Head of Goodwill Ambassador and Celebrity Engagement

Organizational context: The International Organization for Migration (IOM), established in 1951, is a UN-related agency dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration. It operates within the Office of Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications Strategy, focusing on building private sector partnerships to support strategic priorities and engaging the private sector as a key stakeholder. The division oversees engagement, due diligence, capacity building, and specific programs like the Islamic Philanthropy Fund and Goodwill Ambassador programme.

Job purpose: The Head of Goodwill Ambassador and Celebrity Engagement is responsible for the strategic development and global implementation of IOM’s celebrity engagement portfolio. This role is crucial for driving advocacy, enhancing organizational visibility, and supporting private sector fundraising efforts. The incumbent will manage the recruitment, due diligence, and ongoing engagement of Goodwill Ambassadors and high-profile supporters. This includes ensuring coordinated delivery of high-impact campaigns, field missions, and media outputs, in close collaboration with IOM's Country and Regional Offices. The position acts as a central interface, ensuring coherent messaging, strong governance, and system-wide alignment, while developing innovative partnerships that generate measurable income and donor engagement, thereby strengthening institutional capacity through guidance, tools, and training.

Responsibilities:
The Head of Goodwill Ambassador and Celebrity Engagement will lead the strategic development and global implementation of IOM’s celebrity engagement strategy, focusing on advocacy, visibility, and private sector fundraising.

Key responsibilities
include overseeing the end-to-end management of the Goodwill Ambassador programme, encompassing governance, onboarding, deployment, and performance management. The role involves identifying and recruiting a diverse pipeline of high-value celebrity supporters aligned with organizational priorities. It also requires designing and managing high-impact celebrity partnerships for advocacy and fundraising, integrating celebrity engagement as a fundraising channel to generate measurable income. The incumbent will lead due diligence, risk, and reputation management processes, ensuring adherence to ethical standards. Furthermore, the position entails leading campaign execution, planning high-profile field missions, and serving as a senior focal point for stakeholder engagement. Establishing frameworks for performance measurement and impact assessment, providing strategic guidance and capacity building to internal teams, and supervising program staff are also critical duties.

Education:
A Master’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Public Affairs, Political Science, or a related field is required, along with seven years of relevant professional experience. Alternatively, a University degree in a related field with nine years of relevant professional experience is acceptable. Accredited universities are those listed in the UNESCO World Higher Education Database.

Work

experience:
Requires progressively responsible professional experience in celebrity engagement, partnerships, communications, or private sector fundraising, preferably within international organizations, NGOs, or the media/entertainment sector. Demonstrated experience in recruiting, negotiating, and managing high-profile celebrity and influencer partnerships is essential. Proven track record in designing and delivering integrated, multi-channel campaigns and executing celebrity-driven communications or fundraising strategies is necessary. Experience working with talent agents and managing contracts is required. Experience in international development or humanitarian contexts is desirable.

Skills:
Demonstrated ability to perform effectively under pressure, manage risk, and maintain professionalism in high-visibility situations. Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills are required, with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders and deadlines. Excellent communication, storytelling, interpersonal, and negotiation skills are essential for building trust and influencing diverse stakeholders. Proficiency in drafting high-quality strategic documents and reports, along with analytical and performance measurement skills, is necessary. Proven diplomacy, tact, sound judgment, and the ability to coordinate across global teams are also key.

Required languages: English

Desired languages: Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish