Regional Sustainable Development Specialist (P4) Nairobi, Kenya

Position Title: Regional Sustainable Development Specialist

Duty Station: Nairobi, Kenya

Classification: Professional Staff, Grade P4

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

Estimated Start Date: As soon as possible

Closing Date: 03 June 2024

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. External female candidates:
3. Candidate 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; Sao Tome and Principe; Solomon Islands; Suriname; The Bahamas; Tonga; Tuvalu; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu

Second tier candidates include:

All external candidates, except candidates from non-represented member states of IOM and female candidates.

Context:

As the world faces the impact of major global transformations – from climate change, demographic transition and urbanization to digitalization –, human mobility and people on the move (international migrants, internal migrants, Internally Displaced Persons – IDPs) must be part of the solution. IOM pursues a comprehensive, development-focused to deliver on the promise of migration by providing holistic, systems-strengthening as a central feature of IOM’s way of working at global, regional, and country level, as guided by its global Strategic Plan.

Managed well, human mobility and pathways for regular migration can be a cornerstone of sustainable development, prosperity, and progress; a reality that is clearly recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) and articulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), the United Nations Secretary General Action Agenda on Internal Displacement, and various other thematic frameworks and instruments.

In practice, this is demonstrated through comprehensive and integrated operational solutions developed and implemented at regional and country level. For Regional Offices, this means supporting Country Offices (COs) to develop at-scale programmatic responses framed by the SDGs and the GCM and designed to support implementation of government frameworks, policies and programmes, including as they relate to regional integration to: advance IOM’s role as a major development actor; open strategic partnerships and funding streams with Regional Economic Communities, Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), bilateral development banks and UN agencies through a sustainable development lens; and support COs in strategically positioning IOM mandate and programming in UNCTs to influence UN planning and funding processes.

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Regional Director for Operations, the direct supervision of the Senior Regional Policy and Programme Coordinator and in close coordination with the Head of the Policy Coordination Division at HQ, the Regional Sustainable Development Specialist will be responsible for strengthening IOM’s migration and development work, especially as it relates to pathways for regular migration and regional integration, in the East, Horn and Southern Africa Regions, through programmatic response, to increase access to development funds at regional and CO levels; and, to position IOM as the thought leader on the positive dimension of human mobility through strengthened partnerships.

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

I. Develop and support integrated programming to deliver at-scale and impactful development outcomes:

1. Provide expert advice to the Regional Director and the Senior Management Team in the RO, and to the COs covered by the RO in the area of migration and sustainable development, including through regular updates, information sharing, and briefings on key relevant internal and external processes and opportunities.

2. Produce policy, analysis and research products on key linkages between migration and sustainable development, including regional integration and human mobility with a view to advance policy development enable RO and COs to develop at-scale programmes designed to support implementation of government frameworks, policies and programmes.

3. Actively engage in the conceptualization and formulation of RO and COs Strategies to advance migration and development and project proposals under the “Mainstreaming Migration into Development – MD” code, and work in close collaboration with Regional Thematic Specialists to advance integrated and at-scale government-led solutions across other project types.

II. Develop capacities to mainstream integrated approaches across policy and planning processes:

4. Train and equip IOM staff in RO and COs with the capacities to leverage existing tools and resources that enable policy coherence across Regional Economic Communities and different levels government, including cities and sectors of governance to effectively leverage the potential of human mobility’s impact on development.

5. In coordination with the Senior Regional Policy and Liaison Officer, provide policy support to RECs and lead the development of, and rollout of, trainings on harnessing the potential of migration as a catalyst for development as well as an accelerator to the attainment to the SDGs, the 2030 Agenda, Agenda 2063 and other multilateral frameworks and institutes for both internal and external audiences.

6. In coordination with the Senior Regional Policy and Liaison Officer, provide policy support to RECs, COs and Member States to advance pathways for regular migration and harness the benefits of migration, including through intra-regional migration and regional integration and provide technical assistance to RO and COs’ efforts to train regional, national stakeholders on mainstreaming human mobility into development planning and across sectoral policy processes.

7. Spearhead policy dialogues on migration, development and regional integration to enhance IOM’s contribution to shaping relevant policy discussions.

III. Expand opportunities for integrated solutions funding through strengthened partnerships:

8. Actively support regional liaison efforts to expand partnerships with key development donors, and ensure IOM is better positioned to tap into new funding streams with regional bodies, MDBs, bilateral development banks and UN agencies through a sustainable development lens.

9. Develop capacities of RO and COs to position at-scale programmatic responses framed by the SDGs and the GCM anchored in government frameworks, policies and programmes, in joint UN country-level planning processes, notably in the UNSDCF; and, to access UN pooled funds.

IV. Increase IOM’s capacity to report on the SDGs and document the positive impact of human mobility for economies and societies overall in regional and country contexts:

10. In coordination with the relevant RO and CO colleagues, establish and maintain a dynamic community of practice on migration and sustainable development, with a particular focus on pathways for regular migration and regional integration, across COs within the RO, between ROs, and with HQ.

11. Manage the formulation of regional knowledge management and public information products on migration and sustainable development, including as it relates to pathways for regular migration and regional integration by working closely with the relevant RO and CO colleagues to ensure their inclusion and dissemination through IOM and UN knowledge management efforts.

12. In coordination with the Senior Regional Policy and Liaison Officer, participate in various platforms called for in the UN Reform, including but not limited to, Peer Support Groups (PSGs), and the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development and supporting CO’s in their support to governments in the development of Voluntary National Review (VNRs).

13. Support and provide technical guidance to RO and COs on IOM-UN partnership in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCF), and related mechanisms, in coordination with the Senior Regional Policy and Liaison Officer and Regional Thematic Specialists.

14. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education

• Master’s degree in Political or Social Sciences, International Relations, Development Studies, Economics or a related field from an accredited academic institution with seven years of relevant professional experience; or,
• University degree in the above fields with nine years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• In depth experience of applying the 2030 agenda and the Global Compact on Migration lenses to policy and programming;
• Experience of working with UN partners, the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, government counterparts, and other stakeholders in migration, development, and regional integration;
• Field experience operating development programmes with an international organization or non-governmental organization is a distinct advantage;
• Experience in usage of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.); and,
• Experience in handling of web-based management systems.

Skills

• Excellent writing and communication skills;
• Demonstrated excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, ability to think strategically;
• Proven ability to work effectively and harmoniously within a team of colleagues from varied cultures and professional backgrounds;
• High degree of responsibility and motivation;
• Demonstrated high level knowledge on the interrelationship between human mobility and sustainable development and how it applies to policy, strategic planning, programme design and implementation;
• In-depth understanding of regional integration and human mobility in Africa;
• Good track record of fundraising for at scale development programmes linked to government frameworks, policies and programmes is an advantage;
• Proven capability to foster strong relationships with governmental authorities, regional platforms and fora, academia, the private sector, and other regional/international institutions and NGOs to develop strategic partnerships and joint programmes;
• Proven capacity to deliver technical expertise and capacity development support to government and staff, including through drafting policy and position papers; and,
• In depth understanding of complex drivers of human mobility in regional contexts is a distinct advantage.

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 French and/or one of the regional languages is an advantage.

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

Notes

Previous candidates do not need to re-apply.

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, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators level 3

• 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 3

• 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.

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 and who do not have prior experience outside the duty station’s country as staff member in the Professional category 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 background verification 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.