Closing date: Monday, 3 November 2014

Posting Title: Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer, Chief of Section, P5

Job Code Title: SENIOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS OFFICER

Department/ Office: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Duty Station: NEW YORK

Posting Period: 27 October 2014-26 December 2014

Job Opening number: 14-HRA-OCHA-37984-R-NEW YORK (R)

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Special Notice

This post is funded for a period of at least one year. Extension of the appointment is subject to extension of the mandate and/or the availability of the funds.

Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfill the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover note.

Job openings posted on the Careers Portal are taken off at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.

Applications are automatically pre-screened according to the published evaluation criteria of the job opening on the basis of the information provided by applicants. Applications cannot be amended following submission and incomplete applications shall not be considered. The selected candidate will be subject to a reference checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, Inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on 'The Application Process' and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on 'Manuals' on the upper right side of the browser on Inspira.

Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

Organizational Setting and Reporting

This post is located in the Coordination and Response Division (CRD) of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer, Chief of Section, reports to the Director/Deputy Director of the Division.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer, Chief of Section, will be responsible for the following duties:

• Provides policy guidance to the Director/Deputy Director of the Division, on conceptual strategy development and management of the implementation of overall strategies and intra and inter-divisional/departmental policies and procedures.
• Plans, organizes, manages and supervises the management of activities undertaken by the Section; ensures that substantive work programmes and programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion, coordinating diverse projects in the Section, and, in liaison with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies as appropriate.
• Manages and supervises the work carried out by the Section; provides programmatic and substantive reviews of drafts prepared by others.
• Provides substantive input in the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, the Policy Committee, the Committee for Programme Coordination, the Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
• Supervises reporting to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Section maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Section meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Prepares inputs for the work programme of the Division, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Provides guidance and back-up to Desk Officers as necessary.
• Prepares advises for the Under-Secretary-General/Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) and senior management on the effective provision of humanitarian assistance and protection to civilians affected by complex emergencies and natural disasters as well as the interface among humanitarian, political and peace-keeping activities of the United Nations.
• Coordinates and consults with Resident/Humanitarian Coordinators, Secretariat departments, United Nations operational agencies, NGOs, donors and Member States.
• Carries out programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Section, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Section and across organizational boundaries.
• Represents OCHA in senior management meetings and task forces; leads/participates in inter-agency and inter-departmental missions.
• Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Represents OCHA in multi-task field missions and perform other managerial tasks as assigned by the Director of the Division (including being the Officer-in-Charge at the request of the Director of the Division)
• Undertakes focal point responsibilities as assigned by the Director/Deputy Director.
• Serves several one-week periods per year as the 24 hour emergency Duty Officer for OCHA.
• Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

Core Competencies

Professionalism: Ability to show in-depth knowledge of humanitarian principles and coordination issues (including NGOs, IO, donors and other UN entities); Ability to demonstrate efficient working relationships with United Nations agencies, NGOs and international organizations and to lead the UN inter-agency and inter-departmental efforts both at Headquarters and/or in the field; Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. 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; and remains calm in stressful situations; Ability to work under pressure and a willingness to serve at short notice in conflict situations.

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; 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 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.

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

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. A first-level university degree in combination with two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively relevant experience in humanitarian affairs, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development or other related area. Humanitarian field experience in emergency situations (complex emergency and/or natural disaster) is desirable. Management experience at a senior level is desirable.

Languages

English and French 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 an advantage.

Assessment Method

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

United Nations Considerations

Job openings posted on the Careers Portal are taken off at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.

Applications are automatically pre-screened according to the published evaluation criteria of the job opening on the basis of the information provided by applicants. Applications cannot be amended following submission and incomplete applications shall not be considered. The selected candidate will be subject to a reference checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on 'The Application Process' and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on 'Manuals' on the upper right side of the browser on Inspira.

The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position. The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

Application details: https://inspira.un.org/psc/UNCAREERS/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/UN_CUSTOMIZATIONS.UN_JOB_DETAIL.GBL?Page=UN_JOB_DETAIL&Action=A&JobOpeningId=37984