FCDO Humanitarian advisers (various vacancies now/arising over the next 12 months in the UK or overseas)

We are seeking applicants to fill a number of current vacancies in the UK and overseas (e.g. South Sudan) now, but also vacancies in the UK and overseas arising over the next year (e.g. South Sudan – Juba). These are permanent staff posts and not short term consultancies.

Humanitarian advisers provide technical expertise to help FCDO deliver against the UK Government Integrated Review and International Development Strategy humanitarian objectives: including championing international humanitarian law and humanitarian access, the provision of principled humanitarian assistance, and the strengthening of the international humanitarian response system. They provide evidence-based expert advice to inform and develop FCDO and wider UK Government policy positions, diplomacy and the design and delivery of FCDO programmes. They work at headquarters, regional and country level in a range of different contexts, covering intense conflicts, protracted or recurring crises, forced displacement, sudden onset disasters or longer-term disaster management and preparedness. They advise on bespoke policy and programme engagement tailored to the context – whether the response is host-Government or international agency-led.

Humanitarian advisers come with prior international experience working in humanitarian contexts, which they draw on (together with an understanding of established and emerging evidence and innovative practice) to provide effective credible and accessible advice to inform UK assessments of priority needs, policy positioning, advocacy and funding support to a wide range of partners.

The cadre has nearly 60 posts across the world – mostly overseas.

Key Responsibilities (The balance of effort on each of the below will vary between specific roles).

Assessment and analysis:

• Maintain situational awareness through regular assessment and analysis of needs and corresponding response.

• Communicate this well to colleagues, senior officials and Ministers within FCDO and HMG in order to effectively influence the necessary evolution or changes of policy and programme priorities

Policy:

• Position the UK at the forefront of humanitarian policy engagement through developing policy, contributing to advocacy strategies and directly advocating for UK humanitarian policy objectives through various senior forums within HMG or externally at country, regional or global level

• Engage effectively with senior officials and also directly with Ministers as necessary

• Develop close engagement with HQ humanitarian policy and research teams to ensure that the policy work in this role is informing and learning from UK humanitarian policy as it develops

Programme:

• Provide technical oversight and lead technical advice into the design, delivery, monitoring, evaluation and learning of FCDO humanitarian projects and programmes

• In some contexts, humanitarian advisers will also provide overall Senior Responsible Owner programme leadership functions, including ensuring compliance with internal programming rules and engaging other staff effectively as necessary etc.

Relationships and networks:

• Establish constructive relationships with key individuals and organisations, including representing FCDO with relevant partners and in relevant forums (e.g., donor coordination, Humanitarian Country Teams etc.).

• Internally within FCDO and HMG: working across FCDO teams and with other government departments

• Externally: with host or donor governments including at senior levels, with the private sector, civil society, research organisations, academia, but also with international bilateral and multilateral aid agencies and foundations, in-country, at headquarters, regionally and/or internationally – as needed

People and building capability:

• Maintain cutting edge understanding of and application of evidence and work to build the capability of others

• Humanitarian Advisers may sometimes be required to also effectively line manage a number of other technical advisers or indeed whole humanitarian/ crisis teams

10%:

• All Humanitarian advisers are required to provide up to 10% of their time (equivalent to 22 days per year) to support FCDO’s wider humanitarian objectives. This might entail support to another country programme such as contributing to an annual review, developing an evidence product or the design and delivery of training for other cadre members or HMG officials