UNOCHA Chief of Section - Civil-Military Coordination (P-5)

Date of issue: 29 November 2012

United Nations Department: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)

Post title and Level: Chief of Section - Civil-Military Coordination (P-5)

Duty station: Geneva, Switzerland

Duration: Twelve months

Entry on Duty: 01 February 2013

Vacancy Notice number: OCHA/G/68/2012

Deadline for applications: 13 December 2012

Special Mention: The initial duration of the appointment is limited to one year as it concerns the temporary replacement of a fixed-term incumbent. Should an external candidate be selected, s/he may be granted a temporary appointment which shall not exceed 364 days.

United Nations Core Values: INTEGRITY / PROFESSIONALISM / RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY

ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING AND REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: This position is located in the Civil-Military Coordination Section (CMCS) within the Emergency Services Branch (ESB) of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), based in Geneva, Switzerland.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Within limits of delegated authority, with a first reporting line to the Director of the ESB, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties: Provides policy guidance to the Deputy Director of OCHA Geneva/Chief of the Emergency Services Branch and senior management of OCHA, on conceptual strategy development and management of the implementation of overall strategies and intra- and inter-divisional/departmental policies and procedures in respect of humanitarian-military coordination. Plans and oversees the management of activities undertaken by CMCS; ensures that substantive work programmes and programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion, coordinating diverse projects in the Section, and, in liaison with Member States and their military organisations, other organizations of the United Nations System, donors, NGOs and agencies as appropriate. Manages, supervises and carries out the work programme of Section under his/her responsibility; functionally guides and supports Civil-Military Coordination related work in preparedness and response, conducted by OCHA Country and Regional Offices, ensuring it is appropriate for the operational situation, and leads to a coherent and consistent approach by humanitarian community in its relations with military forces and furthermore ensures that when military assets are utilised to support humanitarian operations, it is done so to the best effect to assist affected populations. Provides substantive input in the preparation of position papers on humanitarian-military coordination and reports for presentation to inter-governmental bodies such as the Economic and Social Council, the General-Assembly, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and other policy-making organs, as appropriate. Contributes to the reporting to inter-governmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports. Ensures that the outputs produced by the Section maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data; ensures that all outputs produced by the Section under his/her supervision meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates. Prepares inputs for the work programme of CMCS, determining priorities, and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery. Carries out programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of CMCS, 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. Recruits staff for CMCS and OCHA Civil-Military Coordination officers in OCHA Country and/or Regional Field offices related to emergencies in the field, taking due account of geographical and gender balance and other institutional values. Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision. Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Unit/Section and across organizational boundaries. Represents the IASC and OCHA at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive issues related to civil-military coordination. Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on the issue of civil-military coordination, or hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.

Competencies

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of both the humanitarian and military fields at Headquarters and field levels with specific knowledge of humanitarian-military coordination in emergencies; ability to produce reports and papers on issues of humanitarian-military coordination and to review and edit the work of others; shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of of humanitarian - military coordination in emergencies; 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; takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments - adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary - uses time efficiently. 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 that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary. 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 improvement; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands.

Qualifications & Experience

EDUCATION: Advanced university degree (i.e. Master's degree or equivalent) in international relations, military studies, training, finance, accounting, law or related area is required; a first-level university degree (i.e. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in one of the above mentioned academic disciplines in combination with qualifying relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of advanced university degree.

WORKING EXPERIENCE: A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience, preferably in emergency management or related field is required. Military experience at both the strategic and field levels is essential; working experience in a complex emergency and/or natural disaster situation in the field in a foreign country either in a humanitarian or military organisation is required; experience in a UN humanitarian Agency, preferably at Headquarters is an advantage.

LANGUAGE: For this position fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is an advantage

How to apply:

availability of funds.

Applicants will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions at the same level in other field duty stations.

Upon selection candidates will be subject to satisfactory reference checks to be completed by the recruiting department/office which shall include verification of the highest required academic qualification(s) and record with the last employer.

How to apply: All applicants are requested to email the following documents to clavier@un.org with a copy toochavacancies@un.org

Please state your full name and the UNOCHA temporary vacancy notice number (OCHA/G/68/2012) as the subject in your e-mail application and send one email application for every vacancy announcement.

Document should be saved as pdf file, with the title formatted as follows: DOCUMENT_FAMILY NAME_given name.pdf. For example: PHP_GREY_Joe.pdf; SUPP_GREY_Joe.pdf; SPIF_GREY_Joe.pdf; and COVERLETTER_GREY_Joe.pdf. All application forms can be found by clicking on the following link:http://ocha.unog.ch/OCHAvacancies/

Note that an applicants’ eligibility cannot be fully assessed if the standard United Nations recruitment documents are not properly completed or submitted i.e. personal history profile/supplementary sheet. The personal history profile that is generated from Inspira can also be used to apply to short term vacancy announcements within the United Nations Common System.

Note that this vacancy is intended to fill short-term functions so it will not be advertised in Inspira however all applicants are strongly encouraged to create a profile and apply to job openings on Inspira athttps://careers.un.org

"The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, processing, training or any other fees). Also, the United Nations does not concern itself with information on bank accounts".