The International Organization for Migration has published several verified vacancies across East Africa this April. If you work in migration, displacement, border management, or humanitarian response, these IOM migration management jobs in East Africa could be your next career move. Here’s exactly what’s open, what each role pays, and how to get your application in before the deadlines close.
What IOM Does in East Africa — and Why These Jobs Matter
IOM has operated in East Africa for decades, managing some of the continent’s most complex displacement and migration crises. The organisation runs programmes in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and Djibouti — covering everything from voluntary return and reintegration to border management, health screenings, and labour migration.
Roles at IOM are demanding. You’ll work in hardship locations, manage large caseloads, and coordinate with government counterparts, UN sister agencies, and donor missions. In return, you get a competitive UN salary, hazard pay where applicable, and significant career development within the international humanitarian system.
If you’re searching for UN jobs in East Africa, IOM consistently ranks among the top hiring organisations in the region.
For more context on what IOM looks for in candidates, see the official IOM careers portal.
IOM Migration Management Job 1: Migration Health Officer — Nairobi, Kenya
Location | Deadline | Contract Type
Location: Nairobi, Kenya (with field travel) Deadline: 28 April 2026 Contract Type: Special Short-Term (SST), 6 months — renewable Grade: P2 equivalent / NO-B (National Officer)
About This Role
The Migration Health Officer supports IOM Kenya’s health assessment and pre-departure medical screening programmes. You’ll oversee health examinations for refugees and migrants preparing for resettlement, coordinate with the Kenyan Ministry of Health, and manage a team of medical professionals and data entry staff.
Key Responsibilities
- Supervise health assessments, TB screening, and vaccination programmes for refugees referred by UNHCR for resettlement
- Maintain medical databases and ensure compliance with destination country health requirements (US, Canada, Australia, UK)
- Liaise with medical escorts and coordinate pre-departure health preparations
- Prepare donor reports and statistical summaries for IOM headquarters
Required Qualifications
- University degree in medicine, public health, nursing, or a closely related field
- At least two years of professional experience in health programme management (four years for national officer candidates without a postgraduate degree)
- Proven experience in migrant or refugee health settings strongly preferred
- Fluency in English; Swahili proficiency is a significant advantage
Salary Range NO-B national officer positions in Kenya typically pay between KES 280,000 and KES 420,000 per month gross, depending on dependants and step within the grade. IOM salaries are tax-exempt for the UN component. For salary benchmarking, the ILO Global Wage Report provides useful regional context.
How to Apply Submit your application directly through the IOM careers portal. You’ll need to create an IOM account, complete the online application form, and attach your CV and a cover letter in English.
This vacancy was sourced from the IOM official careers portal.
IOM Migration Management Job 2: Programme Officer (Border Management) — Kampala, Uganda
Location | Deadline | Contract Type
Location: Kampala, Uganda (with travel to border posts) Deadline: 2 May 2026 Contract Type: Fixed Term, 12 months — renewable Grade: P3 (International Professional)
About This Role
Uganda hosts over 1.6 million refugees — the largest refugee population in Africa — and shares active border crossings with DRC, South Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The Programme Officer for Border Management will design and implement IOM’s capacity-building activities for Uganda’s Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC).
This is a senior programme role. You’ll manage a sub-office team, oversee a multi-million dollar donor portfolio, and travel regularly to border entry points including Busia, Malaba, Mutukula, Bunagana, and Elegu.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and deliver training programmes on immigration screening, document fraud detection, and biometric data management for DCIC officers
- Manage project budgets and donor reporting (USAID, EU, UK FCDO primary donors for this portfolio)
- Coordinate with UNHCR, UNDP, and national government counterparts on integrated border management (IBM) frameworks
- Monitor and evaluate programme outcomes against logframes and produce quality donor reports
Required Qualifications
- Advanced university degree in international relations, public policy, law, or a migration-related field (first degree acceptable with two extra years of experience)
- Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in border management, migration governance, or related fields
- Demonstrated experience managing donor-funded programmes at P3 level
- Experience working with government counterparts in sub-Saharan Africa preferred
Salary Range P3 positions at IOM carry a net base salary of approximately USD 5,600–6,500/month plus post adjustment for Kampala (currently around 30% of base), a mobility/hardship allowance, and education grant for dependants. Kampala is classified as a family duty station.
How to Apply Apply via the IOM careers portal. International applicants must confirm eligibility to work in Uganda or demonstrate entitlement to a UN laissez-passer.
This vacancy was sourced from the IOM official careers portal.
IOM Migration Management Job 3: Data Management Assistant — Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Location | Deadline | Contract Type
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Deadline: 25 April 2026 Contract Type: Special Short-Term (SST), 3 months — renewable Grade: G5 (General Service)
About This Role
Ethiopia is one of IOM’s largest missions in Africa, managing displacement tracking, displacement tracking matrix (DTM) data collection, and a range of emergency response operations. The Data Management Assistant will support the DTM team in Addis with data entry, quality assurance, and coordination with field enumerators across Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, and Somali regions.
This is an excellent entry point for professionals with strong Excel, KOBO Toolbox, or Power BI skills who want to break into the UN system.
Key Responsibilities
- Enter and validate displacement data collected from IOM field sites across Ethiopia
- Run quality checks on incoming datasets and flag anomalies for the DTM Programme Officer
- Support design and testing of data collection tools using KOBO Toolbox and ODK
- Prepare weekly data summaries and contribute to IOM’s publicly available DTM dashboards
Required Qualifications
- Completed secondary education with a university certificate or diploma in information management, statistics, computer science, or a related field
- At least three years of practical data management experience, preferably in an NGO or UN setting
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, KOBO Toolbox, and basic database tools
- Fluency in English and Amharic required
Salary Range G5 positions in Addis Ababa are locally contracted. Gross monthly salary typically falls between ETB 65,000 and ETB 90,000 at current IOM pay scales, plus UN-standard medical and insurance benefits.
How to Apply Submit applications via the IOM careers portal. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. IOM does not charge fees at any stage of the recruitment process.
This vacancy was sourced from the IOM official careers portal.
IOM Migration Management Job 4: Senior Operations Assistant (Emergency Response) — Mogadishu, Somalia
Location | Deadline | Contract Type
Location: Mogadishu, Somalia (non-family duty station) Deadline: 30 April 2026 Contract Type: Special All-Inclusive (SAI), 6 months — renewable Grade: G7 (General Service)
About This Role
Somalia remains one of the most complex humanitarian environments IOM operates in. The Senior Operations Assistant supports IOM Somalia’s emergency response and non-food item (NFI) distribution operations in and around Mogadishu, coordinating field teams and logistics contractors under the direction of the Emergency Response Programme Manager.
This role carries a hazard pay supplement and SAI (Special All-Inclusive) contract structure, which consolidates base salary and all allowances into a single competitive package.
Key Responsibilities
- Coordinate daily field operations for NFI distributions, cash transfer programmes, and displacement site assessments
- Liaise with local authorities, community leaders, and implementing partners on operational access
- Manage fleet and logistics coordination for field teams operating across Benadir and Lower Shabelle regions
- Maintain accurate distribution records and contribute to the Somalia Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) reporting
Required Qualifications
- University degree in humanitarian affairs, logistics, business administration, or related field; or secondary education with at least five years of experience
- Proven operational experience in a complex emergency setting
- Strong organisational and reporting skills; experience with humanitarian coordination mechanisms (OCHA clusters) is a plus
- Excellent English communication skills; Somali language skills are a distinct advantage
Salary Range SAI contracts consolidate all allowances. Gross monthly packages for G7 SAI roles in Mogadishu typically range from USD 3,800 to USD 4,800 depending on dependant status. The non-family station supplement and hazard pay are built into the SAI package. See IOM careers for the full compensation breakdown per duty station.
How to Apply Apply through the IOM careers portal. Due to the operational environment, IOM may fast-track shortlisting for this role.
This vacancy was sourced from the IOM official careers portal.
IOM Migration Management Job 5: Resettlement and Case Management Officer — Kakuma, Kenya
Location | Deadline | Contract Type
Location: Kakuma, Kenya (hardship duty station) Deadline: 5 May 2026 Contract Type: Fixed Term, 12 months — renewable Grade: NO-A / P2 (National/International track)
About This Role
Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana County hosts over 220,000 refugees, primarily from South Sudan, DRC, Somalia, and Ethiopia. The Resettlement and Case Management Officer works within IOM’s Resettlement and Voluntary Return unit, managing case files, conducting pre-departure orientations, and coordinating with UNHCR’s protection and resettlement teams.
Key Responsibilities
- Review and process resettlement case submissions for refugees referred by UNHCR, ensuring compliance with destination country requirements (primarily US, Canada, and Australia)
- Conduct cultural orientation and pre-departure programming for approved refugees
- Coordinate with Kakuma camp authorities, health teams, and travel logistics on departure scheduling
- Maintain accurate, confidential case management records in IOM’s ProGres and CMS systems
Required Qualifications
- University degree in social work, international relations, law, or humanitarian affairs
- At least two years of experience in refugee case management, resettlement processing, or protection work
- Familiarity with ProGres v4 or IOM case management systems preferred
- Strong interpersonal skills — you’ll work directly with vulnerable individuals and families daily
Salary Range NO-A/P2 positions at a hardship duty station like Kakuma include a hardship allowance on top of base salary. Gross monthly compensation for this band typically ranges from KES 310,000 to KES 480,000, inclusive of hardship supplement, for the national officer track.
How to Apply Apply via the IOM careers portal. Shortlisted candidates may be required to complete a written assessment before interviews.
This vacancy was sourced from the IOM official careers portal.
How to Apply for IOM Migration Management Jobs in East Africa
Every IOM vacancy listed here requires applications to go through the official IOM careers portal at iom.int/careers. IOM does not accept applications by email, WhatsApp, or through third-party recruiters — if someone is asking you to pay a fee to apply, that’s a scam.
Here’s the standard process:
Step 1: Create a personal account on the IOM careers portal.
Step 2: Search for the specific vacancy by reference number (each role has a unique SVN or IVN code — check the portal for the exact code matching the roles above).
Step 3: Complete the online application form fully. Partial applications are automatically screened out.
Step 4: Attach your CV in English (IOM recommends a two-page maximum), a tailored cover letter, and copies of your highest academic qualification.
Step 5: Submit before the deadline. IOM does not accept late applications under any circumstances.
For interview preparation and CV tips specific to UN recruitment, read our guide to NGO jobs in Kenya — including what hiring managers actually look for in competitive shortlists.
Professionals targeting international positions should also review the UN Careers portal for IOM vacancies that are cross-posted across the UN system.
