Background

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Mozambique plays a critical role in ensuring effective and principled humanitarian action for people affected by crises. The Field Coordination Unit supports OCHA’s mandate by strengthening inclusive localization approaches, facilitating effective coordination, and enhancing preparedness and response capacities in humanitarian hotspots. Key priorities of the Unit include enabling field-level coordination mechanisms, supporting evidence-based decision-making through assessments and analysis, and strengthening partnerships with national and local actors to ensure timely, efficient, and inclusive humanitarian assistance delivery.

The Field Humanitarian Associate position is situated within this Unit and contributes directly to its strategic direction. The incumbent is expected to align their work with the Unit’s priorities of advancing localization, strengthening coordination at the district level, and promoting integrated responses across humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding actors. By supporting information gathering, liaison with authorities and partners, and local capacity-building initiatives, the position ensures that OCHA Mozambique’s coordination objectives are translated into tangible results at the community level.

The Field Humanitarian Associate serves as a key focal point for supporting humanitarian coordination and response efforts in Mueda, Muidumbe, Mocímboa da Praia, and Nangade. The role contributes to OCHA’s mandate by facilitating inclusive coordination mechanisms, gathering and analyzing data on humanitarian needs, liaising with local authorities and partners, and supporting engagement with local NGOs as part of the Humanitarian Reset agenda. Positioned at the frontline of operations, the incumbent ensures that OCHA’s strategic priorities are effectively implemented in the field, strengthening humanitarian access, operational effectiveness, and the overall impact of response interventions.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.) Monitor and analyze humanitarian context and emerging risks.

  • Collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data on humanitarian, social, and political factors.
  • Prepare regular situation updates and reports on the humanitarian situation in assigned districts.

2.) Actively support needs assessments and information gathering.

  • Organize and participate in rapid assessments and monitoring field visits.
  • Gather and verify information on the needs of IDPs, host communities, and returnees.

3.) Facilitate field-level coordination and partnerships.

  • Maintain regular liaison with district authorities, humanitarian agencies, NGOs, and other actors.
  • Convene and facilitate coordination meetings, prepare information packs, and record minutes.

4.) Strengthen local engagement and capacity-building.

  • Support the Humanitarian Reset by engaging with local NGOs and conducting orientation sessions on humanitarian principles.
  • Map local NGO presence and capacities and facilitate access to learning opportunities.

5.) Support information management and reporting.

  • Draft and disseminate meeting minutes, talking points, snapshots, and field visit reports.
  • Maintain updated contact lists and operational mapping of humanitarian actors in the area.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results - LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.

Think Innovatively - LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements. 

Learn Continuously - LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility - LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible. 

Act with Determination - LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner - LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion - LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination. 

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

Business Management - Project Management

  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Business Management - Customer Satisfaction/Client Management

  • Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. 
  • Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
  • Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. 
  • Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Development - Knowledge Generation

  • Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need

Business Management - Risk Management

  • Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks

Business Management - Results-based Management

  • Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results.

Finance - Budget Management

  • Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets.

2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness – Effectiveness

  • Project Quality Assurance

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Completion of Secondary education. Or
  • A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Political or Social Sciences, Law, International Studies, Public Administration, or other related field will be given due consideration but it’s not a requirement. 

Experience:

  • Minimum of 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management and/or coordination, including 1 year in field operations in crisis-affected contexts is required. 
  • Proven knowledge of humanitarian coordination mechanisms, principles, and approaches, with experience engaging local authorities, NGOs, and affected communities is desired.
  • Proven skills in data collection, analysis, and reporting, with ability to prepare accurate and timely situation updates, profiles, and briefing materials is required.
  • Strong communication, liaison, and facilitation abilities, including experience in convening coordination meetings and building effective partnerships is required. 
  • Technical proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and ability to manage contact databases and operational mapping tools is required. 

Language Requirements 

  •  Fluency in Portuguese and English (required); 
  • Knowledge of local languages such as Kiswahili, Makonde, Mwani, and Makua (desirable).

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNOCHA values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNOCHA is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNOCHA does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Probation

For all new UNOCHA fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNOCHA under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNOCHA reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNOCHA at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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