Deputy Director/Chief of Service, D-1

Position description

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Operations and Advocacy Division, 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 principles 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 Deputy Director in New York. The incumbent will report to the Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division (OAD).

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Deputy Director will be responsible for the following duties:

• Formulates and implements the substantive work programme of the Branch under his/her supervision. Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Branch, and the implementation of the programme of work for OCHA field offices under his/her geographic coverage, ensures that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and coordinates work in the different areas both within the Division and OCHA, and with other agencies and bodies of the United Nations System and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, as appropriate.
• Leads, supervises and carries out the substantive work programme of the Branch under his/her supervision. Co-ordinates the work carried out by different work units/field offices under the Branch and by other agencies and bodies of the United Nations system; provides programmatic/substantive reviews of the drafts prepared by others. Provides senior-level assistance, analysis, advice and recommendations for possible action to Senior Leadership on the effective provision of humanitarian assistance and protection of civilians affected by complex emergencies and natural disasters, and on the interface among humanitarian, political, peacekeeping, peace-building and development activities of the United Nations and Inter-Agency Standing Committee Members.
• Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of reports and briefings, or input, for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
• Reports to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Ensures the necessary flow of information, knowledge and service occurs between the field, Headquarters, and the Emergency Relief Coordinator to support effective advocacy for affected people and operations. Manages timely provision of humanitarian analyses, briefing notes, background papers and talking points for Senior Leadership. Ensures that the outputs produced by the Branch maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced in the areas under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Assists the Director in preparing the work programme of the Division, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including preparation of budgets, including field operation cost plans/workplans, reporting on budget/programme performance, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), including for Heads of field operations, interviews of candidates for job openings, evaluation of candidates and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting.
• Recruits staff, taking due account of geographical balance, gender balance, and other institutional values.
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision, including oversight of training for staff in field operations.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across organizational boundaries, mobilizing technical support within the organization as needed to support field operations and field leadership.
• Leads and supervises the organization of meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues. Manages the substantive preparation and organization of such meetings or seminars.
• Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Represents the Division at international, regional or national meetings.
• Performs other related duties as requested by the senior management of the Organization.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of wide range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related humanitarian issues. 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. Knowledge of region or country of assignment, including the political, economic and social dimensions. Ability to negotiate and to influence others to reach agreement. Ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g. civil strife, natural disasters and human misery). Knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines pertaining to humanitarian affairs and knowledge of the institutions of the UN system. Demonstrated ability to complete in-depth studies and to formulate conclusions/recommendations. Ability to relate humanitarian affairs issues and perspectives, including gender issues, to political, economic, social and human rights programmes in affected country/region. 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.
• 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.
• LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
• MANAGING PERFORMANCE: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority; makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member; accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills; monitors progress against milestones and deadlines; regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff; encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative; actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff; appraises performance fairly.
• JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international relations/studies, political sciences, economics, public administration, law, management or related area is required. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation development, or other related area is required.
• At least five (5) years of humanitarian experience at the international level in the field (actual setting where a mission and/or project is being implemented) in aid operations (complex emergency or natural disaster) is required.
• Experience leading and coordinating humanitarian relief operations in complex emergencies or natural disaster situations at senior level is required.
• Experience managing a field office is required.
• Experience in building and maintaining partnerships is desirable.
• Experience in interagency coordination is desirable.
• Experience in a humanitarian context within the UN Common System or other comparable international organizations is desirable.

Languages

• French and English are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.

Application instructions

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