Head of Programmes

The Head of Programmes is a senior management role responsible for the strategic and operational alignment of IOM's migration-related programmes in Guinea. The role involves leading a broad portfolio including migration management, youth employment, immigration governance, public health, climate change, crisis response, disaster risk reduction, and peacebuilding, as well as leading the UN Network on Migration for Guinea.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of country strategies for Guinea, ensuring programmatic interventions are cohesive and aligned with migration-related challenges.
• Oversee initiatives aimed at promoting job creation and skills development for vulnerable youth populations.
• Lead Immigration and Border Governance projects, including capacity-building for national authorities in border management and counter-trafficking.
• Direct crisis response efforts and manage disaster risk reduction initiatives.
• Lead peacebuilding projects focusing on community cohesion, particularly in conflict-affected regions.
• Ensure the effective delivery of Migration Health Assessment Center services and public health support for mobile populations.
• Harmonize programming across Guinea to achieve regional impact.
• Supervise and mentor program staff, fostering a learning environment for continuous knowledge-sharing and capacity-building.
• Oversee robust monitoring systems to track program outcomes, ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Lead resource mobilization efforts to secure funding from key donors including USAID, EU, KOICA, Swiss Development Cooperation, and others.
• Build relationships with government counterparts, UN agencies, NGOs, private sector, and civil society organizations to enhance IOM’s impact.
• Represent IOM at UN forums and inter-agency meetings, ensuring migration issues are prioritized in development and humanitarian agendas.
• Develop cross-border projects in peacebuilding, migration governance, and community stabilization, aligning efforts with Guinea and neighboring countries.
• Support capacity-building and policy dialogues on migration governance at the national and regional levels.
• Lead the UN Network on Migration for Guinea, aligning with the Global Compact for Migration and fostering collaboration with UN agencies, government representatives, and civil society.
• Lead migration data collection efforts to ensure evidence-based approaches inform national and regional migration policies.
• Ensure robust Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse mechanisms across all IOM projects and lead staff training on safeguarding.
• Oversee the management of programme-related budgetary, financial, and administrative functions in coordination with the Resources Management Unit.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements, conducting programme assessments and evaluating impact.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Political or Social Sciences, Business Administration, Migration Studies, International Relations, Law, or a related field with seven years of relevant professional experience; or, University degree in the above fields with nine years of relevant experience.
• Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.
• Proven experience managing large, complex programs in migration management, governance, peacebuilding, immigration and border management, youth development, counter-trafficking, or similar fields.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and supervise multidisciplinary teams.
• Familiarity with the West African context and migration issues.
• Strong resource mobilization and donor engagement experience.
• Demonstrated staff management experience, including staff evaluations.
• Extensive experience in training and capacity building.
• Proven leadership in strategic program development and implementation.
• Excellent partnership-building skills with government, UN agencies, and civil society.
• Familiarity with IOM/UN project management cycles and donor requirements.
• Knowledge of UN and bilateral donor programming.
• Capacity to interface with government officials and stakeholders on migration issues.
• In-depth knowledge of migration-related issues and policies.
• Fluency in English and French is required (oral and written).
• Working knowledge of another official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, 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.

Skills

• Programme Management
• Migration Management
• Governance
• Peacebuilding Processes
• Immigration and border management
• Youth Development
• Counter Trafficking
• Multi-disciplinary Team Leadership
• Resource Mobilization
• Donor Engagement Strategies
• Staff Management
• Training and Capacity Building
• Strategic Programme Development
• Program Implementation
• Partnership Building
• Government Relations
• UN Project Management
• Donor Requirements Knowledge
• Migration Policy Implementation
• Bilateral Donor Programming
• Staff Evaluation

Languages

English, French