National Programme Officer

The National Programme Officer (Border Management, Returns, Readmission) supports and coordinates the development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of projects related to border management, returns and readmission in IOM Finland. The role involves liaising with partners, managing project activities, and providing technical guidance to project staff.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and monitor operational, administrative and financial aspects of projects in accordance with IOM policies and donor requirements.
• Keep supervisor informed on project implementation status; identify gaps and suggest improvements.
• Participate in development and adjustment of work plans, project budgets, M&E tools and SOPs.
• Coordinate collection, verification and analysis of data; update information management systems and social media platforms on project activities.
• Coordinate timely preparation and dissemination of project reports per IOM and donor requirements.
• Liaise and coordinate with donors, partners, UN agencies, local authorities, stakeholders and government counterparts.
• Contribute to planning, development, organization and delivery of capacity building activities for IOM staff, government and civil society partners, implementing partners and communities.
• Attend relevant conferences, workshops, working groups, interagency coordination meetings and other forums.
• Prepare concept notes, project proposals and various communication and planning documents.
• Supervise and provide training and technical guidance to project staff.
• Undertake duty travel related to project implementation, monitoring visits, assessments and liaison.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Political or Social Sciences, International Relations, Development Studies, Migration Studies, Human Rights, Law or related fields from an accredited academic institution with two years of relevant professional experience; or, Master’s degree in the above-mentioned fields.
• Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.
• Experience in liaising with governmental authorities, national/international institutions, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations.
• Experience in working with migrants, including in the areas of border management, returns and readmission, refugees, internally displaced persons, victims of trafficking and other vulnerable groups.
• Experience in project management and results-based management, including working with bilateral donor programmes and related reporting requirements.
• Prior work experience with international humanitarian organizations, non-government or government institutions/organization in a multi-cultural setting is an advantage.
• Migration expertise including sound knowledge of migration-related thematic areas, border management, returns and readmission, assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR), protection and rights-based approaches, and immigration and border governance.
• Strong understanding of the broader migration landscape and operational context.
• Knowledge of programme and project cycle management, including development, implementation, monitoring and reporting.
• Knowledge of UN, bilateral and government-funded programme cycles and donor reporting requirements.
• Ability to translate project documents into operational workplans and coordinate implementation across technical, administrative and financial components.
• Knowledge of organisational and donor financial, procurement and administrative rules and regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to apply institutional and donor requirements.
• Experience in liaising with and building partnerships with government counterparts, donors and civil society organisations.
• Ability to supervise project staff and provide technical guidance and capacity-building.
• Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Excellent drafting and communication skills, including preparation of reports, project proposals, briefing notes and official correspondence.
• Fluency in English and working knowledge of Finnish (oral and written) required.
• Working knowledge of Swedish, other Nordic languages, or languages spoken by main migrant populations in the Nordic countries is desirable.

Skills

• Project Management
• Result-Based Management
• Migration Expertise
• Border Management
• Returns and Readmission
• Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration
• Protection and Rights-Based Approaches
• Immigration and Border Governance Framework
• Programme Cycle Management
• Donor Reporting
• Financial Rules and Regulations
• Procurement Regulations
• Administrative rules and regulations
• Partnership Building
• Technical Guidance
• Capacity Building
• Report Writing
• Proposal Development
• Liaising with Authorities
• Working with United Nations Agencies

Languages

English, Finnish