Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Mission (CoM), the direct supervision of the Deputy Chief of Mission and with technical coordination with all divisions in the IOM Country Office in Iraq, the Programme Officer – Working Group Coordination  will be responsible for contributing to the strategic direction of the Government of Iraq (GoI)- United Nations Technical Working Group (UN TWG) and for supporting IOM’s leadership role within the Durable Solutions architecture, ensuring strong alignment and coordination across both frameworks. The candidate will also coordinate closely with the other co-chairs of the TWG and the DSTF and the Resident Coordinator’s Office, ensuring a consultative and inclusive preparation process and convening and facilitating working group meetings; supporting the establishment of subsidiary bodies and coordination mechanisms; and  facilitating the integration of cross-cutting issues, including human rights, gender mainstreaming and protection, into all discussions.

As co-chair of the UN-GoI Technical Working Group and the Durable Solutions Taskforce the candidate will:

1.  Contribute to IOM’s engagement in the Durable Solutions architecture in Iraq, serving as co-chair of the Durable Solutions Technical Working Group (DSTWG) and the Returns Working Group (RWG), and providing Secretariat functions for the Durable Solutions Task Force (DSTF).
2. Coordinate and co-lead the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Returns from Northeast Syria (NES), ensuring effective inter-agency and government coordination to facilitate principled, safe, and sustainable returns in line with national frameworks and global standards.
3. Support preparations and facilitation of all Working Group meetings (DSTWG, RWG, TWG, and sub-groups), ensuring inclusive consultation on agendas, materials, and outcomes. Draft and disseminate minutes, track action points, and ensure follow-up.
4.  Contribute to the development and coordination of strategies, policies, operational guidance and tools to support durable solutions and NES returns, ensuring consultative processes with UN, government, and civil society stakeholders to build consensus and ownership.
5. Through the Working Groups, analyse relevant international, regional and national frameworks, and promote age-, gender-, and diversity-sensitive approaches across all pillars of the Global Framework.
6. Identify Government of Iraq (GoI) capacity-building needs related to both durable solutions and NES returns through close consultation with national authorities and working group stakeholders. Promote and coordinate UN technical assistance accordingly.
7. Draft ToRs, Calls for Proposals and project inputs to respond to GoI-expressed needs for capacity building and technical support under both the Durable Solutions (DS) framework and the NES Returns portfolio.
8.  Support strategic engagement with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), including the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG)/Humanitarian Coordinator/Resident Coordinator’s Office on durable solutions and NES return matters.
9. Support the establishment and operationalization of coordination mechanisms, including subsidiary bodies and sub-groups, and work closely with subgroup leads to ensure coherence and progress tracking across DS and NES thematic areas.
10. Contribute to advocacy and policy engagement with government, donors, and partners—supporting the DSRSG/HC/RC Office and developing communication/outreach materials to promote durable solutions and support for returnees from NES.
11. Support the development and review of area-based durable solutions and NES return plans at the national and governorate levels, including through coordination with area-based focal points and DSTWG/TWG liaison officers.
12. Provide technical oversight to field staff working on both the Durable Solutions architecture and the TWG on NES Returns, ensuring programmatic coherence, quality, and alignment with strategic frameworks.
13. Perform other duties as may be assigned.

Education

• Master’s degree from an accredited academic institution or university in political or social sciences, development studies, human rights, criminal justice, international relations, security studies, international law or human rights or related field, with five years of relevant professional experience; or
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited academic institution or university in any of the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.

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

Experience

• Progressive working experience in the field of humanitarian assistance, stabilization, or post conflict recovery setting;
• Experience working in a coordination capacity, in international humanitarian and development contexts;
• Experience working on Return, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration, Durable Solutions, and IDP response is highly desirable;
• Experience at the international level with specialized international agencies (UN agencies, international organizations, and specialized international NGOs), preferably in emergency, recovery, migrant/refugees/IDPs assistance, and humanitarian assistance in the Middle East and/or North Africa; 
• Knowledge of UN, IOM, international organizations, and NGO mandates and programmes in the area of internal displacement, refugee responses and durable solutions and humanitarian assistance;
• Experience in liaising with government authorities and international institutions; and, 
• Experience developing or delivering training, in international contexts.

Skills

• Experience with project development and report writing; and,
• Proven ability to supervise, coach, and direct staff and manage operations in transitional contexts.

Languages

IOM’s official languages are English, French and Spanish. All staff members are required to be fluent in one of the three languages.

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

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

Values – all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these 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 – 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.