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We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Humanitarian Affairs Officer / Pooled Fund Manager (TJO), P3
Job Opening Number: 20-Humanitarian Affairs-OCHA-137386-J - (X)
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employment type: Temporary Job Opening
Department / Office: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Staffing Exercise: N/A
Org. Setting and Reporting
- This position is located in the Operations and Advocacy Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which is 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 temporary job opening is being advertised for the position is located in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Nigeria, Maiduguri. The Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Pooled Fund Manager reports to the Humanitarian Affairs Officer/ Pooled Fund Manager P-4.
- The Nigeria Humanitarian Fund will channel resources to support humanitarian assistance and will aim to increase the effectiveness of the humanitarian response by ensuring a timely and needs-based allocation of available resources. OCHA manages the Fund and performs its secretariat function through the Humanitarian Financing Unit (HFU).
Responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the Head of Office and the oversight of the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) and within delegated authority, the Humanitarian Affairs Officer/ Pooled Fund Manager, will be responsible for the following duties:
- Under the supervision of the Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Pooled Fund Manager P-4, support and advise the Humanitarian Coordinator on the overall management of the Nigerian Humanitarian Fund (NHF) in coherence with the humanitarian context (i.e. priorities and critical needs) and work on all aspects of programming, allocations and monitoring.
- Support the overall administration of the Fund and liaise as necessary with relevant OCHA HQ sections (i.e. OCHA Operations and Advocacy Division (OAD), OCHA Funding Coordination Section (FCS), OCHA Administrative Services Branch (ASB).
- Support and implement standardized policy in line with HQ guidance and decisions.
- Manage and supervise Fund-related support staff.
- Manage fund allocation processes ensuring necessary coordination with relevant counterparts in line with the Terms of Reference and/or allocation guidelines (i.e. Review and/or Advisory Boards, cluster or sector leads, humanitarian organizations, and OCHA).
- Liaise with NGOs, UN partners as well as clusters and OCHA field offices to follow-up on project progress and overall Fund progress.
- Conduct periodic field visits to promote the knowledge and support the appropriate use of the Fund in line with its Terms of Reference. Field visits should focus on key actors (i.e. OCHA field colleagues, recipient organizations, local governments, communities).
- Ensure proper communication and support during the allocation process to all stakeholders.
- Liaise with, and provide necessary support to recipient organizations of the Fund throughout the life-cycle of the projects, promoting coherence between humanitarian needs and response.
- Advise the HC, recipient organizations and stakeholders on measures to mitigate foreseeable operational risks.
- Ensure recipient organizations’ compliance with financial rules applicable to the Fund.
- Ensure coordination and information exchange with humanitarian donors aiming to promote coordinated and complementary use of funds.
Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation:
- Ensure compliance with monitoring and reporting requirements in place for the Fund.
- Systematically provide information on project status to the HoO and the HC, donors and relevant governing bodies of the Fund.
- Ensure timely overall project reporting, including acting as the lead for the pooled fund annual report exercise.
- Assist in the preparation of evaluations or other research activities and studies in consultation with relevant HQ sections (FCS).
Analysis, Communications and Public Information:
- Research, analyze and present humanitarian financing information, in particular funding trends and requirements, gathered from diverse sources.
- Assist in policy development, including the review and analysis of humanitarian issues and funding trends at the country level, ensuring proper coordination with FCS.
- In collaboration with other OCHA units and field offices, as well as with support from relevant OCHA HQ sections, document and disseminate results, best practices and results of the Fund across internal and broader audiences through information and communication products/pieces (i.e. bulletins, feature stories, photographs/videos, websites, etc.).
- Liaise with OCHA field offices and recipient organizations in order to disseminate full information on Fund activities.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the OCHA Head of Office.
Competencies
Professionalism:
- Sound knowledge of and exposure to a range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related humanitarian issues to ensure that the Nigerian Humanitarian Fund (NHF) channels resources to support humanitarian assistance and increase the effectiveness of the humanitarian response for timely and needs-based allocation of available resources.
- Knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines pertaining to humanitarian assistance. Strong analytical capacity, in particular the ability to analyze and articulate the humanitarian and protection dimension of issues which require a coordinated UN response.
- Knowledge of the UN common system and humanitarian NGOs. Ability to identify issues and to use sound judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of problems. Strong research skills, including ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources and assess impact on the humanitarian rights and protection situation in assigned country/area. Ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g. civil strife, natural disasters and human misery).
- Ability to provide guidance to new/junior staff. Excellent drafting skills and strong computer literacy (MS Word and Excel). Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
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 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.
Qualifications
Education:
- An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) 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 years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience:
- A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, project management, budget management, or 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 direct project management, project supervision, monitoring and evaluation and administration is desirable.
Languages:
- French and English are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.
Assessment:
- Evaluation of qualified candidates may include a desk review of the applications, an assessment exercise and/or a competency-based interview.
United Nations Considerations
- According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts.
- The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.
- The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.
- Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places 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. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
- Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
- The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines.
- Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
