Protection Case Worker Associate

The Protection Case Worker Associate provides individual protection screening, counselling, and case management services to migrants, including vulnerable groups such as survivors of GBV and human trafficking. The role involves coordination with relevant actors, maintaining case management systems, and supporting post-arrival assistance in line with IOM standards.

Responsibilities

• Conduct individual protection screening and counselling of migrants upon arrival in line with standard institutional tools and program-specific tools, identifying vulnerabilities and protection risks (including survivors of GBV and human trafficking, children at risk, including unaccompanied and separated, individuals with serious health condition and psychosocial support needs) documenting needs, and preparing individualized case plans.
• Provide case management services and assistance (including AVR assistance): follow up on cases, ensure delivery of post arrival services, monitor progress, coordinate referrals to specialized services including consular, health, psychosocial, family tracing, GBV, child protection as needed, and ensure continuity of assistance.
• Support coordination with other IOM missions, RTSs, MHU, and other relevant IOM colleagues on individual case files, including for multi-mission protection assessments, remote counselling, consular assistance, and AVR movements.
• Assist in the implementation of safe and dignified post arrival assistance, ensuring privacy, confidentiality, and informed consent; support with documentation and coordination with relevant authorities (e.g. consular, migration, local government).
• Support communication with beneficiaries: explain available assistance, ensure clear, culturally, age and linguistically appropriate messaging.
• Maintain accurate and timely data collection and case notes in IOM’s case management systems (including MiMOSA and program-specific tools), ensuring data protection and confidentiality standards are met.
• Assist the Team Leader in preparing reports, summaries, outcomes of case work, and contribute to protection assessments, lessons learned and monitoring of protection related project indicators as required by programme.
• Carry out duty travel as required for field visits, monitoring of services or partner organization sites.
• Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Senior Protection Associate or Senior Return Specialist related to AVR protection activities.

Requirements

• High school diploma with six years of professional experience; or, Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, International Relations/Affairs, Research, Law or a related field from an accredited academic institution with four years of professional experience.
• Experience in protection case management (including for survivors GBV and human trafficking, children at risk) in humanitarian or migration contexts.
• Experience working with vulnerable persons, ideally including returnees or deported migrants, who have complex needs.
• Experience with referrals and coordination with local protection actors, NGOs, or government services.
• Experience working in programs that include a movement operations component is an advantage.
• Experience with IOM or other UN agencies, particularly working on assisted voluntary return and reintegration programs, is preferred.
• Knowledge of IOM and Inter-agency protection standards and operational guidelines, including IOM Case Management Guidelines.
• Knowledge of human rights and international migration law is an asset.
• Knowledge of MiMOSA is a strong asset.
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to interact respectfully with migrants with trauma or complex needs, and proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of diverse cultural and national backgrounds.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Ability to deliver assistance in challenging conditions; adaptability and good judgment.
• Good written and verbal communication skills; ability to prepare case notes and reports.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel), tools used for case management.
• Fluency in Spanish required; working knowledge in English is an advantage.

Skills

• Protection Case Management
• SGBV Survivor Support
• Human Trafficking Case Management
• Child Protection
• Referral Process Coordination
• Local Protection Actors Engagement
• NGO Coordination
• Government Services Coordination
• Assisted Voluntary Return Programs
• Reintegration Programming
• IOM Case Management Guidelines
• Inter-agency Protection Standards
• Human Rights Knowledge
• International Migration Law
• MiMOSA
• Case Notes Documentation
• Report Writing
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Counselling Skills
• Individual Protection Screening

Languages

Spanish, English