Org. Setting and Reporting
This position is located in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) which is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response efforts. OCHA’s mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions. The Director of the Coordination Division will work under the overall strategic guidance of the Under-Secretary General / Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC) and the direct supervision of the Assistant Secretary General / Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator (ASG/DERC).
Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Director will provide technical leadership on all inter-agency coordination-related activities. S/he will represent and collaborate on OCHA’s global support to humanitarian assistance with other entities of the United Nations system as well as other humanitarian actors and organizations in the wider international humanitarian ecosystem. The Director will lead and manage the coordination function within OCHA, working collaboratively with other functional leads. Specifically, the Director will be responsible for the following:
• Directs and manages the Coordination Division of OCHA. Provides strategic and technical leadership across OCHA to ensure: coordinated international humanitarian response systems; context-specific coordination mechanisms and processes that support effective and appropriate humanitarian action; and readiness of response actors to rapidly respond to new humanitarian emergencies.
• Contributes to the formulation of OCHA’s overall strategies and policies by participating in various committees, preparing documents on policy issues, and acting, as required, in an advisory capacity to the USG/ASG; contributes to the overall management of the Division’s activities and operations. Advises the USG/ERC and ASG/DERC on OCHA’s proactive engagement in coordination efforts and to strengthen partnerships with the international humanitarian community.
• Provides leadership to the development of innovative and/or change management programmes.
• Formulates and implement the substantive work programme of the Division under his/her supervision, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery. Ensures the Division’s work programme meets objectives laid out in the ‘Creating a Better OCHA”, OCHA Strategic Plan and Results Framework.
• Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Office/Division, ensuring that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion and co-ordinates work in the different areas both within the Division and throughout all of OCHA, and with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies as appropriate. Convenes and supports inter-agency processes, including overseeing the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Secretariat.
• Co-ordinates and oversees the preparation of reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and other policy-making organs, as appropriate. Provides operational and strategic coordination with other partners – including Member States, donors, UN Secretariat entities, development actors, regional organizations, and the private sector, among others – to ensure efficient coordination mechanisms are in place to support humanitarian response and action in the field (e.g., Humanitarian Programme Cycle). Works closely with OCHA’s operational partners.
• Reports to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports. Develops and maintains close relationships with Permanent and Observer Missions to the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as well as other humanitarian actors.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Division maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the office/division under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates. Develops and institutes inter-agency guidance, tools, protocols, trainings, and expert capacity for intern-cluster coordination; needs assessments and inter-sectoral needs analysis; evidenced-based and prioritized response planning; monitoring of humanitarian situation, needs and response; and operational readiness, preparedness partnerships and initiatives and simulation exercises.
• Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Division, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates.
• Oversees the recruitment of staff for Division taking due account geographical and gender balance and other institutional values.
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision; foster teamwork and communication among staff in the Division and across organizational boundaries. Promotes and maintains system-wide readiness networks and processes, including OCHA’s internal readiness. Coordinates and manages networks and partnerships that provide surge and rapid response capacity during emergencies; Oversees trainings for and serves in an advisory capacity to Humanitarian Coordinators; Works closely with OCHA’s Humanitarian Financing and Resource Mobilization Division and OCHA’s Operations and Advocacy Division to align priorities and needs.
• Chairs meetings, seminars, etc., on substantive-related issues; represents the Organization at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conference; provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue, or holds programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions. Advises the USG/ERC and ASG/DERC and represents OCHA in strategic engagements with key international instruments and agreements.
• Perform other related duties as requested by the senior management of the Organization.
Competencies
PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Shows ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Shows ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.
TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and
comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law, social sciences or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience
Over fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian assistance, disaster or crisis management, international affairs, or related fields is required.
At least five years of senior managerial experience is required.
At least five years of experience at the international level with the United Nations organization, or other comparable international organization is desirable.
Languages
Over fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian assistance, disaster or crisis management, international affairs, or related fields is required. At least five years of senior managerial experience is required. At least five years of experience at the international level with the United Nations organization, or other comparable international organization is desirable.
Assessment
Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
Special Notice
This position is temporarily available for two months with a possibility of extension. The appointment, or assignment, and renewal thereof are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval, or extension of the mandate.
If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.
Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.
Staff members appointed to the current position are required to submit a financial disclosure statement upon assignment or appointment and annually thereafter.
For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 April 2021, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.
Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.
United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.