Program Officer: Disaster Risk Management And Humanitarian Response At Lutheran World Federation

The joint programme in Guatemala, ACTuando Juntas Jotay is the response to the GOAT initiative, initiated by eight European members of the ACT Alliance. Together, they share a foundation and a solid track record as faith-based organisations among their allies and international organisations. As members of the ACT Alliance, they remain committed to working together and with other ACT Alliance partners, both nationally and internationally.

Jotay was established in Guatemala in April 2017 with the active collaboration of currently four organizations (Norwegian Church Aid, Bread for the World, Act Church of Sweden, and the Lutheran World Federation).

Jotay is working in four thematic areas: a. Gender justice focused on women’s rights, b. Sustainable management of natural resources, c. Rule of law and democratic citizen security, d. Disaster risk management and humanitarian response.

The ACTuando Juntas JOTAY Program cooperates with civil society organizations and movements (women, indigenous peoples, human rights defenders), research centers, organizations, actors and religious leaders who work in the aforementioned thematic areas, both at the national, departmental and municipal levels.

Job Description:

Responsible for advising and supporting partner organizations in the different stages of planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects in the programmatic area of ​​Disaster Risk Management and Humanitarian Response and for promoting cohesion among the different actors within the JOTAY Program.

Main responsibilities:

• Develop the conceptual, methodological and operational basis for the area of ​​disaster risk management and humanitarian response.
• Implement processes to strengthen prevention, preparation and response to emergencies and/or disasters, guaranteeing, within the framework of humanitarian aid, the dignity, rights and differentiated needs of populations at risk or affected by socio-natural disasters.
• Provide input in defining the vision and strategic direction, especially in the areas of resilience, risk management, climate change, and humanitarian response according to the context.
• Manages and supervises projects implemented by local partner organizations on issues related to risk management and humanitarian response.
• Responsible for promoting and training partner organizations in the construction of emergency and/or disaster response preparedness plans.
• Develop and maintain the program’s emergency and/or disaster preparedness plan.
• Implement periodic emergency response preparedness simulations.
• Coordinate with the ACT Forum in Guatemala and at the regional level with actions for response preparation, risk management, advocacy and resilience.
• Manage resources for humanitarian preparedness and response.
• Carry out comprehensive monitoring: programmatic and financial, according to the planning, monitoring and evaluation system.
• Contribute to the development of projects related to their programmatic area and to the search for funds.

Minimum essential requirements:

• University professional in the area of ​​environmental sciences, civil sciences, risk management and humanitarian response or other related disciplines. Postgraduate degree in environmental topics and/or risk management is desirable.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in the formulation, planning, implementation, management and monitoring of disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response programs and in the management of development projects with international cooperation working with local organizations.
• Experience working with multidisciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of the legal framework for risk management and humanitarian aid in the country and international humanitarian standards.
• Knowledge of cash transfer systems for humanitarian aid, food security, risk reduction systems, protection and safety measures for working in unsafe places.
• Experience in promoting strategic alliances between civil society organizations, international organizations, academic institutions, local authorities, civil society organizations, donors and faith-based actors, among others.
• Availability to travel frequently within and outside the country.
• Extensive knowledge of the application of the Core Humanitarian Standard for Quality and Accountability (CHS).
• Excellent communication skills with different sectors of society.
• Excellent writing and synthesis skills.
• Technical English language skills, reading and comprehension skills. (Advanced level is a plus).