Consultant - Programme Officer Artificial Intelligence (AI) (C), Geneva

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.

Project Context and Scope This consultancy provides senior advisory and programme management support to the Deputy Director Digital and Business Enablement, with a focus on organizational intelligence, strategic analysis, and workstream coordination. The assignment operates in a non‑representational capacity, ensuring the Director has timely insight into governance, stakeholder dynamics, and emerging priorities to support effective decision‑making and anticipatory action. IOM’s AI programme is at a critical stage of implementation, with a growing portfolio of initiatives, expanding institutional commitments, and increasing demand from Member States and partners. To ensure the programme delivers its objectives effectively and within agreed timelines, the Deputy Director Digital and Business Enablement requires dedicated senior capacity to strengthen programme management, strategic judgment, and organizational intelligence. The purpose of this assignment is to embed a senior adviser with strong IOM institutional knowledge to extend the Deputy Director’s reach and effectiveness. The Program Officer operates primarily in a non‑representational capacity, providing analysis, intelligence, and strategic context to support informed leadership decision‑making. A core element of the assignment is anticipatory support: ensuring that emerging issues, strategic choices, and engagement opportunities are identified early and that the Deputy Director is equippedwith timely, well‑grounded context and intelligence to remain ahead of evolving priorities. Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Director Digital and Business Enablement, the program officer will provide senior‑level programme management and strategic advisory services. This includes tracking and coordinating multiple workstreams, researching internal governance processes and inter‑agency dynamics, and proactively identifying risks, opportunities, and visibility considerations relevant to the AI programme.

Organizational Department / Unit Information Communications and Technology Department• Digital and Business Enablement Division

Responsibilities

Institutional processes and governance: To apply and advise on IOM governance structures, decision‑making authorities, and approval pathways, ensuring that actions and submissions are correctly sequenced and strategically positioned to enable timely decisions and avoid administrative or procedural blockages.

Strategic framework alignment: To ensure that the design, narrative, and implementation of the AI programme are fully aligned with IOM strategic commitments, including the Global Compact, IMRF outcomes, and relevant migration policy frameworks.

Inter‑agency and UN system engagement: To maintain a continuous overview of inter‑agency processes, working groups, thematic initiatives, events, and conferences across the UN system relevant to AI, technology, and migration, and to determine where IOM leadership engagement is required or strategically advantageous.

Stakeholder management and coordination: To manage key institutional relationships across IOM Headquarters, Regional Offices, and external partners, proactively identifying risks to delivery, addressing coordination gaps, and ensuring follow‑through on strategic commitments.

Priority management and judgment: To exercise independent judgment in managing competing priorities, filtering and escalating matters that require the Deputy Director’s attention, and actively advising on issues of strategic consequence, including when priorities risk being misaligned or deprioritized.

Strategic advisory role: To serve as a senior advisory resource to the Deputy Director by providing timely, well‑researched analysis and recommendations on strategic decisions, stakeholder dynamics, institutional risks, and policy positioning.

Leadership engagement and representation support: To manage the preparation, coordination, and follow‑up of the Director’s external engagements, including high‑level meetings, conferences, and forums, ensuring substantive readiness and systematic follow‑through on commitments and outcomes.

Drafting and authoritative written output: To draft and clear high‑level briefing notes, correspondence, talking points, and internal papers on behalf of the Director, ensuring they reflect institutional priorities, sound judgment, and IOM’s organizational register.

Cross‑divisional intelligence and situational awareness: To maintain an active understanding of initiatives, developments, and sensitivities across IOM Geneva that intersect with the AI programme, identifying opportunities, emerging risks, and points requiring leadership attention.

Workstream leadership and coherence: To hold oversight of multiple parallel workstreams, track interdependencies, identify blockages, and ensure coherence between discussions, decisions, and implementation so that no critical issues fall between institutional interfaces.

Performance indicators

Institutional processes and governance: At least 95% of submissions and requests are cleared without delay or rework due to procedural, governance, or sequencing errors.

Strategic framework alignment: 100% of programme outputs and briefing materials demonstrate clear alignment with relevant IOM strategic frameworks, with no corrective feedback from senior management.

Inter‑agency and UN system engagement: ≥90% of relevant UN‑system engagement opportunities affecting the programme are identified, tracked, and flagged to management in advance.

Stakeholder management and coordination:≥90% of high‑priority stakeholder commitments are delivered within agreed timelines without escalation due to coordination failures.

Priority management and judgment:≥90% of items escalated or deprioritized are confirmed by the Deputy Director as appropriately assessed and actioned.

Strategic advisory role: Advisory inputs are delivered on time in≥95% of cases and are confirmed by management to have informed decision‑making.

Leadership engagement and representation support: 100% of external engagements are supported by timely briefings and tracked follow‑up actions, with ≥90% closure of commitments.

Drafting and authoritative written output:≥90% of written outputs (briefings, correspondence, talking points) are cleared with minor or no revisions.

Cross‑divisional intelligence and situational awareness: At least one material cross‑divisional risk or opportunity affecting the programme is proactively identified and communicated per quarter.

Workstream leadership and coherence: No critical deliverables are delayed due to unmanaged dependencies or coordination gaps between workstreams.

Qualifications Required Qualifications and Experience Education

Master’s degree in Science, AI, 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

A minimum of seven years of progressive experience within IOM or a comparable UN system organization, including exposure to both Headquarters (Geneva) and field or regional operations.

Demonstrated professional experience operating at the intersection of policy, governance, and programme delivery within complex, multilateral environments.

Proven practical knowledge of IOM’s governance architecture, including its structures, processes, and decision‑making mechanisms.

Established experience engaging with Council processes, inter‑agency coordination bodies, and cross‑divisional stakeholders, with a solid understanding of key global frameworks (e.g. IMRF, the Global Compact) and their operational implications for IOM.

Demonstrated ability to rapidly grasp strategic priorities and organizational dynamics, applying strong analytical, organizational, and relational intelligence to navigate complex institutional environments effectively.

Demonstrated experience in providing high‑level, behind‑the‑scenes support, enabling senior stakeholders to operate more effectively through well‑researched insights, structured briefings, and timely information.

Skills

Institutional and governance acumen: Ability to navigate IOM governance structures, decision‑making processes, and approval pathways to enable timely and well‑positioned actions.

Strategic judgment and policy understanding: Strong capacity to interpret and apply organizational strategies and policy frameworks to ensure coherent programme alignment.

UN system and inter‑agency awareness: Proven understanding of UN and inter‑agency processes, with the ability to identify relevant forums and engagement opportunities.

Stakeholder management and coordination: Ability to manage complex institutional stakeholder relationships, anticipate risks, and ensure effective follow‑through …