Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision of the Humanitarian Affairs Officer (Head of Field Coordination (P3), the Humanitarian Affairs Officer – Local Area Coordination will be responsible for the following duties:

Provide accurate Information Collection in support of Humanitarian Analysis and Response, focusing on the achievement of the following results: 

• Review incoming field reports, prepare summaries of field activities, and flag important issues to senior management.
• Actively participate in the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and Humanitarian Needs Overview process, as well as HRP/HNO Mid-Year Review and End-year Review processes.
• Gather and verify information on issues affecting the humanitarian situation, emphasizing opportunities for response.
• Supports field analysis and interface with the AIM working group to extract key action points that need follow-up from assessments undertaken and the humanitarian Dashboard.

Facilitation of information sharing among partners focusing on the achievement of the following:

• Proactively share information on pertinent issues with OCHA and relevant stakeholders.
• Identify key pieces of information that will assist with organizational decision-making, focusing on improving humanitarian response.

Ensure the development of coordination and cooperation mechanisms among stakeholders, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Support existing coordination mechanisms and assist in establishing new field coordination wherever required.
• Establish relationships with key stakeholders, including non-traditional humanitarian actors, in areas of operation to ensure humanitarian information flow from OCHA to partners and vice versa and ensure their participation in operations.

Provide proper monitoring and reporting focusing on the achievement of the following:

• Field visits to the Local Government Areas (LGAs) and support collecting field information to monitor and improve ongoing response, coordination activities, and information products.
• Prepare brief reports on the key humanitarian issues in the districts and work with state-level partners to provide analysis on response gaps and advocacy issues.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of a range of humanitarian assistance, emergency relief, and related human rights issues, including approaches and techniques to address difficult problems. Capacity to analyze and articulate the humanitarian dimension of issues that require a coordinated UN response. Ability to identify issues and judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of problems. Ability to conduct research, including the ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources and assess the impact on the humanitarian rights situation in assigned areas. Ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment; ability to provide guidance to new/junior staff; ability to provide advice to senior-level officials. 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.

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.

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.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Qualifications:

Education:  

Master’s degree or equivalent in political science, sociology, law, international relations, or a related field is required

OR

a first-level university degree with relevant academic qualification with a combination of two (2) years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience: 

• Up to two (2) years of relevant professional experience, preferably in complex emergency and inter-agency contexts particularly in the Northeast of Nigeria, dealing with relief and transitional issues is required.
• Experience with UN policies, rules, and procedures, particularly about humanitarian response and coordination, and knowledge of institutional mandates, policies, and guidelines about humanitarian assistance, especially the humanitarian reform agenda is desirable.
• Experience with researching, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information is desirable.
• Experience expressing ideas and concepts clearly and concisely in written and oral form is desirable.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and experience in handling web-based management systems is desirable.

Language requirements

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Fluency in Hausa and Kanuri is required.
• Candidates will be tested on their linguistic ability.