Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Deputy Head of Office, P-5

Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Deputy Head of Office, P-5

UN OCHA – United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Dakar, Senegal

Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the Operations and Advocacy Division (OAD), in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). OCHA 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 Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Deputy Head of Office (DHoO) in Dakar, Senegal. Under the overall supervision of the Director of OAD, the incumbent will report to the Head of Office, OCHA Regional Office for West and Central Africa (ROWCA). The Senior HAO/DHoO is expected to be available for emergency deployments/surge missions for several months when needed and upon request.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Deputy Head of Office will be responsible for the following duties:

• Acts as Deputy Head of Office for OCHA ROWCA covering files related to strategic coordination, communication, and information management and other units as applicable;
• Supports the Head of Office in providing overall strategic and operational leadership for the Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa (RHFWCA), guide and oversee the Fund Manager’s performance, ensure effective coordination with internal and external stakeholders, and ensure accountability and professional development within the Regional Humanitarian Financing Unit (RHFU);
• Provides authoritative technical and policy advice to senior management in OCHA and other agencies in the UN system, Member State officials, international and regional organizations on programmes, projects and issues of significant impact on humanitarian, emergency relief and disaster response/management efforts including the humanitarian programme cycle;
• Monitors the performance of the institution’s humanitarian mandate; influences the development and evolution of the UN approach to humanitarian affairs; designs and implements significant policy and programme changes to address country, regional, global humanitarian affairs issues, including gender considerations; conceptualizes the linkages with the political and peacekeeping functions in the Secretariat;
• Develops/ensures implementation of coherent humanitarian/disaster response strategies and procedures especially related to strategic coordination;
• Conceptualizes, formulates and manages major projects; leads and directs a multi-agency team in carrying out disaster assessment or other missions; initiates, mobilizes and coordinates international humanitarian/emergency assistance for exceptionally complex situations or major disasters; ensures necessary support (e.g. staff, funding, specialized equipment, supplies, etc.); prepares situation reports to the international community, apprising of situation to date and specifying unmet requirements of stricken countries;
• Manages the production of appeals for international assistance; ensures the proper use and spending of donor contributions channeled through OCHA;
• Leads capacity building initiatives; identifies bottlenecks and gaps and develops proposals to improve response systems and mechanisms, to include technical assistance in the design of specific coordination and other systems/mechanisms; organizes and participates as trainer/resource person in national and international training seminars;
• Serves as primary liaison with non-UN entities, including senior host government officials, donor representatives, NGO officials, the media, etc., in emergency situations especially on matters related to strategic coordination;
• Supports in the establishment of OCHA ROWCA’s overall work plan and budget;
• Leads and directs a team of staff including overseeing the Coordination, Communication, Cash Coordination, Information Management and other united as applicable; oversees activities for a discrete work section or equivalent; plans and allocates work assignments; coaches, mentors and evaluates staff; participates in recruitment, selection and training of new staff and in the development of training programs;
• Organizes and/or chairs inter-agency and other international meetings, conferences, task forces; presents views and policies of the unit/institution;
• Initiates, supervises and finalizes position papers and related submissions; prepares diverse reports, papers, policy guidelines, parliamentary documents, statements, presentations, etc. for senior management.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge and understanding of humanitarian, emergency relief assistance and related humanitarian issues. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to develop sources for data collection. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet and other databases. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, work under pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g., civil strife, natural disasters, and human misery). 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;
• PLANNING and 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;
• ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors 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.

Managerial Competencies:

• 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;
• 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 the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

• 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.

Work 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;
• Management experience at senior level managing and coordinating humanitarian relief operations in complex emergency or natural disaster situation is required;
• Experience working on humanitarian coordination and with Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) policies and processes is required;
• Experience in humanitarian financing and/or fund management is required;
• At least four (4) years in the past ten (10) years of international field experience (actual setting where a mission and/or project is being implemented) in aid operations (complex emergency or natural disaster) is desirable;
• Experience in a humanitarian context within the UN Common System or other comparable international organization is desirable;
• Experience in Western and Central Africa Region is desirable.

Languages

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

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