Major functions summary

ACT Alliance has recently proposed a revision to its Humanitarian Response Mechanism, which will require a significant overhaul of existing tools and policies. The Humanitarian Officer will be responsible for ensuring the creation of these tools and policies, as well as manage the implementation of the reform of the mechanism, including training, pilot phase and evaluation and full implementation at both the Secretariat-level (Geneva and Regions) as well as across the forums. In line with the key ambitions of ACT Alliance, the revised mechanism places a specific importance on the role of local and national responders to communities in humanitarian crises and emergency relief responses.

The position will work closely with the Secretariat regional teams, ACT Alliance forums at the country-level, as well as with the ACT Alliance Humanitarian Policy and Practice Advisory Group, a group made up of experienced humanitarian professionals from across the Alliance. The position will be line managed by the Global Humanitarian Coordinator.

Duties and responsibilities

• Supports the Global Humanitarian Coordinator by leading the development of the new Humanitarian Response Mechanism, including networking with other humanitarian agencies, donors and relevant UN agencies to understand best practices for emergency response
• Develops and manages timeline and implementation plan
• Ensures creation of relevant tools, policies and frameworks related to the Humanitarian Mechanism
• Ensures inclusion of the perspectives of ACT members and forums and ACT secretariat staff on policies and procedures relevant to humanitarian response and dissemination to the same
• Trains and advises ACT members and forums and ACT humanitarian staff in the regions in the implementation of the revised mechanism
• Ensure regular reporting to the Global Humanitarian Coordinator, the Core Management Team, as well as the ACT Alliance Governing Board on the development and implementation of the revised Humanitarian Mechanism

Competences and behaviours

• Committed to the values of the ACT Alliance and takes pride in delivering on agreed priorities according to the highest standards individually and as part of a global team
• Proactively finds innovative and creative solutions, is efficient and reliable, adapts to change and uncertainty, is decisive and acts with integrity
• Builds effective internal and external relationships, involves others when solving problems and treats others with consideration and respect in an alliance where faith is a key ingredient of people’s lives
• Passion for building and developing core skills for the role and contributes knowledge outside of immediate own role
• Effectively motivates, influences and develops others, drives high performance, inspires people to follow them and acts as a role model

Working relationships

• Reports to Global Humanitarian Coordinator
• Liaises with Humanitarian Policy and Practice Advisory Group
• Engages with forums, Secretariat regional teams
• Supports the Secretariat regional teams and forums

Qualifications, skills and experience

• At least five years of humanitarian or emergency response experience (preferably a combination of field and HQ programme management experience)
• Excellent knowledge of humanitarian issues, humanitarian principles and standards, major global actors and humanitarian coordination mechanisms
• Good knowledge of major back donor requirements for funding, or a willingness to seek out the relevant information
• Ability to work flexibly and independently in a networked working environment
• Excellent writing skills and an ability to communicate clearly and respectfully; superior time management and organisational skills
• Excellent knowledge of English language, working knowledge of French or Spanish an asset

Other

• This is a 2 year contract
• Some travel required, up to a maximum of 20% (primarily to Regional Secretariat offices)

About ACT Alliance

ACT Alliance is a coalition of more than 140 churches and faith-based organisations (FBO’s) working together in over 100 countries to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality. ACT Alliance is supported by 25,000 staff from member organisations and mobilises about $1.5 billion for its work each year in three targeted areas: humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy. ACT Alliance is deeply rooted in the communities it serves. It has earned the trust and respect of local people long before large international interventions scale up, and remains steadfast in its grassroots commitments for many years after world attention has shifted elsewhere. For more details about the general work of ACT, please click on this link: https://actalliance.org/

How to apply

Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and a cover letter, in English and by email only, to recruitment@actalliance.org by Friday 08 January 2016. Please put “Humanitarian Officer” in the subject line.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

This is a local hire, and only candidates with a valid Swiss working permit will be considered.