Humanitarian Affairs Officer

The Humanitarian Affairs Officer is responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on humanitarian developments and emergency situations. The role supports inter-agency coordination, organizes studies and strategic outreach, partners with humanitarian agencies, and provides guidance on policy issues related to humanitarian assistance.

Responsibilities

• Monitors, analyzes and reports on humanitarian developments, disaster relief/management or emergency situations.
• Supports inter-agency coordination among the IASC’s Emergency Directors Group (EDG) members on key humanitarian issues through facilitation of inter-agency processes, including preparation and organization of virtual and in-person EDG meetings and missions.
• Organizes and prepares studies and strategic outreach on humanitarian, emergency relief and related issues; organizes follow-up work, including interagency technical review meetings to support policy development work and decision-making on important issues.
• 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 EDG members, government officials, other UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, media, etc.
• 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 as well as EDG missions.
• Prepares or contributes to the preparation of various written reports, documents and communications, e.g. drafts sections of studies, EDG mission and meeting reports, written updates and talking points for EDG meetings, background papers, policy guidelines, parliamentary documents, briefings, case studies, presentations, correspondence, etc.
• Serves as the primary focal point on specific topics or policy-related issues; keeps abreast of latest developments and implementation status of EDG workstreams, liaises with other humanitarian organizations, donors, etc., ensures appropriate monitoring and reporting mechanisms; provides information and advice on a range of related issues.
• Reviews and provides advice on policy issues related to safeguarding humanitarian principles and ensuring the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance.
• Organizes and participates in work groups, meetings, conferences, consultations with other agencies and partners on humanitarian and emergency relief-related matters.
• Provides guidance to, and may supervise, new/junior staff.
• Performs other duties as required.

Requirements

• 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 qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• 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 preparing written reports, documents and communications is required.
• At least two (2) years in the past five (5) years of international field experience (actual setting where a mission or project is being implemented) in aid operations (complex emergency or natural disaster) is desirable.
• Experience managing field teams in humanitarian operations is desirable.
• Experience in coordination and/or partner liaison is desirable.
• English language proficiency at UN Level III in reading, writing, listening, and speaking is required.

Skills

• Humanitarian Affairs
• Emergency Preparedness
• Crisis Relief Management
• Rehabilitation
• Development
• Report Writing
• International Field Experience
• Aid Operations
• Field Team Management
• Coordination
• Partner Liaison
• Policy Guidance
• Inter-agency Coordination

Languages

English