Operations Senior Officer - Quality Assurance (National EHM Operations Senior Officer)

Peace and Security Cluster

Background Information – UNMAS

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) was established in 1997. UNMAS leads, coordinates and implements mine action under United Nations legislative mandates of both the General Assembly and the Security Council. UNMAS supports the UN's vision of "a world free from the threat of mines,

explosive remnants of war (ERW) including cluster munitions, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), where individuals and communities live in a safe environment conducive to sustainable peace and development where no one is left behind, where the human rights and the needs of victims are met and where they are fully integrated as equal members of their societies."

UNMAS is a unit within the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions (OROLSI) within the Department of Peace Operations (DPO). UNMAS operates under UN legislative mandates of both the General Assembly and the Security Council, or at the request of the UN Secretary-General or his designated official. When instructed by the Security Council or called upon by Member States, UNMAS deploys under humanitarian, peace and security mandates. UNMAS main headquarters is in the UN Secretariat, New York with a sub-office in Geneva. UNMAS provides direct support and assistance in the areas of explosive ordnance threat mitigation to 18 countries/territories/missions, has a standby rapid response capacity and global technical advisors in the field of Improvised Explosive Devices and Weapons and Ammunition Management. As an office within DPO, UNMAS supports peacekeeping and special political missions in accordance with Security Council mandates.

Background Information – UNMAS Iraq

The UNMAS Iraq programme was formally established in June 2015, at the request of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Iraq, to lead the UN efforts to mitigate explosive threats in the country, as well as to support the enhancement of national and regional mine action capacities. UNMAS supports the Government of Iraq to protect civilians from the threat of explosive ordnance and enables humanitarian, stabilization and reconstruction, and socio-economic efforts. under the UNMAS Iraq Programme Strategy focusing on three main components: 1. Capacity Enhancement; 2. Risk Education, and 3. Explosive Hazard Management.  UNMAS Iraq has offices in both Baghdad and Erbil.

Candidate with Non-UN experience are encouraged to apply!
Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply!

Under the direct supervision of the Operations Officer - Quality Assurance (Explosive Hazard Management Team Lead), the Senior National EHM Operations Officer, will be responsible for the following:

• Support in planning, coordination, and monitoring of the contracts and grants implementation under the remit of the EHM component in UNMAS, including assisting in ensuring that activities are implemented according to plan and per contractual and other requirements, including all relevant Mine Action Quality and Safety Standards;
• Facilitate in liaison with all operational actors, MA actors, and stakeholders, including the local authorities, commercial contractors, NGOs, and other UN agencies to enable EHM operations;
• Participate in field missions with supervisor to operational sites to conduct assessment, and monitoring of activities provided by the implementing partners to ensure alignment with national, international and UN Mine Action Standards;
• Support in the planning and delivery of operational clearance activities and quality assurance activities and delivery plans;
• Keep EHM Senior Operations Manager up to date by compiling daily and weekly updates, highlighting successes and challenges, and potential risks to delivery of EHM projects, activities, and operations;
• In coordination with the Information Management (IM) Team, support EHM Senior Operations Manager in conducting standard and ad-hoc IM activities and products to support project delivery;
• Facilitate the close and effective interaction and coordination of integral aspects of mine action, such as Quality Assurance (QA)/Quality Control (QC), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)/Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD) clearance operations, and Risk Education;
• Acting as one of the UNMAS focal points for Quality Management (QM), organize regular coordination meetings with stakeholders at regional level regarding matters of QMS; 
• Support in the implementation of national QA/QC management systems through Implementing Partners, ensuring that these systems are being applied in a fair and equal manner, sure that Mine Action organizations’ Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are in compliance with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and are conducting safe and effective Mine Action (MA) operations;
• Support in planning and preparing plans and briefings for upcoming deployments, including reconnaissance ahead of deployments;
• Support in planning and conducting external Quality Assurance visits/Handovers/Site visits /Investigations and/or Assessments when required;
• Support in conducting joint site verifications, External Quality Assurance (EQA) with DMA when required.
• Brief new personnel and mentor younger members of the Ops/QA/ EHM team;
• Provide suggestions to the EHM Senior Operations Manager on requirements for different tools and assets that can improve performance and productivity of MA resources on the ground;
• Produce standard and ad-hoc operational and action plans, briefings, and reports as required;
• Assist in drafting standard operating procedures;
• Monitor daily reports received from the organizations operating in Iraq;
• Support in monitoring the timely and qualitative capture of MA organizations’ QMS activity and ensure dissemination of such data to the MA stakeholders conducting operations;
• Ensure proper maintaining of all operations related documentation;

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) with a minimum of 2 years of relevant experience; or

• First level University degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent) with a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience;

• Military/police college or junior command and staff course combined with 8 years of relevant experience;

• Relevant experience is defined as experience in operations management (humanitarian or military), quality assurance and quality control process with International Mine Action Standards with (IMAS) with international organization;

• IMAS EOD Level 3 + (IEDD) or equivalent from an Internationally recognised training establishment OR Iraqi School authorised to issue this training and certification is required;

• Two years working experience in IED threat environment including experience working in the retaken areas of Iraq is required;

• Computer literacy, in particular experience of using MS Office is required;

• Knowledge of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) is desired;

Language

• Fluency in English (speaking, reading and writing) is required. 

• Fluency in Arabic (speaking, reading and writing) is required.

• Candidate with Non-UN experience are encouraged to apply. 
• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.