Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Fund Management Support Unit, Country Funds Section, Pooled Funds Branch, Financing and Outreach Division of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This temporary job opening is being advertised for the position of Humanitarian Affairs Officer in New York at UNHQ. The incumbent will report to the Head of Unit.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Humanitarian Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties: • Serves as program desk officer and provide strategic direction and effective fund management support to Country and Regional Funds through timely, sound guidance and operational support • Contributes to the development of Fund-related policy, including programming areas, simplification and Fund management approaches, in collaboration with stakeholders at country, regional and global levels, including the Pooled Fund Working Group and OCHA-CBPF NGO Dialogue Platform. • Serves as the primary focal point on specific topics or policy-related issues, data analysis, 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. • Assists the humanitarian financing units and other stakeholders in capacity-development through technical advice and trainings in relation to humanitarian financing broadly and Country and Regional Funds in particular. • Organizes and participates in work groups, meetings, conferences, consultations with other agencies and partners on humanitarian financing-related matters. • Monitors, analyzes and reports on humanitarian financing developments, disaster relief/management or emergency situations in assigned Pooled Funds. • Organizes and prepares studies on humanitarian, emergency relief and related issues; organizes follow-up work, including interagency technical review meetings to support policy development work and decision-making on important issues. • Participates in large, complex projects, to include disaster assessment or other missions; assists in the coordination of international humanitarian/emergency assistance for complex emergency/disaster situations and in ensuring the necessary support (e.g., staff, funding, specialized equipment, supplies, etc.); drafts situation reports to the international community, apprising of situation to date and specifying unmet requirements of stricken countries. • 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 guidelines related to Country-Based Pooled Funds and drafts various written reports, documents and communications, e.g., drafts sections of studies, background papers, policy guidelines, parliamentary documents, briefings, case studies, presentations, correspondence, etc. • Reviews and provides advice on policy issues related to safeguarding humanitarian principles and ensuring the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance. • Provides guidance to, and may supervise, new/junior staff. • Performs other duties as required.

Competencies
• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of a range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief, humanitarian financing and related human rights issues, including approaches and techniques to address difficult problems. Analytical capacity and in particular 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 • ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours 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. • PLANNING & 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.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in political science, social science, public administration, international studies, economics, engineering, earth sciences or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with and additional two (2) years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work 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 working in Pooled Funds at the country level, focusing on managing allocations, project and partner engagement, and grant administration, is required. • Experience in writing advocacy briefs, reports, talking points and other products as well as data management and analysis pertaining to humanitarian pooled funding is desirable. • Experience in humanitarian context within the UN common system or in a comparable international organization is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. Either French or Spanish or Arabic is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level III

Desirable Languages

LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingFrenchUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IISpanishUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IIArabicUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level IIUN Level II

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is temporarily available until 31 December 2026. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. This temporary job opening may be limited to "internal candidates," who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. Pursuant to section 7.11 of ST/AI/2012/2/Rev.1, candidates recruited through the young professionals programme who have not served for a minimum of two years in the position of their initial assignment are not eligible to apply to this position.