Humanitarian Affairs Officer, P3 at United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - UNOCHA

Location: Maiduguri
Job Type: Temporary
Job Code Title: Humanitarian Affairs Officer
Department/Office: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Job Opening Number: 19-Humanitarian Affairs-OCHA-114215-J- (X)
United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Org. Setting and Reporting

• OCHA is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort.
• OCHA’s mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions.
• This position is located in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Maiduguri, Nigeria. The Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Special Assistant reports to the Deputy Head of Office.

Responsibilities

• Within delegated authority, the Humanitarian Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
• Monitors, analyzes and reports on humanitarian developments, disaster relief/management or emergency situations in assigned area.
• Organizes and prepares studies on humanitarian, emergency relief and related issues.
• Organizes follow-up work, including inter-agency technical review meetings to support policy development work and decision-making on important issues.
• Drafts and prepares regular situation papers/reports highlighting relevant operational factors affecting the humanitarian situation and response efforts.
• Prepares or contributes to the preparation of various written reports, documents and communications, e.g. drafts sections of studies, background papers, policy guidelines, parliamentary documents, briefings, case studies, presentations, correspondence, etc.
• Assists in the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the Office's humanitarian work plan.
• Ensures appropriate monitoring and reporting mechanisms; provides information and advice on a range of related issues.
• Reviews and provides advice on policy issues related to safeguarding humanitarian principles and ensuring the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance.
• Partners with other humanitarian agencies to plan and evaluate humanitarian and emergency assistance programmes and help ensure that latest findings, lessons learned, policy guidelines, etc. are incorporated into these activities, including gender-related considerations.
• Provides substantial support to sector / cluster working groups as required and facilitate exchange on cross cutting issues.
• Establishes and maintains contacts with government officials, other UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, media, etc.
• Supports advocacy initiatives on issues impacting humanitarian needs and response efforts through the collection of information, liaisons with humanitarian partners, government officials, the media, etc.
• Manages the production of appeals for international assistance; ensures the proper use and spending of donor contributions channeled through OCHA.
• Undertakes and provides support to technical assistance and other field missions, e.g. participates in field trips to undertake in-depth reviews of specific country work mechanisms.
• Organizes and participates in working groups, meetings, conferences, consultations with other agencies and partners on humanitarian and emergency relief-related matters.
• Provides guidance to, and may supervise, new/junior staff.
• Performs other duties as required.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in Political Science, Social Science, Public Administration, International Studies, Economics, Engineering, Earth Sciences or a related field is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience
Required experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development, or other related area.
• Field experience in humanitarian affairs in a complex emergency or natural disaster context.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience with inter-cluster/agency coordination in the humanitarian context.
• Experience in managing a sub-office or an office.
• Experience in a humanitarian context in the West Africa region.
• Experience in a humanitarian context within the UN common system or other comparable international organization.

Competencies
Professionalism:

• Knowledge of a range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related humanitarian issues, including approaches and techniques to address difficult problems.
• Demonstrates analytical capacity including the ability to analyze and articulate the humanitarian dimension of issues which require a coordinated UN response.
• Ability to identify issues and judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of problems.
• Ability to conduct research, including ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources and assess impact on the humanitarian rights situation in assigned country/area.
• Ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g. civil strife, natural disasters and human misery); ability to provide guidance to new/junior staff.
• Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.
• Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Teamwork:

• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Planning and Organizing:

• Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Languages:

• French and English are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Assessment:

• Evaluation of qualified candidates may include a desk review of the applications, an assessment exercise and/or by competency-based interview.

United Nations Considerations

• According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
• Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation or sexual abuse, or crimes other than minor traffic offences, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts.
• The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.
• The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.
• Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.
• The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
• Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
• The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines.
• Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted.
• Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.