Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer (Head of Office)

Organizational Context

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), part of the UN Secretariat, coordinates humanitarian actors for effective emergency response. OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate principled humanitarian action, advocate for those in need, and promote preparedness. This role is within the Crisis Response Division, based in Caracas, Venezuela, reporting to the Deputy Director of the ELACAP Branch.

Job Purpose

The Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer (Head of Office) provides expert technical and policy advice to senior management, UN agencies, Member States, and international organizations on critical humanitarian affairs, emergency relief, and disaster response issues. The role involves monitoring humanitarian mandates, influencing UN approaches, and designing/implementing policy changes to address complex humanitarian challenges, including gender considerations. It requires conceptualizing linkages with political, development, and peacekeeping functions. The incumbent will develop and ensure the implementation of coherent response strategies, manage major projects, lead multi-agency teams for disaster assessments, and coordinate international humanitarian assistance for complex emergencies. This includes mobilizing resources, preparing situation reports, managing appeals, and ensuring the proper use of donor funds.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include providing authoritative technical and policy advice on humanitarian affairs and disaster response to senior management and external stakeholders. The role involves monitoring the humanitarian mandate, influencing UN approaches, and implementing policy changes for country, regional, and global issues, incorporating gender considerations. The incumbent will develop and ensure the implementation of coherent humanitarian response strategies and procedures. This includes conceptualizing, formulating, and managing major projects, leading multi-agency teams for disaster assessments, and coordinating international humanitarian assistance for complex situations. Responsibilities also encompass managing appeals for international assistance, ensuring proper use of donor funds, leading capacity-building initiatives, and improving response systems. The role involves serving as a primary liaison with non-UN entities, establishing office work plans and budgets, and leading/directing staff, including recruitment, coaching, and performance management. Additionally, the incumbent will organize and chair inter-agency meetings, prepare reports and policy documents, and perform other duties as assigned.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, or related areas is required. This includes at least four years of field experience in aid operations within the last ten years, and experience leading and coordinating humanitarian operations in complex emergencies or natural disasters at a country-wide level. Experience in the Latin America region or within the UN Common System is desirable.

Skills

Professionalism, planning and organizing, accountability, leadership, and performance management are key competencies. Specific skills include knowledge of humanitarian affairs and emergency relief, ability to advise senior management, strategic analytical capacity, negotiation, influencing, and working under pressure. Experience with UN mandates, policies, and guidelines is important. The role requires developing clear goals, prioritizing activities, managing time and resources efficiently, taking ownership of responsibilities, and leading teams effectively.

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