Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Crisis Response Division (CRD) of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). OCHA’s mission is to ensure principled, timely, and coherent humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors, to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; support the rights and needs of affected people; promote preparedness and risk-informed planning; and facilitate sustainable solutions. The Division plays a central role in advancing the Humanitarian Reset, ensuring that OCHA’s operational response is agile, country-focused, and aligned with Reset priorities. Through simplified structures, strengthened HQ–country connectivity, and clarified operational accountabilities, the Division drives effective, risk-aware, and coherent humanitarian action in crises. The Director of the Division works under the 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), providing leadership on country operations, crisis response, and system-wide coordination.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Crisis Response function within OCHA, working collaboratively with other function leads. S/he will provide primary support on operations to the ERC, Humanitarian Coordinators (HCs), and Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Principals. Working with a team, s/he will ensure effective HQ-country coordination, providing real-time, authoritative perspectives, insights, situational awareness, and facts from field-based OCHA leadership. The Director will provide oversight of the OCHA Heads of Offices and maintain responsibility for operations in the field. Specifically, the Director will be responsible for the following: • Directs and manages Crisis Response Division. Provides strategic and technical leadership across OCHA to ensure: effective, principled, and timely humanitarian operations in the field enabling assistance to reach affected people with maximum impact. Leads advocacy and negotiation on access, protection, and system-wide humanitarian priorities, ensuring consistent, evidence-based messaging on the rights and needs of affected people. • Contributes to the formulation of division’s strategies and policies. Participates in interdivisional and inter-agency forums, prepares policy guidance, and acts in an advisory capacity to the USG/ERC and ASG/DERC. Provides real-time, accurate field analysis to inform leadership advocacy and decision making, including anticipatory analysis and forward-looking risk identification aligned with the Humanitarian Reset. • Provides day-to-day operational and management oversight and supports to OCHA’s field offices to ensure effective and timely response in crisis situations. • Formulates and implement the Division’s work programme . Establishes priorities, and allocates resources and ensures their timely delivery. Ensures Division’s work programme meets objectives laid out in alignment with the OCHA Strategic Plan and Results Framework. • Leads the development of coherent, risk-informed, and context-appropriate strategies for crisis-affected countries, including the development of transitions and exit strategies, as necessary. Ensures full organizational alignment and provides leadership during the response to major, acute crises. In support of the USG/ERC and ASG/DERC, as well as independently as a senior member of OCHA’s leadership team, engages in public advocacy on behalf of the humanitarian community on the rights and needs of affected people; makes recommendations to the USG on negotiations required with parties and neighboring countries over access to victims and beneficiaries. • Oversees the management of activities undertaken by the 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. Oversees and aligns organizational priorities across OCHA’s field offices for coordinated support for the delivery of humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies, natural disasters, and protracted crises. Coordinates with other OCHA Divisions at headquarters to consistently bring the best of OCHA’s skillsets to the field, and ensures timely and accurate flow of information up and down the organization. • 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. • Reports to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports. At the request of the USG/ERC and/or ASG/DERC, represents OCHA at governmental meetings concerned with humanitarian aid. • Ensures high-quality outputs , produces clear, data reports that meet organizational standards. Develops system-wide messages, advocacy products, and coordinated outreach strategies aligned with corporate priorities and the Humanitarian Reset. Advocates and provides real-time facts from the field for resource mobilization to support consolidated humanitarian response plans, flash appeals, and other financing plans and regular funding updates. • Undertakes or oversees the programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Office/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. • Working closely with the Humanitarian Sector Division, to ensure streamlined, standardized, and fit-for-purpose reporting and information products consistent with Reset simplification efforts. • Oversees the recruitment of staff for Office/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 office/Division and across organizational boundaries. • 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. Engages in private diplomacy to secure access to affected people. Monitors and provides evidence-based reporting on humanitarian access constraint, engages in private diplomacy to secure access to affected people and. ensures effective coordination with political, peacekeeping and development actors, particularly during transitions. Supports the USG/ERC and ASG/DERC to deliver briefings to the Security Council, push advocacy efforts on implementation of Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, and advise the Secretary General, as appropriate. • 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. • 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. • Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks; clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities. • 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

An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in administration, international affairs, social or natural sciences or related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

Over fifteen years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian assistance, emergency preparedness, disaster or crisis management, or related area is required. Experience in managing complex operational responses and field coordination in emergencies, including advising senior leadership on operational contexts, is required. At least seven (7) years of senior management experience at the international level, including leading and managing large cross-functional teams comprised of persons from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds, and complex financial and human resources, is required. Experience in strategic operational response, and implementing system-wide initiatives, including leading reform or transformation efforts, is required. At least five (5) years of experience at the international level with the United Nations organization, or other comparable international organization is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. French is desirable. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

English

UN Level III

Desirable Languages

Language

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

French

UN Level III

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover letter. For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 30 November 2025, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola,Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Germany, San Marino, Russian Federation. 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. Applicants who have reached the mandatory age of separation are not eligible to apply for job openings. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised.

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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile 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. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. 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.

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