Refferal Officer
Location: Metema, Ethiopia
Organization: MSD
Deadline: 17 November 2026
Job Description
MSD is an indigenous, non-profit civil society organization established in 1999 with a mission to improve the health, well-being, and socio-economic conditions of communities across Ethiopia. Over the past decades, MSD has evolved into a well-established development and humanitarian organization, delivering evidence-based, community-centered programs that respond to the evolving needs of vulnerable and underserved populations.
MSD implements integrated programs across a broad range of thematic areas, including: Health and Nutrition: TB, HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health (SRH), maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), and nutrition.
Education and Skills Development: Access to quality education, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and skills development. Social Mobilization and Livelihoods: Economic strengthening, community mobilization, and prevention of harmful traditional practices (HTPs), gender-based violence (GBV), and female genital mutilation (FGM), Migration and Trafficking: Safe migration, protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration support for migrants, returnees, and victims of trafficking; Child Care and Development: Child protection, early childhood care and development, and infant and young child feeding. , Human Rights and Good Governance: Democratization, peace building, social accountability, civic engagement, and dialogue; Humanitarian and Emergency Response: Integrated assistance and protection services for communities affected by conflict, displacement, disasters, and other emergencies; and Environment and Climate Change: Environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and biodiversity conservation.
Through these integrated programs, MSD works in close collaboration with federal and regional government institutions, communities, civil society organizations, development and humanitarian partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen local systems, expand access to essential services, promote inclusion and equity, and build resilient communities across Ethiopia.
Project Background:
The Border Security Programme (BSP) is a UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)-funded regional initiative designed to address organized immigration crime (OIC), strengthen border security, and contribute to safer borders and communities. The programme seeks to reduce the activities and influence of criminal networks involved in facilitating irregular migration, human smuggling, human trafficking, document fraud, and other forms of organized immigration-related crime. It adopts a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach that combines institutional capacity strengthening, evidence-based decision-making, community participation, and protection support for individuals affected by organized immigration crime.
MSD is looking for qualified and competent applicants for the following position:
Position: Referral Officer – Border Security Programme
Location: Metema
Salary: Negotiable subject to organizational salary scale and project budget
No. Required: 1
Gender: Both male and female are invited, and women are highly encouraged to apply.
Term of Employment: Contract
Job Summary
The Referral Officer is responsible for facilitating timely, safe, and appropriate access to essential protection and support services for vulnerable migrants, returnees, unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), and survivors of human trafficking in Metema and surrounding border communities. Based in Metema and reporting to the Migration/Protection Coordinator, the Officer identifies individual needs, facilitates referrals, and follows up on service access and outcomes in coordination with relevant government institutions, humanitarian organizations, health facilities, shelters, legal aid providers, and other service providers.
The position supports the implementation of established referral pathways, identification of available services, maintenance of referral records, and coordination with protection and service-providing actors to ensure continuity of care and assistance. The Officer also contributes to protection screening, basic needs assessments, community-level identification of vulnerable individuals, and timely reporting of referral activities and emerging protection concerns. All responsibilities must be carried out in accordance with humanitarian principles, confidentiality, informed consent, data protection, survivor-centered approaches, safeguarding, and do-no-harm standards.
1. Duties Responsibilities
• Identification and Referral: Facilitate the identification, initial screening, and referral of vulnerable migrants, trafficking survivors, and individuals exposed to exploitation, abuse, and other protection risks.
• Referral Pathway Management: Establish, maintain, and regularly update referral pathways and service provider directories to ensure access to appropriate protection, medical, psychosocial, legal, shelter, and reintegration services.
• Service Provider Coordination: Maintain effective working relationships with government offices, immigration authorities, police, health facilities, shelters, legal service providers, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Case Referral and Follow-up: Coordinate and follow up on referrals to ensure that individuals receive appropriate services and that referral outcomes are documented, while respecting confidentiality and informed consent.
• Protection Needs Assessment: Support initial identification of individual protection needs and facilitate appropriate referrals based on vulnerability, urgency, safety, and individual circumstances.
• Family Tracing and Reunification: Coordinate referrals for family tracing, family reunification, safe return, and reintegration support in collaboration with relevant authorities and service providers.
• Community Awareness and Engagement: Support community awareness activities on available protection services, safe migration, human trafficking, and mechanisms for reporting protection concerns.
• Documentation and Reporting: Maintain accurate referral records, beneficiary tracking information, service provider databases, and regular referral performance reports while ensuring secure management of sensitive information.
• Coordination and Capacity Building: Participate in referral coordination meetings and support capacity-building activities for community structures and service providers on referral procedures, safeguarding, and protection principles.
• Safeguarding and Accountability: Ensure that all referral processes uphold informed consent, confidentiality, data protection, child safeguarding, PSEA, survivor-centered approaches, and the Do No Harm principle.
2. Qualification Requirements:
Education
• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Public Health, Development Studies, Law, or other relevant social science fields.
• Additional training or certification in migration management, human trafficking, protection, case management, or humanitarian response is an advantage.
Experience
• At least 2–3 years of relevant professional experience in migration, protection, human trafficking, social services, or humanitarian programmes.
• Demonstrated experience in identifying vulnerable migrants, returnees, unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), and survivors of human trafficking and facilitating access to appropriate services.
• Practical experience in coordinating referrals to health facilities, shelters, psychosocial support providers, legal aid institutions, child protection services, and other relevant service providers.
• Experience in conducting basic needs assessments, protection screening, referral follow-up, and service monitoring.
• Experience working with government offices, NGOs, community structures, and humanitarian actors.
• Experience in maintaining confidential case records, referral registers, and service utilization reports.
3. Training and Technical Knowledge
• Migration management, safe migration, and human trafficking prevention and response.
• Protection principles, identification of vulnerable migrants, and referral mechanisms.
• Basic case management and individual protection planning.
• GBV prevention and response, child protection, and survivor-centred approaches.
• Psychological First Aid (PFA) and basic psychosocial support.
• Safeguarding, PSEAH, confidentiality, informed consent, and data protection.
• Knowledge of available medical, legal, psychosocial, shelter, and reintegration services.
4. Expected Skills and Competencies
• Ability to identify protection needs and facilitate timely, safe, and appropriate referrals.
• Strong coordination and communication skills with government institutions, service providers, and humanitarian organizations.
• Ability to maintain updated service-provider directories and referral information.
• Strong case documentation, referral tracking, follow-up, and reporting skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively and provide appropriate information to migrants and vulnerable individuals.
• Sensitivity and professionalism in handling cases involving trafficking, GBV, child protection, and other protection concerns.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and uphold informed consent and survivor-centred principles.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Good computer skills, particularly MS Word, Excel, and digital referral tracking systems.
5. Language Proficiency
• Excellent written and spoken Amharic is mandatory.
• Good spoken and written English.
How to Apply:
Applicants can send their CV which is not more than 3 pages through: >> https://carrier.msd.et/
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Female Candidates are highly encouraged to apply.
