Humanitarian Affairs Officer

The Humanitarian Affairs Officer supports policy and technical advice on principled humanitarian access and operations, focusing on sanctions, counter-terrorism, and restrictive measures. The role involves coordination with humanitarian agencies, policy development, and providing guidance on safeguarding humanitarian principles.

Responsibilities

• Supports the Humanitarian Affairs Officer (P4) based in Geneva in providing policy and technical advice, analysis and guidance on principled humanitarian access and operations, including sanctions, counter-terrorism and other restrictive measures.
• Serves as OCHA’s in-house expert on sanctions, counterterrorism and other restrictive measures, focusing on consequences on principled humanitarian action and serves as OCHA focal point for relevant UN and IASC entities, fora or processes.
• Coordinates and partners with other humanitarian agencies on principled humanitarian access and operations, including humanitarian issues related to sanctions, counterterrorism and other restrictive measures.
• Organizes and prepares studies on humanitarian, emergency relief and related issues; organizes follow-up work including interagency technical review meetings to support policy development and decision-making.
• Partners with other humanitarian agencies to plan and evaluate humanitarian and emergency assistance programmes incorporating latest findings, lessons learned, policy guidelines, including gender-related considerations.
• Establishes and maintains contacts with government officials, UN agencies, NGOs, diplomatic missions, media, etc.
• Undertakes and provides support to technical assistance and other field missions, including participation in field trips for in-depth reviews of country coordination mechanisms.
• Prepares or contributes to preparation of reports, documents and communications such as studies, background papers, policy guidelines, parliamentary documents, briefings, case studies, presentations, correspondence.
• Serves as primary focal point on specific topics or policy-related issues; keeps abreast of developments, liaises with humanitarian organizations, donors; ensures monitoring and reporting mechanisms; provides information and advice.
• Reviews and provides advice on policy issues related to safeguarding humanitarian principles and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance.
• Organizes and participates in work groups, meetings, conferences, consultations with agencies and partners on humanitarian and policy-related matters.
• Provides guidance to, and may supervise, new/junior staff.
• Performs other duties as required.

Requirements

• 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.
• 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.
• 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 in a legal profession, providing legal advice on public or private legal matters (domestic or international), 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 in humanitarian coordination, including the effective management of multi-stakeholders’ processes, is desirable.
• Experience in providing policy advice and support in drafting policy documents is desirable.
• English is required at UN Level III for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
• French is desirable at UN Level II for reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Skills

• Humanitarian Affairs
• Emergency Preparedness
• Crisis Relief Management
• Rehabilitation
• Development
• Legal Advice
• International Law
• Humanitarian Coordination
• Stakeholder Management
• Policy Advice
• Policy Development
• Humanitarian Access
• International Sanctions Compliance
• Counter-terrorism measures
• Restrictive Measures
• Field Operations Experience
• English Language
• French Language

Languages

English, French