Outreach Assistant – Institutional Engagement

International Institute of Humanitarian Law; Sanremo; Hybrid; EUR 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The International Institute of Humanitarian Law seeks an Outreach Assistant to act as the focal point for communications and promotion of courses offered by the Department. This remote role involves field missions and regular coordination with UNHCR, UN agencies, NGOs, and CSOs to promote training programs.

Ideal candidates hold a Bachelor's degree in social sciences or related fields, with at least two years of relevant experience, and strong English communication skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, including law, political sciences, international relations, communications, or a related field.
• Two years of relevant working experience, including paid internships.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and attention to detail skills.
• Ability to conduct professional outreach with diverse international stakeholders.
• Good research skills and ability to follow legal and policy developments.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken).
• Fluency in another official UN language is a plus.
• Familiarity with Canva, Moodle, and Zoom for Education is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Act as the Department’s focal point for communication with country operations, regional UNHCR offices, UN Agencies, international organizations, NGOs, and CSOs for course promotion.
• Serve as the focal point for partnerships, mapping and tracking of existing and potential partners, and engagement oversight.
• Contribute to defining broadcast content and structure of messages.
• Conduct outreach to former participants, alumni networks, and institutional contacts to promote courses.
• Coordinate with UNHCR operations and other bodies to collect applications, recommendations and booking of slots.
• Monitor slot reservations and follow up on applications.
• Update internal directories of external focal points and participants.
• Track trends and opportunities by country operations and regions.
• Prepare internal dossiers and outreach materials as needed.

Skills

Strong communication

Organizational skills

Outreach to international stakeholders

Fluency in English

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social sciences/related field

Tools

Canva

Moodle

Zoom for Education

Job description

Location: remote/home-based with missions to the field and reliable internet connection

Contractual modality: 12 months consultancy contract with the possibility of extension

Deadline for applications: 16 February 2026

Background of the Institute

The International Institute of Humanitarian Law is an independent, non-profit humanitarian association founded in 1970 in Sanremo, Italy. The Institute organizes training courses in international humanitarian law, human rights, refugee law, and related issues. It promotes dialogue by organizing international conferences, meetings, and seminars for high-level government officials, scholars, and practitioners.

The mission of the Department of International Refugee Law and Migration Law (the Department) is to enhance the knowledge and skills of government officials, international organizations, civil society representatives, and academics involved in working with individuals in need of protection, including refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), stateless individuals, and migrants. Through its capacity-building initiatives and the exchange of experiences, the Department advocates for preserving human rights, thus complementing and augmenting the efforts of various stakeholders in the protection field.

The Institute enjoys a consultative status at ECOSOC, a participatory status at the Council of Europe, and observer status at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) ExCom, and with the International Organization for Migration.

Purpose of the role

The Outreach Assistant serves as a focal point for communications and promotion of courses offered by the Department to relevant stakeholders.

Primary duties and Responsibilities

• Act as the Department’s focal point for communication with country operations and the regional bureau of UNHCR, other UN Agencies, international organizations, NGO, and CSOs regarding the promotion of the Courses offered by theDepartment;


• Serve as the focal point for partnerships, supporting the identification, mapping, and systematic tracking of existing and potential partners, and maintaining an overview of engagement related to the Department’s training and capacity-sharing programmes.


• In coordination with the relevant teams, contribute to defining the content and structure of broadcast messages, both general and tailored broadcast messages;


• Conduct outreach to relevant stakeholders, including former participants, alumni networks, and institutional contacts, to promote upcoming courses


• Liaise with UNHCR operations, regional bureaus, UN agencies, international organizations, NGOs, and CSOs to collect applications, recommendations and booking of slots for the Department´s courses and initiatives;


• Coordinate with the relevant Department colleagues on monitoring slot reservations, andfollow upon applications recommended by stakeholders;


• Update internal directories of external focal points, relevantcounterparts,and previous participants from different stakeholders;


• Keep track of trends, challenges, and opportunities of specific country operations and regions regarding the demands and participation in the Department’s capacity sharing programs;


• Support in preparation of internal dossiers and outreach materials for specific country operations or regions as needed;


• Keep abreast of new laws, regulations, policies, and legislative developments related to migrants, forcibly displaced and stateless populations;


• Track global, regional, and national developments and summarize key changes relevant to the department operations;


• Conduct any other tasks relevant to the Department as defined by thesupervisor.

Qualifications, Experience, and Skills

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, including law, political sciences, international relations, communications, or a related field;


• Two years of relevant working experience, including paid internships;


• Strong written and verbal communication skills;


• Strong organizational and attention to detail skills;


• Ability to conduct professional outreach with diverse international stakeholders;


• Good research skills and ability to follow legal and policy developments;


• Fluency (written and spoken) in the English language;


• Fluency (written and spoken) in another official UN language used by the Department (Arabic, French, Spanish, and Russian) is an asset;


• Familiarity with graphic design tools such as Canva, Moodle, and Zoom for Education is an asset;


• Motivation and passion for working in an organization supporting the protection of refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), stateless persons, and migrants;


• Familiarity with UN agencies (particularly UNHCR) and international organizations;


• Ability to meet changing demands and to adapt to frequently changing priorities.


• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews and other relevant assessments.


• The Institute may choose to begin the interview process before the application deadline should suitable candidates be identified.

The Institute is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, irrespective of gender, nationality, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, or other status. Applications of persons with displacement backgrounds are particularly welcome.