Chief of Strategic Prioritization and Practices Branch, D1

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Published

02 Nov 2026

Country: SwitzerlandOrganization: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsClosing date: 13 Nov 2026This position is located in the Strategic Prioritization and Practices Branch (SPPB), Humanitarian Sector Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in Geneva. OCHA is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response efforts. OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions. This temporary job opening is being advertised for the position of Chief of Strategic Prioritization and Practices Branch in Geneva. With delegated authority of the Humanitarian Sector Division Director, the Chief of Branch will be responsible for leading the reform of the humanitarian programme cycle and strengthening and streamlining humanitarian coordination in line with the Humanitarian Reset; the training of OCHA and IASC personnel; the documentation and sharing of best practice; shepherding interagency negotiations; spearheading cash coordination; enhancing humanitarian-development collaboration; and the provision of technical support to Humanitarian Coordinators, Humanitarian Country Teams and OCHA Country/Regional Offices. The Branch is responsible for the production of the Global Humanitarian Overview. The Chief of Branch will also oversee support from her/his teams to effectively contribute to the implementation of OCHA's Strategic Plan. The incumbent of this post reports to Director, Humanitarian Sector Division.ResponsibilitiesWith delegated authority, the Chief of Branch will be responsible for the following duties: MANAGEMENT/REPRESENTATION: - Streamlines the functions of the Branch to ensure cohesion and 'fit-for-purpose' structures designed to effectively implement its responsibilities under the OCHA Strategic Plan and the Humanitarian Reset. - Drives change management to implement the reform of the humanitarian programme cycle and transform humanitarian coordination in line with the Humanitarian Reset’s four ‘D’s – Define, Devolve, Deliver, Defend. - Promotes localization of humanitarian action and coordination, accountability to affected people (AAP), gender, age and disability-sensitivity, and cross-cultural responsiveness. - Fosters and strengthens collaboration and consultation with all functions of OCHA HQ and Country and Regional Offices. - Provides strategic vision and leadership on each area of the humanitarian programme cycle: coordinated needs assessment, analysis and prioritization; joint strategic response planning; resource mobilization and joint response monitoring. - Guides and coordinates the establishment of a work plan for the Branch, the determination of priorities, and the allocation of resources to ensure timely delivery of agreed outputs. - Ensures regular and effective supervision of staff, particularly by leading, managing, developing and training staff. - Fosters teamwork and communication among staff, and strengthens the linkages between staff in country operations, regional offices and headquarters offices. - Undertakes or oversees the programmatic and administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Branch, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget and programme performance, evaluation of staff performance, interviews of candidates for job openings, and evaluation of candidates. - Promotes OCHA's mandate, objectives and tools in terms of the humanitarian progamme cycle and humanitarian coordination through contacts with governments, diplomatic missions, UN entities, non-governmental organizations and the media. - Represents OCHA in the IASC in all matters related to the humanitarian programme cycle and humanitarian coordination (including cash coordination and humanitarian-development collaboration); and coordinates the development of relevant IASC policies and tools. - Leads efforts to raise awareness of the humanitarian programme cycle and humanitarian coordination (including cash coordination and humanitarian-development collaboration) and efforts to strengthen and reform these among Member States, Regional Organisations and other stakeholders. - Ensures close and regular engagement with the Development Coordination Office in support of humanitarian-development collaboration and guidance as well as leading OCHA's secretariat support to the Joint Steering Committee and OCHA’s work on transition. GUIDANCE AND COUNTRY SUPPORT: - Leads the development and maintenance of normative guidance, procedures and tools that enable Resident/Humanitarian Coordinators and Humanitarian Country teams, with the support of OCHA Country/Regional Offices, to effectively manage all aspects of the humanitarian programme cycle and the coordination architecture in-country, including relationships with development partners, to drive forward the Humanitarian Reset. - Facilitates the documentation and dissemination of best practice and drives innovation and reform around the humanitarian programme cycle and the coordination architecture, ensuring processes and tools evolve and are adaptable to different contexts, in line with the Humanitarian Reset, including with respect to localization and AAP. - Oversees and ensures coherence of efforts to strengthen the role of humanitarian coordination mechanisms in guiding humanitarian action. CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING: - Works with the Crisis Response Division and OCHA Heads of Country/Regional Offices to identify and fill technical support requirements through coordinated missions. - Oversees the development and implementation of a plan for providing comprehensive training to OCHA headquarters and country/regional presences on the humanitarian programme cycle and humanitarian coordination (including cash coordination and humanitarian-development collaboration) and using online tools and platforms to support planning and response monitoring. - Supports and complements on-going efforts by OCHA Country/Regional Offices, Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator Offices and IASC subsidiary bodies' to reach out to, partner with and build capacities within Governments, national entities, regional organisations and other stakeholders on humanitarian programme cycle components and humanitarian coordination in crisis-prone areas. CONTRIBUTION TO CORPORATE LEADERSHIP: - Contributes, as a member of OCHA's General Management Team (GMT), OCHA Management Committee and other bodies, to policy development at corporate level that enhances OCHA's overall effectiveness. - In support of the Director, Humanitarian Sector Division, OCHA Geneva, advises the ERC and other Senior Leadership Group members all issues of policy and practice related to the humanitarian programme cycle, humanitarian coordination (including cash coordination and humanitarian-development collaboration) and accountability to affected people. - Provides leadership and oversight to ensure Strategic Prioritization and Practices Branch adherence to relevant areas of OCHA's Strategic Plan and its results framework.How to applyhttps://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/287308?language=en