Overview
The Humanitarian Affairs Officer / Head of Sub-Office monitors, analyzes, and reports on humanitarian developments and coordinates international humanitarian assistance in assigned areas. The role involves managing a sub-office and supervising staff.
Tasks Summary
- Monitors, analyzes and reports on humanitarian developments, disaster relief/management or emergency situations in assigned country/area.
- 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.
- 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.
- Establishes and maintains contacts with government officials, other UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, and all stakeholders.
- 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 various written reports, documents and communications, e.g., drafts sections of studies, background papers, policy guidelines, parliamentary documents, briefings, case studies, presentations, correspondence, etc.
- Organizes and participates in work groups, meetings, conferences, consultations with other agencies and partners on humanitarian and emergency relief-related matters.
- Manages the relevant sub-office, supervises and provides guidance to the relevant sub-office staff.
- Performs other duties as required.
Experience Requirements
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. 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 required. Experience in the West and Central Africa region is required. Experience in a humanitarian context within the UN common system or in a comparable international organization is desirable.
Qualification Requirements
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.
