Disaster Risk Reduction and Early Warning Officer (Data analysis and information management) (P)

Introduction

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations, and as the leading UN agency in the field of migration, works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

IOM is committed to ensuring a workplace where all employees can thrive professionally, while working towards harnessing the full potential of migration. Read more about IOM's workplace culture at IOM workplace culture | International Organization for Migration.

Applications are welcome from first- and second-tier candidates, particularly qualified female candidates as well as applications from the non-represented member countries of IOM. For all IOM vacancies, applications from qualified and eligible first-tier candidates are considered before those of qualified and eligible second-tier candidates in the selection process. 

For the purpose of this vacancy, the following are considered first-tier candidates:

1. Internal candidates
2. Candidates from the following IOM Member States that are not represented among staff members in the Professional and higher categories: Bahamas, Barbados, Comoros, Congo (the), Cook Islands, Dominica, Federated States of Micronesia, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Holy See, Iceland, Israel, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Namibia, Nauru, Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
    

Second tier candidates include:
All external candidates, except candidates from non-represented member states of IOM.

Organizational Context and Scope

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Regional Director for Operations and direct supervision of the RE2CLID Regional Programme Specialist, with technical supervision of the Regional Thematic Specialist (Data & Research), working in close coordination with the Humanitarian Response and Recovery and Climate Action regional units and IOM’s Climate Mobility Innovation Lab, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Early Warning Officer (Data) will support the design and delivery of data-driven initiatives to identify multi-hazard displacement risks, strengthen resilience, inform early warning systems, and enable anticipatory action in the region, while also contributing to programmatic approaches that translate this evidence into concrete interventions for disaster risk reduction and preparedness.

The Regional Office for East, Horn, and Southern Africa provides strategic and technical support to country offices across the region, spanning migration governance, humanitarian response, disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation. Within this framework, the Regional Data Hub (RDH) serves as the central hub for data innovation, supporting evidence-based decision-making and providing actionable insights to inform programming, partnerships, and policy dialogue.

In May 2023, representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) of the European Commission began discussions on an action to be implemented under the Regional Multi-Annual Indicative Plan for Sub-Saharan Africa (RMIP SSA) for 2024 which resulted in the development of the “Regional Responses to Climate Displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa” programme (RE2CLID) outlining a regional response to climate displacement. 

The RE2CLID programme seeks to enhance the resilience, self-reliance, and protection of Displacement-Affected Communities (DACs) living in areas at risk of disasters, environmental degradation, and the adverse effects of climate change. The programme operates across two highly vulnerable sub-regional clusters, inclusive of Cluster 1 - the Lake Tanganyika Basin, encompassing Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania, and Cluster 2 - the Southern Africa and South-West Indian Ocean region, including Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Comoros. The objective of the programme is to improve overall capacity to respond to and increase overall resilience to disaster displacement at the regional level through strategic interventions regionally, nationally and locally. 

The Climate Change and Migration Data (CCMD) Programme, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark under the Danish Organisational Strategy for IOM (2024–2026), focuses on strengthening evidence-based migration management in North, East, and West Africa. By addressing data and knowledge gaps on human mobility linked to climate change, environmental degradation, and other migration drivers, CCMD supports countries of origin, transit, and destination along key migration corridors to anticipate risks, reduce irregular migration and displacement, and inform more resilient policy and programmatic responses.

Given the region’s growing exposure to climate change impacts, environmental degradation, and disaster-related displacement, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Early Warning Officer (Data analysis and information management) will support IOM country offices to work with partners at the national, regional, and global levels to identify risks of displacement triggers. This will include developing cooperation and data science techniques to model relationships between hazard, vulnerability, and exposure data relating to displacement, as well as contributing to capacity development activities at national and regional levels to ensure the sustainability of interventions. The role will provide strategic support to multiple country offices, develop regional analyses on climate-related mobility and displacement, and ensure programmatic alignment across diverse initiatives.

The Disaster Risk Reduction and Early Warning Officer (Data analysis and information management) will be provided with regular feedback on his/her performance and progress, with special attention granted to goal setting and overcoming challenges.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Master’s degree in DRR, Environment, Environmental Engineering, Social Sciences, International Relations, Data, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience; or,
• University degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience. 

Accredited Universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.

Experience

• Work experience in emergency situations (complex emergency or disaster response) at an international level is required;
• Demonstrated experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, and climate change adaptation;
• Experience in implementing data analytics components of DRR and EW programming;
• Technical experience with early warning systems;
• Experience designing and delivering capacity development activities in the area of expertise;
• Knowledge and experience of working with humanitarian coordination mechanisms;
• Proven expertise with climate change impact modelling, climate data analysis, and resilience/adaptation strategies;
• Familiarity with advanced climate simulation tools (SSPs, RCPs, IAMs, sectoral models); and,
• Experience with NLP and text analysis may be useful.

Skills

• Proven skills in conducting geo-spatial statistical analysis;
• Hands-on experience with tools such as Python or R;
• Ability to understand complex contexts and fast-changing migration and displacement dynamics and them within regional, global, and political contexts;
• Strong analytical skills combined with the ability to effectively summarize, present, and communicate findings;
• Demonstrated ability to support and coordinate multi-stakeholder data initiatives in the field of migration, environment, and climate change;
• Experience supporting the designing of data-driven human mobility and climate change adaptation strategies (e.g. in sectors like agriculture, forestry, water, energy, urban planning); and,
• Ability to integrate economic and social dimensions of climate change, migration, and displacement into analytical approaches and models.
   

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 or Portuguese is desirable.

Required Competencies

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.

Values - all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these five values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
• Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators Level 2

• Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
• Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

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 the IOM e-Recruitment system (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