The Executive Office (EO) is IOM’s central hub for leadership, coordination, and strategic direction. It ensures that IOM’s Leadership Team, led by the Director General, is fully enabled to provide effective and coherent leadership across all aspects of IOM’s mandate.
Led by the Director of the Executive Office, the EO provides the Director General with direct and comprehensive support to lead IOM internally and represent the Organization externally. This includes strategic agenda-setting, coordination of briefings and workflows, and support for high-level meetings, events, and travel. The EO serves as the secretariat for the Leadership Team, Senior Management Team, and cross-pillar task forces, and supports leadership decision-making, follow-up, and implementation monitoring. Through close coordination across IOM’s leadership ecosystem, the EO helps ensure alignment, shared priorities, and coherence across the Organization.
By enabling daily collaboration and information-sharing among senior leaders and their teams, the EO supports the Director General and Leadership Team in defining and advancing strategic priorities aligned with the IOM Strategic Plan, helping to ensure unity of purpose and a consistent, organization-wide approach to IOM’s global mission.
Under the overall supervision of the Director General and the direct supervision of the Director of the Executive Office and in collaboration with the Leadership Team and the Executive Office the Advisor to the Executive Office will provide strategic advice and overall support to the Executive Office in liaising, advocacy, political and managerial functions.
Responsibilities and Accountabilities
- Provide strategic and organizational advice to the Director of the Executive Office on leadership priorities, cross‑organizational issues, and emerging risks, contributing directly to leadership‑level decision‑making and agenda‑setting.
- Support the Director of the Executive Office in the day‑to‑day functioning of the Executive Office, contributing to effective coordination, information flow, and follow‑up in support of the Director General and the Leadership Team.
- Conduct and lead strategic analysis across pillars, regions, and offices, synthesizing complex inputs into advisory notes, options papers, and forward‑looking assessments to inform senior leadership deliberations.
- Lead and manage Executive Office mechanisms supporting leadership decision‑making and follow‑up, including the design, maintenance, and quality assurance of systems tracking implementation of Leadership Team decisions. Act as a focal point for cross‑pillar initiatives mandated by the Leadership Team, providing technical guidance, resolving coordination challenges, and ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and strategic objectives.
- Advise on and contribute to the oversight of Executive Office–led organizational change and reform initiatives, including assessing implementation progress, identifying systemic risks or bottlenecks, and recommending corrective actions to senior leadership.
- Support engagement with regional structures, including collaboration with the Regional Coordination and Support Unit, by assisting with information exchange, coordination, and feedback between Headquarters, regions, and the field.
- Facilitate engagement with independent offices at a senior level, ensuring effective information exchange, coordination, and feedback in support of Executive Office processes.
- Perform such other duties as may be assigned.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Education
- Master’s degree in Public Administration, Political or Social Sciences, International Relations, International Law, Development Studies 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.
Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.
Experience
- Extensive experience in the field of international migration;
- In-depth knowledge of IOM and working experience in International Organizations;
- Experience coordinating activities and working effectively and harmoniously with colleagues from diverse cultures and professional backgrounds; and,
- Demonstrated experience in the implementation of workplace reform and change management.
Skills
- Skills in strategic development and creative thinking;
- Ability to manage a complex workload effectively, working to tight deadlines;
- Excellent organizational and task management skills, with appropriate attention to details and ability to prioritize work among multiple competing demands, and under tight deadlines. Ability to manage multiple workflows at the same time;
- Excellent communication skills and proven drafting ability; ability to develop contacts, foster collaboration with IOM internal as well as external stakeholders, deliver presentations, advocate for viewpoints and participate actively in internal as well as external debates and negotiations;
- A sound understanding of the United Nations system, including, of its current challenges;
- Sound knowledge of financial and administrative matters is an asset;
- Ability to work effectively and harmoniously with colleagues from varied cultures and professional backgrounds; Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills; and,
- Personal commitment, drive for results, efficiency, flexibility, open management style.
Languages
All IOM staff members in all categories are required to be fluent in one of the IOM’s official languages (English, French, Spanish).
For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written).
Working knowledge of French and Spanish and another official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, and Russian) is an advantage.
Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.
How to apply
Notes
Internationally recruited professional staff are required to be mobile. Please refer to this link for guidance on IOM Job Category.
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 will remain eligible to be appointed in a similar position for a period of 24 months.
Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, security clearances.
Vacancies close at 23:59 local time 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, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities.
IOM does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training or other fee). IOM does not request any information related to bank accounts.
IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through HERE (for internal candidates link here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies.