Humanitarian Affairs Officer / Reporting Officer

Background Information - UNOPS

The UNOPS Hub in Amman implements projects on behalf of UN agencies and bilateral donors and in close coordination with the Government and national authorities. With an established presence across the region, the office runs operations including large-scale procurement, project development and technical management, and provides financial, human resources and infrastructure-related services. The functional objective of UNOPS Hub in Amman is to deliver its projects in an efficient and effective manner and in line with the principles, rules and regulations of UNOPS, so as to achieve the outcomes sought by the clients.

The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS. 

UNOPS is committed to achieving a fully diverse workforce

Background Information - Job-specific

The HAO P3 Reporting Officer reports to the HAO P4 / Head of the Mosul Office

Retaking Mosul from ISIL will create one of the  largest humanitarian operations in the world. Government sources confirm that over 600,000 civilians were residing in the eastern parts of Mosul city before military operations started in October, and that close to 900,000 are concentrated in the densely populated west. Cumulatively some 700,000 people have been displaced since October. As the fighting progressed in Mosul city, giving new access, Government and humanitarian partners worked to reach all people in need with assistance. The drive to retake West Mosul started on 19 February and operations to retake Tal Afar, Hawija and Anbar are imminent; all of which will result in acute humanitarian needs. By late May humanitarian partners were reporting over 500,000 people displaced from West Mosul, the majority to camps to the south and east of Mosul.

The uncertain duration of these and future military operations against ISIL, and the complexity of the humanitarian needs created by the operations require a humanitarian response that can rapidly adapt; coordination for the response to needs that will result from military operations in West Mosul, Tal Afar, Hawija and Anbar needs to be strengthened however OCHA budget constraints have negatively impacted on continuity with most staff deployed on a short-term basis.

OCHA established a Mosul Office to coordinate the humanitarian response.

OCHA coordination provides a liaison function with Government and local coordination structures and brings together Cluster Coordinators, Emergency Coordinators from UN agencies, NGO Coordination Committee of Iraq (NCCI); International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO);IOM DTM; Returns Working Group; Civil-Military Coordination cell; UN Mine Action Service; and UNDSS.

Humanitarian access is facilitated by the CMCoord Cell which has expanded the network of civil-military interlocutors and works through these contacts to open the way for aid to reach affected populations.

The HAO  will serve as a member of the Mosul Office created to ensure a cohesive humanitarian response to the Mosul crisis.  The post will assist in the coordination of the emergency response for the influx of displaced people from Mosul, as military operations for the city rapidly progress.

The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS. 

UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.

Functional Responsibilities

The HAO P3 Reporting Officer reports to the HAO P4 / Head of Mosul Office

The responsibilities for the post include

• Conceptualize, draft and edit stories for external communications products and internal reports.
• Research/analyze and organize data from a wide variety of sources required for internal and external reporting, including reporting on media coverage and political, security and socio-economic factors affecting humanitarian and development programmes in Iraq.
• Draft regular daily up-date in consultation with the Communications and Reporting Unit.
• Draft stories for the Humanitarian Bulletin and support all aspects of its production, including fact checking, proofreading and quality control.
• Edit and draft OCHA web stories and content for publications as required. Assist in the preparation of social media products in support of OCHA advocacy efforts.
• Actively contribute to the development and regular update of coordination and information tools, including OCHA Iraq website, and information fact sheets.
• Collaborate closely with other OCHA sub-offices and information counterparts in other UN agencies and NGOs to ensure accurate and effective information dissemination on humanitarian issues in Iraq.
• Attend meetings (internal and external) relevant to communications and reporting including operational working group meetings and others relevant to office work.
• Support the office with the preparation of meeting minutes as and when requested.
• Carry out any other responsibilities as requested by the Head-of-Office/Supervisor.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Competencies

Drive with energy

• Ability to Learn: keeps abreast of new practices in his/her functional area; is able to apply past learning in current situations and get work done; constantly delivers on assignments that are challenging and require trying out new methods.
• Creativity and Innovation: develops multiple approaches to problems-solving; networks and explores variety of sources to deliver, solve problems; can create new, efficient processes and systems that are the best practices of the organization.

Focus and execute

• Ability to analyse: able to distribute time effectively and adhere to deadlines; able to match the scope of the project by optimal use of organization’s resources.
• Organizing and quality orientation: provides accurate information on a timely basis; has penchant for precise, quality-oriented and throughout work; translates ideas into specific tasks to improve operations & takes initiative.
• Results orientation: handles multiple projects and delivers them; is persistent and shows tenacity to achieve results in a project or task; is efficient and successful in handling time-bound projects; identifies critical factors and focuses energy to achieve them.

Impact and energize

• Communication skills: consistently delivers accurate, clear and concise messages in written or oral form; shares information with colleagues.
• Networking skills: consciously extends oneself o building rapport with others; creates common ground for understanding at a inter-personal level.
• Teamwork skills: always works with others to accomplish goals/tasks; treats all members of team in a  professional manner and with respect; is open to different points of view.
• Situational sensitivity: remains calm in stressful situations; is open to working with people from diverse background and cultures.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Master’s degree in political or social sciences, international relations, communications, journalism or a related field with two years of experience OR alternatively Bachelor’s degree with four years of relevant experiences in lieu of Master’s Degree.

Progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development, or related area.                                                  

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 the UN Common System is highly desirable.

Experience in the country context is highly desirable.

Experience supporting humanitarian coordination architecture in a complex emergency setting is highly desirable.    

Five years of experience including:

• Familiarity and good knowledge of social, political and economical conditions in the country and region.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships with a wide variety of government, UN and NGO stakeholders.
• Excellent drafting skills and high competence in data collection, compilation, analysis and reporting.
• Ability to write and communicate orally in a clear and concise manner.
• Experience in conducting, participating in and reporting on meetings.
• Proven experience in the usage of computers and Microsoft Office software packages is required (MS Word, Excel, etc).                              

                       
                                   

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Temporary Appointment
Contract level: P3
Contract duration: 09 Months


For more details about United Nations staff contracts, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/UN-Staff-Contracts.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. 
• Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.