Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Needs and Response Analysis Section (NARAS), Assessment, Planning & Monitoring Branch (APMB), Coordination Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in Geneva, Switzerland. OCHA is 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 temporary job opening is being advertised for the position of Humanitarian Affairs Officer in Geneva, Switzerland. The incumbent will report to the Chief of Section.
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Humanitarian Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties: 1. Works on all aspects of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC) – including needs assessment/analysis and response planning, to inform collective and strategic humanitarian decision-making—with a particular emphasis on needs assessment and analysis. 2. Supports the development of guidance and tools, the collection of learning and good practice, and the provision of field support on the humanitarian programme cycle, including needs assessment/analysis and response planning, with a particular emphasis on needs assessment and analysis. 3. Deploys, as required, to support humanitarian programme cycle work in the field, as well as on humanitarian surge and support missions, as requested, as part of OCHA’s surge capacity, in particular to support humanitarian needs assessments and analysis. 4. Monitors, analyzes and reports on humanitarian developments, disaster relief/management or emergency situations on coordinated needs assessments, needs and response analysis, planning and other aspects of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC). 5. Organizes and prepares studies, analysis and reporting on humanitarian, emergency relief and related issues; organizes follow-up work, including interagency technical review meetings to support global policy development work and decision-making. 6. 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 for emergency anticipatory action, emergency response preparedness, and response planning. 7. Assists in the coordination of international humanitarian/emergency assistance for complex emergency/disaster situations, including support to response preparedness, needs assessments and analysis and response planning; ensures the proper use and spending of donor contributions channeled through OCHA. 8. Establishes and maintains contacts with government officials, other UN agencies, non- governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, media, etc. 9. 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.); in particular on needs assessment and analysis to feed into response planning. 10. Supports the production of the annual Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO) liaising with OCHA country offices and partners as requested, supports the advancement of Anticipatory Action (AA) in the HPC, including through updates to normative guidance. 11. Reviews and provides advice on policy issues related to safeguarding humanitarian principles and ensuring the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance including on inclusion and accountability issues. Supports the design and policy development for software platforms related to needs assessments, analysis and other aspect of the HPC. 12. Organizes participates and/or facilitates work groups, meetings, workshops and trainings including consulting internally and with partners on learning needs, capacity requirements and lessons learnt related to humanitarian and emergency relief-related matters falling under the humanitarian program cycle, in particular with respect to humanitarian needs assessments and analysis. 13. Provides guidance to, and may supervise, new/junior staff. 14. Performs other duties as required.
Competencies
• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of a range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related human rights issues, including approaches and techniques to address difficult problems. Knowledge of the humanitarian programme cycle (and specifically needs assessment/analysis, including operational needs assessments tools and methodologies as well as the Joint Intersectoral Analysis Framework (JIAF 2.0)) as well as the full range of humanitarian and emergency relief assistance and related humanitarian issues, including humanitarian principles, humanitarian coordination, accountability to affected people, inclusive humanitarian programming, and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA). Analytical capacity in particular the ability to analyze and articulate the humanitarian dimension of issues which require a coordinated UN response with a specific ability to effectively analyze humanitarian needs. Ability to identify issues and judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of problems. Ability to conduct research, including to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources and assess humanitarian impact on affected people and communities. 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 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. Ability to coordinate, and form strong partnerships with, sister humanitarian organizations, particularly with respect to humanitarian needs assessment and analysis. Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence, including the ability to design, undertake and support humanitarian needs assessments and analysis, response planning and monitoring processes, and mastery of subject matter related to the humanitarian programme cycle; 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. • TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. • 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.
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 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 implementing the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC) in a country context or supporting country offices in implementing the HPC is required. At least two (2) years of field experience in the last five (5) years in contingency planning needs assessments, response planning and/or monitoring is desirable. Experience in risk analysis and anticipatory action is desirable. Experience in a humanitarian context within the UN common system or in a comparable international organization 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 French, Spanish or Arabic is desirable.
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 28 February 2026 with a possibility of extension subject to availability of funds and mandate extension. 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. •A staff member holding a temporary appointment shall be regarded as an external candidate when applying for other positions, and may apply for other temporary positions at any level, subject to section 5.7 below and staff rule 4.16 (b) (ii). Therefore, a staff member holding a temporary appointment in the General Service or related categories may only apply to positions within those categories. For full information on eligibility requirements, please refer to section 5 of ST/AI/2010/4Rev.1 on Temporary Appointments. In its resolution 66/234, the General Assembly further “stressed that the Secretary-General should not recur to the practice of temporarily filling posts in the Professional and higher categories with General Service staff members who have not passed the General Service to Professional category examination other than on an exceptional basis, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that temporary occupation of such posts by the General Service staff shall not exceed a period of one year, effective 1 January 2013…” Consequently, eligible candidates in the General Service or related categories for temporary job openings in the Professional category that have not passed the competitive examination may be selected only on an exceptional basis endorsed by the Office of Human Resources Management where no other suitable candidate could be identified. • 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.
United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.
How to apply
Apply here