Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Access & Civil Military Coordination Jobs in Kenya
Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Operations and Advocacy Division (OAD), Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which 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 efforts.
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-specific job opening is being advertised for the position of Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Access and Civil Military Coordination in Mogadishu, Somalia. Under the overall supervision of the Head of Office, OCHA Somalia, the incumbent reports to the Deputy Head of Office.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Access and Civil Military Coordination will be responsible for the following duties:
Serves as a senior policy officer focusing on Humanitarian Access and Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination; advise on overall policy direction on specific issues such as engagement with armed actors, humanitarian access and protection 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.
Monitors, analyzes and reports on humanitarian access and UN Civil Military Coordination developments, disaster relief/management programmes or emergency situations in assigned country/area; develops and maintains a “watch list” of countries with potential for humanitarian crisis.
Ensures the proper use and spending of donor contributions channeled through OCHA.
Initiates and coordinates activities related to related to humanitarian access and UN Civil Military Coordination technical cooperation and technical assistance projects in disaster response and disaster response preparedness; formulates strategic and operational proposals and relevant documents; provides technical support to field work; reviews and clears project reports for submission to intergovernmental and interagency consultative bodies governments.
Analyzes and assists in introducing new technologies for disaster warning/management.
Organizes and prepares studies on humanitarian access and UN Civil Military Coordination 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, parliamentary documents, etc.; with respect to the latter, takes the lead in providing support and information to relevant councils or other entities on specific issues.
Partners with other humanitarian agencies to plan and evaluate complex humanitarian and emergency assistance programmes where military forces are engaged or have influence; 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 the primary 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 section budget and work program as well as subsequent monitoring.
Provides leadership and work direction to assigned work team, and/or mentors and supervises the work of new/junior officers.
Performs other duties as required.
Competencies
Professionalism: Knowledge of wide range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief humanitarian access and humanitarian civil-military coordination (UN-CMCoord). Conceptual and strategic analytical capacity, to include ability to analyze and articulate the humanitarian dimension of complex issues that require a coordinated UN response. Demonstrated problem-solving skills and judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of complex issues/problems.
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; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
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
Education
An 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 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.
Work Experience
A minimum of seven years (7) of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development, or other related area is required.
Experience in civil-military coordination, or experience in the military forces dealing with humanitarian operations is required.
Experience negotiating humanitarian access in a complex emergency setting with state and non-state actors is required.
Humanitarian experience in the field (actual setting where a mission and/or project is being implemented) in emergency situations (complex emergency or natural disaster) is desirable.
Experience in the UN Common System or with a comparable international organization is desirable. Humanitarian experience in the Eastern and Southern African region is desirable.
Languages
French and English are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required.
How to Apply
For more information and job application details, see; Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Access & Civil Military Coordination Jobs in Kenya
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