Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Reporting (HAO) – ERP Position Available in 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan

The United Nations is seeking a dedicated and skilled individual for the position of Humanitarian Affairs Officer/Reporting (HAO) – ERP in 2025, based in Islamabad, Pakistan. This critical role involves shaping humanitarian responses and ensuring effective reporting that addresses urgent global challenges. Join a dynamic team committed to making a meaningful impact in the region and contribute to strategies that support vulnerable populations. Apply now to be part of this important mission!.
The Humanitarian Affairs Officer Job Information
- Job ID: 23485
- Posting Date: January 17, 2025, at 1:57 PM
- Application Deadline: January 25, 2025, at 6:59 AM
- Employment Type: Full-time
- Location: Islamabad, Pakistan
- Agency: UNOCHA
- Grade Level: NOB
- Vacancy Type: Fixed Term
- Practice Area: Effectiveness
- Bureau: Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific
- Contract Duration: 1 year, with the possibility of extension
Education & Experience Requirements for the Humanitarian Affairs Officer Job Position
- Master’s Degree: 2 years of relevant experience,
- Bachelor’s Degree: 4 years of relevant experience
Language Proficiency
- Required Languages: Fluency in English and Urdu
Mobility Requirements
- Mobility: Required
Application Timeline
- Vacancy Open Duration: 1 week
Job Description
Background
Pakistan ranks among the top 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, making it an epicenter for natural disasters such as floods, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF), and droughts. These climate-related events have led to fatalities, loss of livelihoods and livestock, and significant damage to public and private infrastructure. Consequently, they create serious humanitarian challenges that demand effective emergency response preparedness.
In 2022, major floods affected approximately 33 million people, resulting in 20.6 million individuals needing lifesaving assistance, with children making up half of this group. Furthermore, the floods displaced 7.9 million people, with at least 664,000 seeking refuge in relief camps and informal sites. In response, OCHA has significantly scaled up its operations in Pakistan, focusing on coordination, information management, resource mobilization, and advocacy.
To enhance Emergency Response Preparedness, OCHA collaborates with district and provincial authorities as well as humanitarian actors through its Antenna offices.
Under the guidance of the Head of Coordination (P3), the National Humanitarian Affairs Officer will take charge of all aspects related to Emergency Response Preparedness (ERP) and coordination with OCHA Antenna offices.
Key Responsibilities
- Establish Preparedness Mechanisms: Collaborate with the Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), Emergency Working Group (EWG), humanitarian actors, and relevant government departments, such as NDMA, PDMA, and DDMA, to set up effective preparedness and response mechanisms.
- Facilitate Capacity Building: Actively support the capacity-building initiatives for DDMA/PDMA and humanitarian actors, ensuring the implementation of contingency plans for monsoons, heatwaves, winterization, and earthquakes.
- Support Anticipatory Action: Contribute to the operationalization of Anticipatory Action (AA) to enhance readiness for future emergencies.
- Draft Key Documents: Prepare appeals, situation reports, CERF submissions, Humanitarian Needs Analyses, operational updates, meeting minutes, concept notes, and advocacy messages. Serve as the focal point for the Emergency Working Plan (EWP) and provide support to ISCG/HCT and sectoral working groups.
- Initiate Proposals: Launch proposals, implement work plans, and report on their progress to ensure accountability and effectiveness.
- Advocate for Essential Services: Promote access to critical services—including water, sanitation, food, shelter, education, and health—for vulnerable communities. Collect, analyze, and disseminate information to humanitarian partners while negotiating access.
- Assist Humanitarian Efforts: Support government initiatives and humanitarian organizations in addressing crises, including aiding internally displaced persons and returnees.
- Strengthen Government Capacity: Collaborate with the government to tackle ongoing humanitarian issues, such as drought, and enhance the capacity of government focal points on humanitarian matters.
- Coordinate Humanitarian Responses: Facilitate the implementation of humanitarian response efforts in Somalia alongside UN agencies, national and international NGOs, and local authorities, emphasizing the importance of a cluster approach.
- Promote Human Rights: Actively work to create a protective environment that respects the human rights of all individuals, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and minority clans.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the Head of the Coordination Unit, the National Humanitarian Affairs Officer will actively oversee all aspects related to Emergency Response Preparedness and Field Coordination within the OCHA Pakistan office.
Summary of Key Functions:
Duties and Responsibilities
Position Overview
Under the overall guidance of the Head of the Coordination Unit, the National Humanitarian Affairs Officer will actively oversee all aspects of Emergency Response Preparedness and Field Coordination within the OCHA Pakistan office.
1. Ensure Preparedness and Response Mechanisms
- Proactive Implementation: First and foremost, implement preparedness and response strategies ahead of disaster events, including monsoons, droughts, heatwaves, and earthquakes.
- Collaborative Planning: Moreover, work with inter-agency partners to enhance the capacity of the DDMA, PDMA, and humanitarian actors, ensuring that contingency plans are established for various emergencies.
- Resource Mobilization: In addition, gather resources to strengthen the capabilities of DDMA, PDMA, and humanitarian actors in key areas such as emergency preparedness, assessment, coordination, response, and reporting.
- Support Early Action: Furthermore, facilitate early action initiatives and the operationalization of Anticipatory Action (AA). Additionally, draft appeals, situation reports, CERF submissions, Humanitarian Needs Analyses, operational updates, and advocacy messages. Serve as the focal point for the Emergency Working Plan (EWP) while supporting the ISCG/HCT and thematic working groups.
2. Manage Coordination Functions
- Effective Liaison: To effectively manage coordination, engage with government entities, partners, and vulnerable populations.
- Consolidate Inputs: Subsequently, collaborate with OCHA field offices, sector coordinators, and stakeholders to compile regular flood situation reports.
- Communication Initiatives: At the same time, work closely with partners and OCHA staff to ensure consistent messaging regarding flood emergencies and responses.
- Information Monitoring: Additionally, research, analyze, and present information from various sources on humanitarian issues in Pakistan to maintain situational awareness.
- Review Reports: Finally, review incoming field reports, summarize field activities, and highlight key issues requiring senior management’s attention.
3. Facilitate Information Collection
- Establish Communication Networks: Begin by building and maintaining a robust network to gather information that enhances humanitarian situational awareness in Pakistan.
- Contribute to Reporting: Moreover, assist in drafting, editing, and providing input for donor reports and resource mobilization efforts.
- Support Field Information Collection: Actively gather field information to monitor and improve ongoing response efforts and coordination activities.
4. Assist in Information Sharing
- Build Contacts: Consequently, develop relationships with government officials, UN agencies, NGOs, donors, diplomatic missions, and media to facilitate collaboration and information exchange.
- Organize Coordination Events: In addition, coordinate meetings (EWG, ISCG, HCT, etc.), conferences, and workshops. Attend these meetings, prepare detailed minutes, and accompany visiting UN and donor missions.
5. Support Coordination and Cooperation Mechanisms
- Strengthen Mechanisms: Therefore, enhance existing coordination frameworks and assist in establishing new field coordination where necessary.
- Build Relationships: Furthermore, foster relationships with key stakeholders, including non-traditional humanitarian actors, to ensure effective information flow and encourage participation in operations.
- Enhance Cluster System: Additionally, collaborate to improve the cluster system through joint assessments and coordinated responses.
6. Provide Monitoring and Reporting
- Collect Field Information: Collect field data to monitor and enhance ongoing response efforts, coordination activities, and information products.
- Prepare Reports: Finally, create concise reports on key humanitarian issues across various districts, collaborating with district-level partners to analyze response gaps and advocacy needs.
7. Facilitate Knowledge Building and Sharing
- Engage with Stakeholders: As needed, liaise with the media, public, and external stakeholders to contribute to communications planning.
- Reporting Focal Point: Serve as the main contact for all reporting matters within the office.
- Additional Duties: Lastly, execute other responsibilities as required.
Impact of Key Results
In summary, the key results will significantly enhance the coordination of humanitarian and emergency assistance. By understanding the root causes of humanitarian crises, we will implement effective responses that empower operational agencies to meet their core objectives. Ultimately, this understanding will help build strong partnerships with relevant stakeholders and achieve OCHA’s goals.
Competencies for the Humanitarian Affairs Officer /Reporting (HAO) – Position
Core Competencies
- Achieve Results: Level 2: Scale up solutions and simplify processes while balancing speed and accuracy in execution.
- Think Innovatively: Level 2: Offer new ideas and embrace new approaches, demonstrating systemic and integrated thinking.
- Learn Continuously: Level 2: Step outside your comfort zone, learn from others, and actively support their learning.
- Adapt with Agility: Level 2: Adjust processes and approaches to new situations and involve others in the change process.
- Act with Determination: Level 2: Persevere and manage multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
- Engage and Partner: Level 2: Facilitate integration by bringing people together and building strong coalitions and partnerships.
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Level 2: Facilitate conversations that bridge differences and incorporate diverse perspectives in decision-making.
Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies for the Humanitarian Affairs Officer Position
Results-Based Programme Development and Management
- Contribute to Results: Conduct primary research and analysis to improve program outcomes.
- Identify Critical Linkages: Research connections between program activities to find key integration points.
- Monitor Implementation: Oversee specific stages of project and program execution to ensure success.
Building Strategic Partnerships
- Maintain a Network: Cultivate and sustain a network of contacts for effective information sharing and to stay updated on partnership issues.
- Strengthen Alliances: Analyze and select materials that enhance strategic partnerships with stakeholders.
Innovation and Marketing New Approaches
- Enhance Processes: Generate and propose new ideas for more effective methods.
- Document Innovations: Analyze and record innovative strategies and best practices to improve results.
Resource Mobilization
- Support Resource Strategies: Gather, research, and analyze information on resource mobilization and utilization.
- Draft Reports: Prepare documentation and maintain databases on potential and actual donors and funded projects.
Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing
- Conduct Research: Generate new ideas through research and analysis of best practices.
- Propose Improvements: Document and assess innovative strategies to enhance effectiveness.
Global Leadership and Advocacy for OCHA’s Goals
- Prepare Advocacy Information: Identify and communicate relevant information to advocate for OCHA’s goals with diverse audiences.
- Maintain Media Contacts: Build a network of contacts in media and civil society to promote understanding of OCHA’s priorities and support advocacy efforts.
Required Skills and Experience
Required Skills and Experience
Education
- Master’s Degree: Candidates must hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in social science, emergency/disaster risk management, project management, political science, law, international relations, or a related field.
- Bachelor’s Degree: Alternatively, candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in these fields must possess two (2) years of relevant experience.
Experience requirements for one to qualify for the Humanitarian Affairs Officer position
- For Master’s Degree Holders: Applicants, therefore, need at least two (2) years of professional experience in coordinating humanitarian affairs or managing reconstruction/development programs, ideally within the UN or similar organizations.
- For Bachelor’s Degree Holders: In contrast, those with a Bachelor’s degree must have a minimum of four (4) years of relevant experience in similar roles with the UN or related institutions.
- Desirable Experience:
- Additionally, candidates should demonstrate proven experience in applying humanitarian policies, conducting needs assessments, cluster coordination, and report writing within the UN system.
- Moreover, knowledge of UN policies and procedures regarding humanitarian response and coordination, particularly the humanitarian reform agenda, is essential.
- Furthermore, experience in building and maintaining effective partnerships and networks in the humanitarian or development sectors is highly beneficial.
- Candidates should also possess strong skills in researching, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information.
- In addition, experience in conducting needs assessments and drafting reports is desirable.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills are also a requirement.
- Finally, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in computers and office software, including MS Word and Excel, along with experience in using web-based management systems.
Language Requirements to apply for the Humanitarian Affairs Officer position
- Fluency in English and Urdu: Candidates must be fluent in both English and Urdu.
Note: Continuing in the position beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon successfully completing the probationary period.
Disclaimer about the UN Humanitarian Affairs Officer /Reporting (HAO) Position
Applicant Information about UNOCHA Rosters
UNOCHA reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. Additionally, we may retain applications for consideration for similar positions at the same grade level.
Non-Discrimination it applies to UN and the Humanitarian Affairs Officer /Reporting (HAO) Position
UNOCHA maintains a zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation, misconduct, harassment, and abuse of authority. Consequently, selected candidates will undergo thorough reference and background checks and are expected to adhere to these standards.
Moreover, UNOCHA is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer, committed to non-discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin, or other status.
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