National Professional Officers are employed for functions in UNMIS which by their very nature require national knowledge and experience and so could not be carried out as effectively by international professionals

Duties and Responsibilities:

The UN Mission in Sudan is to 'facilitate and coordinate, within its capabilities and in its areas of deployment, the voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons. To effectively carry out this function, UNMIS has created the Return, Reintegration and Recovery Section. To this end the Information Officer performs the following duties

• Strengthen reporting capacity of the RRR Section;
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all key partners, including representatives of national and sub-national governments, UN Agencies, donors and local and international NGOs to facilitate and maximise the exchange of information between partners in-country;
• Participate in information related working groups to promote information sharing;
• Gather information from multiple sources to prepare regular and ad hoc reporting products in various formats (hard-copy, digital and web-compatible);
• Help develop a common reporting format ('look and feel') to RRR information products.
• Any other duties as may be requested by the Director, RRR Section and local supervisors.

Competencies:

• Professionalism - Advanced knowledge of the use of information management to improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance; ability to analyse and articulate the information management requirements of complex situations requiring a coordinated UN response; demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to use sound judgment to ensure the effective and timely completion of complex tasks; ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g. civil strife, natural disasters and
  human misery); very good knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines pertaining to humanitarian affairs and sound knowledge of the institutions of the UN system;
• Empowering Others - Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work; Encourages others to set challenging goals; Holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility.
• Client Orientation - Considers all those to whom services are provided to be 'clients' and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients; environments to keep informed and anticipate problems; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to clients.
• Commitment to Continuous Learning - Willingness to keep abreast of new developments in the field.
• Communications - Excellent communication (spoken and written) skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations to staff at senior levels, both orally and in writing, in a clear, concise style.
• Planning & Organizing - Ability to coordinate the work of others, work to tight deadlines and handle multiple concurrent projects/activities.
• Technology Awareness - Fully proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications, e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, internal databases, Internet, etc.
• Teamwork - Excellent interpersonal skills, including ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Qualifications:

• Education: Advanced degree in social sciences or a related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience in a related area.
• Experience: 3-5 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in journalism, reporting, humanitarian affairs, disaster management or a related field. Advanced practical knowledge of writing/publishing software Experience working in a writing/reporting function, preferably for an operational UN Agency or NGO; Extensive knowledge of issues related to displacement; Demonstrated ability to successfully function under difficult living conditions;
• Language: Fluency in English and Arabic. Knowledge of other languages spoken in Sudan an advantage.