Civil-Military Coordination Officer - OCHA (Proactive Protection)

Short Description

NORCAP is looking for an experienced humanitarian professional to support the Access and Civil-Military Coordination (CMCoord) Unit of OCHA in Palestine. The 6-month assignment is based in Jerusalem, with some travel to Gaza and West Bank.

Description

NORCAP works to improve aid to better protect and empower people affected by crisis and climate change. We do this by providing expertise and solutions to humanitarian, development and peacebuilding partners, because we believe working together is the best way to reduce needs, risks and vulnerability over time. We seek and promote more effective ways of working at the global level and in the field. NORCAP’s aim is not only to reduce needs, but also to create choice and opportunity for vulnerable people. NORCAP works with and through our partners to improve aid in two complementary ways:

• We provide targeted expertise to strengthen our partners’ response. • We collaborate with partners to develop solutions to un‑met gaps and challenges.

This assignment is key to strengthening humanitarian access and civil-military coordination in complex, high-risk environments.

NORCAP is supporting the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Since October 2023, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated significantly, with increased access constraints, protection risks, and operational challenges across Gaza and the West Bank.

OCHA plays a central role in coordinating humanitarian action, facilitating access, and engaging with military actors to ensure safe and principled delivery of assistance.

THE ROLE

The Civil-Military Coordination Officer will support OCHA’s Access and Civil-Military Coordination Unit to strengthen humanitarian access through engagement with military actors, coordination with partners, and analysis of access constraints. Success in this role means enabling safer humanitarian operations, improving coordination mechanisms, and supporting effective negotiation and information exchange.

This position is based in Jerusalem, with some travel to Gaza or West Bank, and is offered as a 6-month assignment. The Civil-Military Coordination Officer will report to the Head of Access and Civil Military Coordination Unit.

Responsibilities

As the Civil-Military Coordination Officer, you will take on the following responsibilities:

Main Tasks and Duties to be Executed:

• Under the overall supervision of the Head of the Access and Civil Military Coordination Unit, conducts OCHA’s civil military engagement with Israeli military authorities, including participation in the Joint Coordination Board and the Civil Military Coordination Center, to support humanitarian access, and effective information exchange with the military counterparts, adapting engagement modalities in line with evolving operational dynamics.
• Supports and maintains the Humanitarian Notification System (HNS), serving as one of the designated HNS focal points. Ensures humanitarian movement notifications are processed, tracked, and followed up in accordance with established HNS Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidance, and systematically relays partner feedback to support continuous improvement of the system.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with humanitarian partners and support in trouble shooting access-related issues and incidents for negotiation. Facilitates information sharing to support humanitarian partners.
• Maintains contact and dialogue with the different military actors present in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPT) and maintains mechanisms to resolve operational issues and ensure appropriate mutual exchange of information regarding ongoing relevant activities and access constraints.
• Advises and alerts the military and forces in the oPT on the structures and dynamics of coordination with and within the international humanitarian community and the practicalities of implementation.
• Prepares, or provides regular analysis on humanitarian access and civil-military coordination matters, including on access issues through the HNS, and produces reports, snapshots, and other internal / public products.
• Advocates for humanitarian issues with relevant military organizations for facilitating humanitarian access in coordination with other OCHA entities.

Expected Outcome of the assignment:

• Effective support to the Head of Unit on HNS, Access and Civil-Military Coordination (CMCoord)-related tasks.
• High quality information analysis and production of reports related to Access that supports advocacy efforts and humanitarian operations.
• Strong relationships with relevant stakeholders, supporting negotiations and troubleshooting, including with parties to the conflict
• Run robust Civil-Military coordination mechanisms to address access and protection issues with armed actors at strategic and operational levels. Relationship with parties is established in order to negotiation and troubleshoot access-related issues.

Qualifications

To excel in this role, candidates should possess the following qualifications and skills:

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in humanitarian access, civil-military coordination, or related fields
• Solid communication and interpersonal skills
• Teamwork and flexibility in a highly fluid environment
• Ability to facilitate collaboration with offices and humanitarian partners
• Ability to plan and organise both at an individual level and across teams and partners
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
• OCHA United Nations Civil-Military Coordination : UN-CMCoord or Global Access Training would be an asset
• Capacity to train others
• Creativity to find solutions to Access and civil-military coordination challenges
• Ability to remain calm in particularly stressful and challenging situations
• Willingness to work outside regular working hours, including weekends
• Willingness to travel to the field, including to very challenging environments
• Experience in Middle East countries and Occupied Palestinian Territory in particular is desirable
• Fluency in English; Arabic or Hebrew is an asset

COMPETENCIES The main competencies of a NORCAP Expert are: • Building working relationships • Planning and organising • Adaptability • Resilience

WHAT WE OFFER In recognition of your expertise and contributions, we provide the following benefits and opportunities: • Rewarding work for a renowned global organisation • Access to a network of humanitarian, peace, and development professionals • A dedicated Staff Care Unit • Eligible for consideration for NORCAP membership and future assignments, subject to a successful performance review

OUR VALUES & COMMITMENT NORCAP is part of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

All NRC employees are expected to act in accordance with the organisation’s values. Being dedicated, innovative, inclusive, and accountable are behaviours and beliefs that guide how we work and how we build relationships. We are committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, empowered, supported, and a genuine sense of belonging.

NORCAP values diversity, equity, and inclusion and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. We believe that a diverse workforce strengthens our ability to respond effectively to the needs of people affected by crisis.

NRC has a zero-tolerance stance toward any form of exploitation or abuse, including sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH), and we do not tolerate inaction when concerns arise.

All offers are subject to reference and background checks conducted in line with our safeguarding standards, and NORCAP reserves the right to conduct a full background check on shortlisted candidates.