Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Team Leader-UNOCHA-(Nationals Only), Al Arish Egypt

This position is open to Egyptian Nationals Only

BACKGROUND

This post is located in the Operations and Advocacy Division (OAD), Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which is the 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.

The post is being advertised for the position of Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Team Leader in Al Arish Egypt, in support of the Gaza operation. The incumbent will report to the Head of the OCHA ROMENA in Cairo.

Position Purpose

The Team Leader will ensure effective communication with and support to the Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) with a view to ensuring a principled and inclusive humanitarian response. S/he will facilitate the work of the Gaza Humanitarian Support Team, including representatives of humanitarian agencies, in Al-Arish and its engagement with the ERCS.

The key results have an impact on the support to Gaza’s humanitarian operation and support to other key partners.

Key Duties And Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the HoO RO, the Team Leader will manage the OCHA support team in Al-Arish, ensuring the timely accomplishment of assigned team tasks and serving as a focal point for communicating with the RO. The incumbent will ensure that Humanitarian coordination platforms involving relevant actors are in place; meetings take place regularly and are documented.

• Regularly engage with the ERCS Team Leader in Al Arish to review and address any key and unresolved challenges from the technical teams (ERCS and GHST), and inform Cairo, if required. The incumbent will ensure effective collaboration is in place with the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, provincial authorities, and other relevant authorities.
• Support the Logistics Cluster in its engagement with the relevant actors in Al-Arish, including in the preparation of manifests.
• Establish and maintain contacts with government officials, as well as other UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions, media, etc.; ensure transparent and productive engagement and cooperation with all national and international actors involved in the Gaza response from Al-Arish.
• Provide the necessary support in Al Arish to the Office of the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator (SHRC), when requested.
• Liaise with the OCHA offices in Gaza and Jerusalem with a view to facilitating the humanitarian assistance crossing from Egypt; Facilitate coordination between Al-Arish and Gaza to ensure adequate prioritization; bring to the attention of the Head of OCHA RO those key strategic and operational challenges impacting the overall response that requires the support of the RC Egypt, HC oPt, SHRC, etc.
• As the most senior UN staff in Al Arish, represent the Gaza Humanitarian Support Team, serve as focal point for relevant stakeholders visiting Al-Arish, including donors, host-country government representatives, and other partners, conveying key messages and recommendations from the team. In addition, ensure that concise situation reports, highlighting key strategic and operational issues, are issued daily, and analytical reports weekly.
• Monitor, analyze and report on the context in which humanitarian operations for Gaza are taking place; keep abreast of developments, including in the areas of humanitarian access and civil-military coordination. The incumbent will ensure that operational challenges in the cross-border operation are addressed swiftly.
• Ensure appropriate monitoring and reporting mechanisms; ensure appropriate mechanisms to facilitate collaboration and exchange of information both in and outside the UN system.
• Help ensure that relevant lessons learned, policy guidelines, etc. are incorporated into these activities, including gender-related considerations.
• The context in which the cross-border operation is taking place is continuously monitored and analyzed. Strategic and policy issues affecting the cross-border operations are anticipated and reported promptly.
• The administrative requirements of the OCHA team in Al-Arish are communicated swiftly to the OCHA Regional Office in Cairo.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Head of OCHA RO Cairo.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 4: Prioritize team workflow, mobilize resources, drive scalable results/strategic impact
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 4: Easily navigate complexity, encourage/enable radical innovation, has foresight
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 4: Create systems and processes that enable learning and development for all
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 4: Proactively initiate/lead organizational change, champion new systems/processes
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 4: Able to make difficult decisions in challenging situations, inspire confidence
• Engage and Partner : LEVEL 4: Construct strategic multi-partner alliances in high stake situations, foster co-creation
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 4: Create ethical culture, identify/address barriers to inclusion

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Professionalism-Professionalism

• Knowledge and understanding of humanitarian, emergency relief assistance, and related humanitarian issues. Ability to identify issues, analyze, and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to develop sources for data collection. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet, and other databases. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, work under pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g., civil strife, natural disasters, and human misery). 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; 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.

Partnership management-Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
• Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms.

Communications-Advocacy strategy and implementation

• Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change.
• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Team Work-Team Work

• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others ; Places team agenda before personal agenda; Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings

Coordination -Crisis management / Country Management Support

• Crises Coordination

Effective decision making-Effective decision making

• Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources.
• 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.

Qualifications

Education:

• An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, social science, international studies, public administration, economics, engineering, earth sciences or a related field is required.

OR

• A first-level university degree in combination with an additional two (2) years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years (with Masters degree) or nine (9) years (with Bachelor degree) of progressive experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development, or other related areas is required or an additional two years of qualifying experience with a first-level university degree may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Humanitarian experience in the field (actual setting where a mission and/or project is being implemented) in emergency situations (complex emergency or natural disaster).
• Experience managing and leading teams in humanitarian operations.
• Experience negotiating humanitarian access in a complex emergency setting with state and non-state actors.
• Experience in civil-military coordination, or experience in the military forces dealing with humanitarian operations is desirable.
• Experience representing a UN agency, NGO or similar organization at the national level is desirable.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

Note

• “Please upload copies of your academic qualifications and 3 latest Performance Evaluations (if applicable)”

Applicant Information About Rosters

UNOCHA reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNOCHA at the same grade level and with similar job descriptions, experience, and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

• UNOCHA has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
• UNOCHA is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin, or other status.

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