Overview
The Humanitarian Affairs Officer will monitor, analyze, and report on humanitarian developments and emergency situations. The role involves supporting policy development, planning humanitarian assistance programs, and preparing reports.
Key Responsibilities
- Serves as a Special Assistant to the OCHA Head of Office and Humanitarian Coordinator (HC).
- Monitors, analyzes and reports on humanitarian developments, disaster relief/management or emergency situations in assigned country.
- Organizes follow-up work, including interagency technical review meetings to support policy development work and decision-making on important issues.
- 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.
- Assists in the production of appeals for international assistance; ensures the proper use and spending of donor contributions channeled through OCHA.
- Establishes and maintains contacts with government officials, other UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, media, etc.
- 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 coordination mechanisms.
- Prepares or contributes to the preparation of reports, studies, background papers, policy briefs, talking points, correspondence, presentations, policy guidelines and other materials relating to the humanitarian situation and response.
- Serves as the primary focal point on specific topics or policy-related issues; keeps abreast of latest developments.
- Provides information and advice on a range of humanitarian issues, including safeguarding of humanitarian principles and ensuring the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance.
- Provides guidance to, and may supervise, new/junior staff.
- Performs other duties as required
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 is required. Experience in producing analysis, drafting documents and editing official reports and correspondence is required. Experience in donor relations and/or partnerships at HQ level is desirable. Experience in a humanitarian context within the UN common system or in a comparable international organization is desirable.
Qualifications
An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in political science, social science, international studies, public administration, economics, engineering, earth sciences or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with an additional two (2) years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
