathways for regular migration, while providing services and advice to governments and migrants. 

IOM is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive and supportive workplace where all employees can thrive professionally and feel valued. By creating such an environment, IOM aims to better harness the full potential of migration and strengthen its support to people on the move.

IOM invites candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply and provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process when required. Learn more about IOM’s workplace culture at IOM workplace culture | International Organization for Migration

Applications are welcome from internal and external candidates. 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, internal and internal-equivalent candidates are considered as first-tier candidates.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all and does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. 
IOM is a major actor in post-conflict recovery and reconstruction, and as such is heavily involved in livelihoods development and job creation programs. IOM’s strengths lie in its field presence around the country and operational capacity to rebuild community infrastructure, conduct vocational and other trainings, provide grant funding at local level to support business development, and support a variety of other areas key to recovery. 
Under the overall supervision of  Livelihoods Senior Programme Coordinator and the direct supervision of the Program Coordinator  – Livelihoods, the incumbent will be responsible for supporting programs related to livelihoods portfolio under the area of responsibility. The post will be based in Baghdad, Iraq, with travel/roving to various regions/governorates within Iraq as needed to support livelihoods activities and teams.

Main Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Support the Program Coordinator in planning, coordinating, and implementing livelihoods activities across the assigned governorates in line with approved workplans, donor requirements, and IOM policies and procedures.

• Support the Program Coordinator in the day-to-day operational follow-up of livelihoods interventions, including tracking implementation milestones and identifying delivery gaps.

•  Provide day-to-day guidance and operational follow-up to the team leaders and relevant field teams to promote harmonized, timely, and quality implementation across locations.

• Support the Program Coordinator in beneficiary targeting, verification, prioritization, and selection processes to ensure transparent, criteria-based, and well-documented implementation.

•  Undertake regular travel to field locations to monitor implementation progress,  check the quality and timeliness of activities, identify operational bottlenecks, and support field teams in addressing implementation challenges.

• Support the Program Coordinator in strengthening the capacity of field teams through regular field presence, including on-the-job coaching, mentoring, troubleshooting, and reinforcement of standard operating procedures and tools.

• In coordination with the Program Coordinator, review field-level documentation, case files, activity records, and implementation updates to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance prior to onward submission and action.

• Track implementation progress against agreed plans, targets, and timelines, and followi up with relevant units on delays, payment issues, procurement actions, contractual matters, and other operational bottlenecks affecting delivery.

•  Support and monitor timely and accurate data collection, consolidation, and reporting from field teams, and contribute to updates in relevant information management systems, trackers, and reporting tools.

•  Conduct monitoring visits, spot checks, and validation exercises to  verify implementation quality,  reported progress, and strengthen compliance with agreed methodologies and standards.

• In coordination with the Program Coordinator, participate in internal and external coordination meetings with local authorities, partners, community representatives, service providers, and other stakeholders to support effective implementation and problem-solving.

• Support the Program Coordinator, when specifically delegated during the Program Coordinator’s absence, in maintaining routine operational continuity and day-to-day follow-up of livelihoods activities, while referring strategic, sensitive, supervisory, and higher-level management matters through the appropriate reporting lines.

• Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Livelihoods, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience; or 

•  School diploma with seven years of relevant professional experience.

   

Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.

• Experience in supporting the implementation, coordination, and monitoring of livelihoods, recovery, resilience, or community stabilization activities. 

• Experience in field-level operational follow-up, implementation tracking, and coordination with field teams across multiple locations. 

• Experience in conducting monitoring visits, reviewing activity documentation, and following up on implementation issues to support timely and quality delivery. 

• Experience in working with international organizations, UN agencies, NGOs, or donor-funded programs is an advantage. 

• Experience in coordinating with local authorities, service providers, community representatives, and other operational stakeholders is desirable. 

• Experience in data collection, consolidation, reporting, and use of implementation tracking tools is desirable. 

• Experience working in complex or post-conflict environments is an advantage.

   

• Position specific skills, for example:

• Knowledge of livelihoods, recovery, resilience, or community-based programming approaches. 

• Good understanding of field implementation, operational follow-up, and monitoring processes. 

• Ability to review activity documentation, track implementation progress, and support timely reporting. 

• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities under tight deadlines. 

• Strong communication and coordination skills, with the ability to work effectively with colleagues and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds. 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. 

• Knowledge of data management, reporting tools, and information tracking systems is an advantage.

   

All IOM staff members in all categories are required to be fluent in one of the IOM's official languages (English, French, Spanish).

For this position, 

Fluency in English is required 

Arabic is an advantage Language

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

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.

Please refer to this link for guidance on IOM Job Category.

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.

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, security clearances.

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-Recruitment system (for internal candidates link here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.

No late applications will be accepted. 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