Humanitarian Mine Action - Senior Officer

Organizational Context

UNOPS implements the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) programme in Colombia, supporting national efforts in humanitarian mine action and compliance with the Ottawa Convention. The programme contributes to humanitarian, protection, peacebuilding, and development objectives by strengthening institutional capacities and enabling safer environments for communities affected by explosive ordnance. This role operates within a complex environment, providing technical advisory support.

Job Purpose

The Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) Senior Officer provides crucial technical and operational support for mine action activities in Colombia. This role is instrumental in strengthening national and sub-national capacities in areas such as mine action standards, operational safety, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), stockpile destruction, quality management, and information management. The position ensures alignment with international and national standards, contributing directly to the safety and security of affected populations and supporting the broader humanitarian, protection, and peacebuilding goals of the UNMAS programme in Colombia.

Responsibilities

The Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) Senior Officer provides technical advisory and capacity-building support to national authorities and stakeholders on mine action, EOD, and operational safety, ensuring adherence to international and national standards. Responsibilities include contributing technical inputs to standards review, supporting mine action pillars (clearance, risk education, victim assistance, advocacy, stockpile destruction), and ensuring gender-differentiated and inclusive approaches. The role involves supporting the design and delivery of training, strengthening quality and information management systems, and staying updated on technical developments. Additionally, the officer monitors national capacity operators, reviews reports, identifies risks, and supports incident reviews. Technical procurement, asset management, and stakeholder coordination with national authorities and humanitarian actors are key functions, promoting harmonized approaches and knowledge transfer. The role also involves maintaining technical records and contributing to reporting and knowledge management.

Work Experience

A minimum of 4 years of proven experience in explosive hazard management is required, including areas like EOD, mechanical clearance, manual mine clearance, BAC, road clearance, IEDD, and EORE. Experience applying International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and using information management systems like IMSMA is essential. Experience in capacity building, liaising with national authorities, and applying gender-sensitive approaches is desirable.

Skills

Project Management, Quality Assurance, Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Technical Support, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Information Management Systems (IMSMA), International Mine Action Standards (IMAS).

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