Introduction
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.
Organizational Context and Scope
The International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) institutional strategy prioritises integrity, transparency, and accountability as key cross-cutting measures. As part of the Office of Ethics and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (OEP), the Ethics and Conduct Unit (ECO) plays a lead role in strengthening IOM's culture of integrity through policy and advisory work, training, and support to all IOM personnel on ethical issues and IOM's Standards of Conduct.
ECO's core responsibilities include providing impartial policy guidance and advice on ethical issues and concerns; training and outreach across all IOM offices; initiatives to promote a speak-up culture and protect personnel against retaliation; and an annual conflict of interest disclosure programme.
Under the direct supervision of the Chief of ECO, the Regional Ethics and Integrity Officer will be responsible and accountable for serving as the focal point on ethical issues arising within a specific region, but also has some organisation-wide ethics responsibilities.
- Provide support in coordinating ethics-related matters for the Regional Office (RO) and Country Missions (COs) within the assigned region by serving as the focal point and facilitate effective communication and coordination with HQ and other relevant offices for the consistent application of ethics standards.
- Provide technical guidance and input to management and personnel throughout the Organisation on ethics-related matters within the assigned area of responsibility through the interpretation and application of IOM’s Standards of Conduct, conflicts of interest, reporting channels and protection against retaliation, supporting consistent ethical practice.
- Identify and analyse ethics trends, risks and concerns in the region and prepare guidance and outreach initiatives and materials.
- Prepare the annual regional ethics workplan by identifying the expected measures that will be implemented to promote compliance with IOM’s Standards of Conduct, guide ethical decision-making and address and mitigate specific ethical risks.
- Implement and support in designing a regional ethics capacity-building strategy by organising and delivering in-person ethics training and webinars, facilitating training of trainers and providing guidance to ethics facilitators to contribute to ethics awareness and capability across the assigned region.
- Contribute to the development and updating of ethics-related guidelines, reports and manuals by incorporating regional and operational needs to support consistency and relevance of ethics guidance.
- Contribute to ECO’s Knowledge Management (KM) tools and knowledge sharing initiatives, including case tracking systems and databases and the preparation of periodic reports and trend analyses, to show the scope, relevance and impact of ECO's work.
- Support ECO and OEP initiatives through research, joint strategy, learning activities and outreach campaigns and collaboration with Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment (PSEAH) for coordinated programme delivery.
- Perform such other relevant duties as may be assigned.
Education
- Master’s degree in ethics, humanities, law, international relations, business administration, or a related social science field from an academic institution with two years of relevant professional experience; or,
- University degree in the above fields with four years of relevant professional experience.
Experience
- Experience in the field of ethics, law, compliance/oversight or dispute resolution, preferably with an international organisation;
- Experience providing ethical guidance and advice, including on potential ethical violations, conflicts of interest, declaration of interest programmes, and protection against retaliation;
- Experience delivering training, outreach, and capacity building;
- Experience handling sensitive and confidential matters, including misconduct allegations;
- Experience handling a heavy and varied workload; and,
- Field experience, particularly within IOM, would be a distinct advantage.
Skills
- Knowledge of administrative law, preferably in an international context;
- Highest level of integrity, discretion, impartiality, and professionalism;
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills on complex and sensitive matters;
- Ability to effectively handle and resolve ethical issues at organisational and individual levels;
- Ability to sustain integrity and consistency while working independently;
- Ability to carry out all inquiries objectively and neutrally;
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, in both large and small settings;
- Ability to liaise with a wide range of counterparts, including high-level interlocutors; and,
- Resourcefulness and efficiency in managing commitments, handling multiple priorities, meeting deadlines and achieving results.
Languages
For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written).
Working knowledge of another official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) 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
Notes
Appointment will be subject to all clearances, including medical and security, as well as accreditation, and any residency or visa requirements. Vacancies close at 23:59 local time in 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, harassment, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and any forms of discrimination. IOM is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.
IOM conducts reference checks and background verification, including through system-wide databases such as ClearCheck, to help ensure that candidates have no record of misconduct, including on sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, or fraud. Candidates are expected to uphold these standards and principles at all times.
IOM does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process—whether for application, interview, processing, training, or otherwise—and does not request any information related to bank accounts.