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

Responsibilities:

• Under the general supervision of the Head of Public Information Unit, the Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Reports will be responsible for the following duties:

Reporting:

• Drafts and disseminates monthly situation reports on the humanitarian situation and response in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) States.
• Drafts daily operational updates on key developments, priorities, and challenges in humanitarian operations in the BAY States.
• Develops and disseminates quarterly advocacy highlights on OCHA Nigeria’s communication and advocacy initiatives.
• Collates, reviews, designs, and disseminates the quarterly Humanitarian Communications Working Group Bulletin on the human impact of and response to the crisis in north-east Nigeria.

Content production: 

• Supports the development and dissemination of quality communications materials including press releases, human impact and donor visibility stories, and social media content to broaden public awareness of priority humanitarian issues and the response and the role of OCHA in Nigeria.
• Makes regular field trips to Borno, Adamawa and Yobe (BAY) states to gather content to produce compelling photos, videos and text shining a spotlight on the situation of affected people. 
• Facilitates media and humanitarian partners’ missions to field locations in the BAY states to raise the visibility of the humanitarian crisis.
• Supports the production and commissioning of quality multimedia content including written, photo and audio-visual stories, infographics, social-media graphics, and films for advocacy campaigns.
• Manages local-language translations of key communications materials.

Corporate communications: 

• Produces daily operational updates on key humanitarian developments for sharing with headquarters. 
• Proposes story ideas, undertakes research, and sources material for OCHA corporate communications.
• Supports the commemoration of OCHA corporate campaigns such as World Humanitarian Day (19 August) at field level with local partners, media, the creative community, and humanitarian stakeholders.
• Promotes the visibility of the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, Accountability to Affected People initiatives, and the integration of gender perspectives in communication materials.
• Supports OCHA Nigeria’s advocacy, resource mobilization and donor visibility efforts.

Competencies

Professionalism:

• Knowledge of a range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related human rights issues, including approaches and techniques to address difficult problems.
• Capacity 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 area.
• Ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment; ability to provide guidance to new/junior staff; ability to provide advice to senior level officials.
• 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.
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.

Communication: 

• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailor’s language, tone, style, and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. 

Accountability:

• Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost, and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight, and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in international relations, communications, journalism, or a related field or a first level university degree with relevant academic qualifications with a combination of four (4) years of relevant work experience will be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of two (2) years (Master’s degree) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible and relevant humanitarian reporting experience in a complex emergency context is required. 
• Experience in research, rapidly analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing diverse information, and preparing it for publication is desirable.
• Experience working within the UN common system or in a comparable international organization is desirable.
• Experience working within the emergency context in north-east Nigeria is desirable. 
• Familiarity with UN policies, rules, and procedures, particularly in relation to humanitarian responses, knowledge of institutional mandates, polices and guidelines pertaining to humanitarian assistance is desirable.

Language Requirements: 

• Fluency in oral and written English is required. 
• Knowledge of Hausa and or other local languages spoken in north-east Nigeria is desirable.