Coordinator, Migration Programme

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world.

Addressing the humanitarian needs of migrants and displaced people is one of five global strategic priorities for IFRC, as reflected in Strategy 2030. IFRC has a long-standing commitment and experience in providing humanitarian assistance and protection to people in need, including during crises that involve population movements both within countries and across borders. In 2021, at least 110 National Societies from around the world provided humanitarian services to migrants and displaced people. The same year, IFRC supported National Societies to implement 27 population movement operations in 36 countries and at sea.

Consistent with IFRC Global Strategy on Migration 2018-2022, in August 2021, the IFRC launched a global route-based migration programme to strengthen assistance and protection to people on the move along land and-sea based migration routes. The global programme currently engages 57 National Societies: 15 in Africa, 22 in the Americas, 13 in Europe, and 7 in MENA. In Africa, Europe and MENA, the programme aims to assist and protect over 2 million people on the move and over 500,000 people in host communities. In the Americas, the programme aims to assist and protect over 2.2 million people on the move and people in host communities. The programme has three operational pillars: (1) improving access to direct humanitarian assistance and protection to people on the move along migration routes, including through Humanitarian Service Points (HSPs); (2) Strengthening local and national capacities of National Societies; and (3) Undertaking evidence-based local and global diplomacy to foster enabling policy and operational environments.

Migrants, refugees, and other people on the move arrive in Europe through different land and maritime routes, including the three-trans- Mediterranean (Eastern, Central and Western Mediterranean), Atlantic and Balkan routes. The Wester-Balkans migratory route has been one of the main migratory paths into Europe and the sub-region has become extremely diverse since 2015 and in 2022, when it started to receive people fleeing Ukraine.

Job Purpose

Reporting hierarchically to the Operations and Programs Coordinator in the Country Cluster Delegation to Central & South-Eastern Europe and under strong technical guidance from the Regional Migrations and Displacement Coordinator, the Migration Programme Coordinator will be the focal person responsible for overall coordination, programme management, and monitoring and reporting, profiling of the global route-based migration programme in the Europe region, in close collaboration with relevant budget holders. The role will contribute to the IFRC’s work on migration and displacement in the European sub-region and wider region. This will include providing strategic, operational, and technical support to the IFRC network, aligned with relevant work at the IFRC’s Europe regional level.

The role is also responsible for profiling the regional work under the global route-based migration programme and the work on migration and displacement in the sub-region both within the Movement and externally with partners and other actors. The role will support engagement with partners and donors, and resource mobilization efforts to operationalize and sustain the global rout-based migration programme in the region as well as migration and displacement work in the country cluster. The incumbent will also be leading the process of reviewing the coordination position in light of contextual and funding developments.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide overall management, coordination, and monitoring and reporting of the global route-based migration programme in the Europe region in close cooperation with Country offices and budget holders.
• Oversee and support National Societies (NSs) to plan and implement, the global route-based migration programme in the Europe region, in line with the strategic aims of the programme and its operational pillars, including supporting annual country-level planning, and with attention to the integration and synergies of activities towards refugees from Ukraine into one migration approach where possible and feasible.
• Promote cross-border initiatives facilitating the peer-to-peer exchange, information exchange and visits between participating NSs.
• Facilitate the sharing of regular updates, experiences, lessons, and exchange within and between the NSs under the programme, including those implementing the global route-based migration programme and relevant partner NSs.
• Develop and/or apply resource allocation criteria for the global route-based programme when necessary to allocate unearmarked or multilateral funding to participating National Societies in the region and support the Regional Office and NSs on contracting processes.
• Support global reporting and Information Management (IM) under the global route-based migration programme, maintaining an overview of the region’s activities, funding streams and plans under the programme, and developing or adapting relevant reporting indicators as necessary and appropriate to address donor requirements.
• Map bilateral and multilateral migration and displacement programmes in the programme countries that could potentially contribute to the route-based migration programme or the work of migration and displacement and assist NSs in integration of interventions where possible and feasible.
• Develop, and support the development of tools, guides, reporting and evaluation criteria, research, and other learning materials, including in collaboration with relevant colleagues in other regions and at the global level.
• Coordinate with and support resource mobilization focal points in the region to map potential donors, facilitate coordinated outreach and generate resources for the global route-based migration programme and for Migration and Displacement work in the Cluster and in the Region.
• Develop and support the data analysis and monitoring of migration routes in the region with special focus on the NSs implementing activities in the programme.
• Monitor, develop, and share evidence and knowledge on migration and displacement situations in programme countries, including humanitarian needs along enduring and evolving migration routes, working closely and collaboratively with NS focal persons and other relevant colleagues.
• Conduct outreach and facilitate the engagement of NSs interested in joining or contributing to the global route-based migration programme and migration and displacement work in general in coordination with the IFRC Regional Migration and Displacement Coordinator.
• Promote the profile of the global route-based migration programme and the work on migration and displacement of the IFRC network at relevant forums and networks, including in coordination with relevant communications colleagues and the IFRC Regional Migration and Displacement Coordinator.
• Enhance and advocate for the participation of migrants, refugees, and other people on the move in the design and implementation of NS programmes and services, including encouraging NSs to engage migrants, refugees, and other people on the move as volunteers, staff and members.
• Provide expert support and advice on Migration and Displacement issues with a focus on programme countries, including legal and policy issues, to IFRC colleagues, NSs, Movement partners and other stakeholders.
• Support institutional and emergency preparedness for potential migration and displacement in programme countries and lead efforts aimed at ensuring that the specific vulnerabilities of migrants, refugees, and displaced communities are addressed in disaster and crisis preparedness, response, and recovery.
• Represent the IFRC and develop, facilitate, and manage external partnerships on Migration and Displacement in programme countries and beyond, as agreed.
• Support NSs in leveraging their auxiliary role and influencing legal and policy development, application and change on issues relating to migrants, refugees, and displaced communities.
• Ensure balanced and informed communications and advocacy in programme countries that facilitate support for the work of the IFRC and its membership to address the humanitarian needs of migrants, refugees, and displaced communities in coordination with the IFRC Regional Migration and Displacement Coordinator.
• Lead the review of the position of Migration Program Coordinator for the long term. Ensuring contextual and funding developments are in line with the responsibility of the coordinator and ensuring long term (financial) sustainability is assured. This could include continuing the coordination position as is or evolving the coordination position while ensuring the capacity is relevant of a long-term incumbent, potentially including training, coaching, promotion of existing staff or new to be hired external staff.

Duties applicable to all staff

• Work actively towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals.
• Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
• Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

Education

Required:

• University degree in political or social sciences, international law, international relations, human rights or equivalent.

Preferred:

• Advanced (Master’s level) degree in political or social sciences, international law, international relations, human rights or equivalent.

Experience

Required:

• At least 5-7 years of experience working on migration and displacement issues.
• Good knowledge and relevant work experience in the regional context.
• Experience coordinating projects or activities on migration and displacement.
• Experience in project management cycle (proposal writing, log frames, financial management, monitoring, reporting, evaluation).

Preferred:

• Experience working with the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required:

• Effective team and project management skills.
• Excellent oral, written and presentation skills.
• Creative, results and solutions orientated.
• Good mentoring and capacity development skills.
• Good research, information analysis and report writing skills.
• Ability to work well in a multicultural team, as well as with sufficient autonomy.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and networking skills.
• Fluent spoken and written in English

Preferred:

• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish, Arabic or Russian)

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values: Respect for Diversity, Integrity, Professionalism, Accountability

Core Competencies: Communication, Collaboration & Teamwork, Judgement & Decision Making, National Society & Customer Relations, Creativity & Innovation, Building Trust