Friday 28 December 2012

UN Humanitarian Affairs Officer Job Vacancy in New York, USA



Job Title: Humanitarian Affairs Officer, P3
Department/ Office: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Duty Station: NEW YORK
Posting Period: 21 November 2012-20 January 2013
Job Opening number: 12-HRA-OCHA-25906-R-NEW YORK (X)
United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Organizational Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Office of the Branch Chief within the Policy Development and Studies Branch (PDSB) of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The Humanitarian Affairs Officer reports directly to the Chief of PDSB.

Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Humanitarian Affairs Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
Monitors, analyzes and reports to the Chief on current trends and developments in humanitarian policy.
Organizes and prepares documentation related to various policy projects; organizes follow-up work, including meetings to support policy development work and decision-making on important issues.
Liaises on a regular basis with counterparts in other branches and offices of OCHA at headquarters (New York and Geneva) and in the field to ensure effective information sharing and strong collaboration on cross-functional, humanitarian joint initiatives.
Establishes and maintains contacts (on the Chief's behalf) with government officials, other UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, media, etc. on humanitarian issues
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.
Serves as the primary focal point on specific topics or policy-related issues; keeps abreast of latest developments, liaises with other humanitarian organizations, donors, etc
Provides substantive support to Chief's official humanitarian missions.
Researches, analyses and presents information gathered from diverse humanitarian sources.
Organizes and participates in work groups, meetings, conferences, consultations with other agencies and partners on humanitarian policy matters.
Administrative Management
Provides advice to the Chief on activities undertaken by the different sections in PDSB on humanitarian, policy, but also on management-related concerns, progress of various projects undertaken by individual sections, policy initiatives, staff-management relations, etc.
Assists the Chief in the preparation of PDSB work plan(s) and cost plan(s) and in monitoring its implementation and expenditures, in line with OCHA's overall strategic direction and related performance indicators.
Manages on a daily basis the Office of the Chief of PDSB, including the correspondence flow, daily schedule and travel planning and preparation, drafting of speeches and ensuring the timeliness and quality of documents drafted by PDSB's units.
Provides guidance to, and may supervise, new/junior staff and support personnel.
Performs other duties as required.

Competencies
Professionalism: Detailed knowledge and understanding of the international humanitarian community at large; good understanding of the working of the UN and OCHA, in particular as it relates to humanitarian policy development. Detailed knowledge and experience in management, administration and programme/project planning and implementation. Knowledge of staff rules and regulations, administrative instructions and circulars. Good research, analytical and problem-solving skills, including ability to identify and participate in the resolution of issues/problems; ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given; ability to plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Excellent communication (spoken and written) skills, including the ability to draft/edit a variety of written reports, studies and other communications and to articulate ideas in a clear, concise style. 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.

Creativity: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks "outside the box"; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

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 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience
A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development, and/or management support, or other related area; of which at least three years should be at the international level. Two years experience in supporting senior manager(s) on administrative and managerial matters, including human resources and budgeting is desirable. Previous experience in policy development, communications/media and/or information management is desirable. Experience in research and analysis will be considered an asset.
Qualifying years of experience are calculated following the receipt of the first-level university degree recognised by the United Nations.

Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of French is desirable.

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

Special Notice
This position is funded for a finite period of 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.

United Nations Considerations
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.

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.


Closing Date: Sunday, 20 January 2013

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