Organization Mission

IOM first began work in Timor-Leste in August 1999. Since then IOM has provided return and reintegration assistance to the approximately 190,000 Timorese people who fled to West Timor (Indonesia) during the 1999 post-referendum violence; contributed to the disarmament and reintegration of ex-Falintil combatants; and undertaken a number of community stabilization and infrastructure programs.

UNICEF has been supporting the Government and people of Timor-Leste since 1999, working to ensure that every child survives, learns, and is protected. With its country office in Dili and field presence across municipalities, UNICEF partners closely with government institutions, development partners, civil society, and communities to strengthen systems and deliver essential services for children and adolescents. Our programmes focus on health and nutrition, education, child protection, WASH, and youth engagement, with a strong commitment to equity, gender equality, and resilience. Together with partners, UNICEF works to create a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where every child in Timor-Leste can reach their full potential.

Context

Timor-Leste, situated at a strategic crossroads in Southeast Asia, faces growing challenges related to trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling, and unsafe migration practices. Vulnerable populations—including those in border and maritime communities, as well as youth—are increasingly at risk due to limited awareness, evolving criminal tactics, and gaps in institutional capacity. The Government of Timor-Leste, in partnership with IOM and UNICEF, has recognized the urgent need for a comprehensive, multi-sectoral response that integrates prevention, protection, and prosecution, with a strong emphasis on public information and behavior change.

Recent assessments and case information highlight that trafficking and smuggling routes are becoming more sophisticated, exploiting both internal and cross-border vulnerabilities. At the same time, border and maritime communities, as well as senior school-aged children/youth, are often targeted by traffickers and smugglers due to their limited access to accurate information and protective networks.

To address these challenges, IOM and UNICEF Timor-Leste is assisting with the development and rollout of an information campaign designed to raise awareness, promote safe migration, and strengthen community and institutional responses to trafficking and smuggling.

The campaign will target key groups including police officers, vulnerable and border communities, maritime stakeholders, schools, and youth. Through evidence-based messaging, culturally appropriate materials, and coordinated outreach—supported by a team of communications professionals and Online Volunteers—the campaign aims to empower communities, enhance reporting and referral mechanisms, and foster a protective environment for those most at risk.

Key Responsibilities

Six Online Volunteers will form a remote communications team to support the campaign rollout, working collaboratively under the direct supervision of the Media and Communications Officer and the Chief of Mission of IOM Timor Leste and in coordination with UNICEF’s Social Behaviour Change Focal Point.

The goal of this engagement is to produce enough content during the 12-week assignment to sustain a six-month communication campaign. The first month will focus on planning and content production; rollout will begin during the second and third months, with all materials finalized and handed over to IOM and UNICEF for continued dissemination.

For this role, the Online Volunteer will:

• With the support of the focal points, conduct a needs assessment with target communities through FGDs and/or online surveys to understand existing knowledge, perceptions, and information gaps, ensuring messages are effective and culturally relevant.
• Draft a comprehensive set of campaign materials to sustain a six-month digital rollout, producing enough written content for a five-day posting schedule per week across relevant platforms. This can include human-centered stories, captions, hashtags and short-form posts aligned with campaign messages on trafficking prevention, protection, and safe migration.
• Coordinate with the IOM and UNICEF Communications and Social Behaviour Change Focal Points to ensure alignment of messaging, editorial guidelines and tone across IOM, UNICEF, and government communication channels.
• Adapt messaging to reach different target audiences, including youth, border and coastal communities, and law enforcement officers.

All volunteers will receive an orientation on IOM and UNICEF communication standards and access to approved campaign materials, logos, and templates. Volunteers will work collaboratively and attend biweekly coordination calls. All outputs will follow IOM and UNICEF’s communication and protection guidelines and will not include personal or identifiable data of trafficking survivors or at-risk individuals.

Required Skills and Experience

• Strong experience in strategic communications, campaign design, or public information (preferably in migration, protection, or development contexts) is required.
• Advanced degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or related field.
• Strong writing, editing skills in English; Tetum an asset.
• Familiarity with UN, IOM, or international NGO communications standards is highly desirable.