Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer / Deputy Head of Office

Organizational Context

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), part of the UN Secretariat, is responsible for coordinating humanitarian actors to ensure coherent responses to emergencies. OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective humanitarian action, advocate for those in need, and promote preparedness. This role is based in OCHA Afghanistan in Kabul, reporting to the Head of Office.

Job Purpose

The Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer / Deputy Head of Office serves as a key leader within OCHA Afghanistan, managing strategic coordination, field operations, communication, humanitarian financing, and information management. The role involves providing expert technical and policy advice to senior management, UN agencies, and Member States on critical humanitarian issues. This position influences the UN's approach to humanitarian affairs, designs and implements policy changes, and conceptualizes linkages with political and peacekeeping functions. The incumbent is responsible for developing and ensuring the implementation of effective humanitarian response strategies, managing major projects, and coordinating international assistance for complex emergencies. This role also involves leading capacity-building initiatives, liaising with external stakeholders, and overseeing the operational work plan and budget.

Responsibilities

The Deputy Head of Office is responsible for overseeing strategic and field coordination, communication, humanitarian financing, and information management for OCHA Afghanistan. This includes providing authoritative technical and policy advice to senior management and external partners on humanitarian affairs and disaster response. The role involves monitoring OCHA's mandate performance, influencing UN humanitarian approaches, and implementing policy changes. Key duties include developing and ensuring the implementation of coherent humanitarian response strategies, managing major projects, and coordinating international humanitarian assistance for complex emergencies. The incumbent will also manage appeals for international assistance, ensure proper use of donor funds, lead capacity-building initiatives, and serve as a primary liaison with government officials, donors, NGOs, and media. Furthermore, the role involves supporting OCHA Afghanistan's work plan and budget, leading and directing staff across various units, and organizing and chairing inter-agency meetings. The position requires initiating, supervising, and finalizing policy papers and reports for senior management.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, or crisis management is required, with at least five years at the international level. Experience in humanitarian operations and coordination in a senior management role, and with IASC policies and processes, is essential. International field experience in aid operations is desirable.

Skills

Professionalism, Planning and Organizing, Accountability, Leadership, Managing Performance.

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