Overview
The Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer / Ebola Lead will advise on policy direction for humanitarian assistance and coordinate humanitarian/emergency assistance in DRC.
Key Responsibilities
- Serves as a senior policy officer; advise on overall policy direction on specific issues; and, more generally, reviews and provides advice on a diverse range of policy issues related to safeguarding humanitarian principles and ensuring the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance and the linkages with other related areas (e.g. human rights).
- Prepares policy position papers for review.
- Develops/ensures implementation of coherent humanitarian/disaster response strategies and procedures.
- Monitors, analyzes and reports on humanitarian developments, disaster relief/management programmes or emergency situations in assigned country/area
- Leads and/or participates in large, complex projects, to include disaster assessment or other missions; coordinates humanitarian/emergency assistance in DRC; ensures necessary support (e.g. staff, funding, specialized equipment, supplies, etc.); prepares situation reports , apprising of situation to date and specifying unmet requirements in DRC.
- Assists in the production of appeals for international assistance and emergency response plans; ensures the proper use and spending of donor contributions channeled through OCHA.
- Assists the relevant Congolese authorities in capacity-building for handling emergency situations; develops country-specific indicators in collaboration with area experts and ensures the subsequent monitoring of these indicators; recommends actions based on the analysis of pertinent information.
- Organizes and prepares studies on humanitarian, emergency relief and related issues; organizes follows-up work, including interagency technical review meetings to support policy development work and decision-making on important issues; and ensures the implementation of recommendations emanating from relevant studies.
- Assists or leads, as appropriate, in the preparation of OCHA reports, studies, background papers, policy guidelines, correspondence, presentations, background papers, policy guidelines,
- Partners with other humanitarian agencies to plan and evaluate complex humanitarian and emergency assistance programmes; helps ensure that latest findings, lessons learned, policy guidelines, etc. are incorporated into these activities, including gender-related considerations.
- Establishes and maintains contacts with government officials, other UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, media, etc.; ensures appropriate mechanisms to facilitate collaboration and exchange of information both in and outside the UN system, including on early warning and contingency planning, etc.
- Serves as focal point on specific topics or policy-related issues; keeps abreast of latest developments, liaises with other humanitarian organizations, donors, etc., ensures appropriate monitoring and reporting mechanisms; provides information and advice on a range of related issues.
- Organizes and participates in work groups, meetings, conferences, consultations with other agencies and partners humanitarian and emergency relief-related matters.
- May participate in planning and preparation of unit budget and work program.
- Provides leadership and work direction to assigned work team, and/or mentors and supervises the work of new/junior officers.
- Performs other duties as requested by OCHA Head of Office.
Required Experience
A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development, or other related area is required. Humanitarian experience in the field (actual setting where a mission and/or project is being implemented) in aid operations (complex emergency or natural disaster) is required. Management experience at a senior level is required. Experience in a humanitarian context within the UN Common System or other comparable international organization is desirable. Experience in health emergency is desirable. Experience in the West and Central Africa Region 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.
