Position Title: Chief of the Joint Operations Centre
Receiving Agency: GSFS Haiti
P Level: P5
Location: Port au Prince, Haiti
Duration: 18 months (until Sep, 2027)
Language: English is required. French fluency is highly desirable. 

Background

On 30 September 2025, the United Nations Security Council authorized, in resolution 2793 (UNSCR 2793), Member States to transition the deployed Multinational Security Support (MSS) in Haiti to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), in close cooperation and coordination with the Government of Haiti, for an initial period of twelve months. The GSF mandate includes multiple tasks, including to conduct intelligence-led targeted, counter-gang operations to neutralize, isolate, and deter gangs that continue to threaten the civilian population, abuse human rights and undermine Haitian institutions.

The United Nations Secretary-General is authorized to establish a UN Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH) to provide comprehensive logistical and operational support to the GSF and to the Haitian National police (HNP) and the Haitian armed forces on any joint operations with the GSF. UNSOH will also provide technical support, through voluntary funding contributions, to the Organization of American States (OAS) SECURE-Haiti project and will provide standard United Nations mission support services to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).

The Standing Group of Partners (SGP) has the role of providing, in consultation with the Government of Haiti, high-level strategic direction, oversight, and relevant political decision-making for the GSF as appropriate. The SGP is overall responsible for (a) securing voluntary financial contributions for GSF personnel costs reimbursements; (b) facilitating force (military and police) generation; and (c) providing high level strategic representation and coordination for the GSF.

The SGP shall appoint a Special Representative (SR) who, as in-country head of the GSF, will report to the SGP and provide strategic oversight, representation and coordination for the GSF. The SGP appointed GSF Force Commander shall report to the SR and is responsible for operational command and day-to-day operational decision-making for the uniformed components of the GSF.

The SR is supported by an Office of the SR (the civilian component of the GSF)

Career Experience

The Chief of the Joint Operations Center (CJOC) shall have:

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in peacekeeping, military operations, intelligence work or related field. A minimum of two years of related experience in a stabilization or peacekeeping operation is required. A proven track record of operations leadership in multi-cultural settings, including management and coordination of multi-disciplinary teams, is required. Experience managing a joint operations centre/situation centre, particularly relevant operations experience in information collection, management and presentation to senior leaders is desirable. An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, international relations, foreign affairs, law or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Formal training in the conduct of operations at the operational and strategic levels and graduate of a military or government staff college would be an advantage.

Languages

Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Fluency in French is highly desirable.

Responsibilities of the Chief of the Joint Operations Center

The Chief of the Joint Operations Center (CJOC) is based in Port-au-Prince and shall be responsible to the SR, through the Chief of Staff (CoS), for ensuring the integration of uniformed and civilian effort and the effective functioning of the Joint Operations Center (JOC) as the communications, information and crisis management focal point for the entire GSF area of operations on a 24/7 basis. The CJOC will to this end, in partnership with the GSF Force HQ J-3, will manage a joint staff of civilian, military and police personnel, situated in the Force Headquarters, that monitors all GSF operations providing situational awareness through integrated reporting on current operations. In particular the CJOC will:

• Manage and coordinate the work of the Joint Operations Centre (JOC), including preparing, implementing and monitoring the JOC work plan and managing the JOC staff comprised of an integrated team with a range of expertise (such as political affairs, civil affairs, human rights, military, police, and security). Management responsibilities will include the recruitment and selection of JOC staff, development of a roster of coverage for the JOC, and the development and promulgation of standard operating procedures for the work of the JOC.
• Ensure the accuracy, consistency and quality of JOC products and performance. The CJOC ensures that the GSF leadership has a common situational overview and prepares the mission's integrated daily and weekly situation reports for approval by the SR and transmittal to the SGP; timely production of Significant Incident Reports ('Flash Reports') and exceptional ad hoc reports on current operations; and that the JOC maintains appropriate databases of submitted reports for ready access by appropriate GSF components.
• Manage the day-to-day functioning of the JOC and its relations with other GSF components, particularly the Force HQ J3 Operations branch, and the processing and timely dissemination of operations reports. He/she provides briefings on current operations to senior GSF staff and visiting delegations, maintains contact with heads of GSF units and components to indicate, and respond to, needs that may arise within the mission.
• In crisis situations, the CJOC also manages the crisis management centre for the SR and other members of the GSF core Crisis Management Team, providing them with an effective and uninterrupted channel of communication, reporting and information management.

The CJOC shall during GSF start-up and thereafter continue to be responsible for the following tasks:

• Produce the JOC work plan, in consultation with Force HQ J-3, for approval by the CoS.
• At the direction of the CoS, overseeing the recruitment of civilian members of the JOC.
• Provide Unit data and function related information as requested to inform the GSF budget submission and review process.
• Ensure effective reporting lines are agreed to, either directly to the SR, or through CoS, with concurrence from the Force Commander.
• Obtain SR and Force Commander approval, through the CoS, for all JOC procedures and activities that serve GSF-wide mission management arrangements, plans and procedures.
• Work with UNSOH to secure necessary, dedicated infrastructure and communications capacity, including secure communications, a situation report (SitRep) transmission system and electronic mission phonebook within the Office of the SR, the Force HQ and the military and police components.
• Working with the Force Commander, ensure the JOC is established with participation from the military and police components and functioning with the Force HQ under a clear chain of command.
• Ensure reliable, secure communications and processes are established with the Joint Intelligence Analysis Unit, the Security Adviser, the Force Commander or the designated Force Headquarters operations management focal point, UNSOH and BINUH.
• Working with the Force Commander, ensure essential coordination arrangements and standard operating procedures (SOPs) are developed between Force HQ, the Security Adviser, the Deputy CoS, the Chief of the Political Affairs Unit, other relevant senior members of the Office of the SR and UNSOH to obtain timely reporting for inclusion in mission-wide situation reporting.
• Working with UNSOH, ensure JOC internal working procedures (e.g. logbook and contacts management procedures) and equipment (e.g. multiple forms of communications equipment, information boards) are in place.
• Assist with necessary integration arrangements and SOPs developed by the Security Adviser and the Force Headquarters.
• Ensure contact procedures for managing a crisis are confirmed between the JOC and Front Office of the SR, the Front Office of the CoS, the Force Commander, the Deputy CoS, the Security Adviser, and the GSF members designated to participate in GSF crisis management activities, including external contact procedures with the SGP members, BINUH and UNSOH leadership, and the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in Haiti.
• Develop early plans for contingency planning, training, rehearsals and exercises, including regular simulations to ensure the SR, Force Commander and designated GSF crisis management mechanism members are prepared for possible crisis situations.
• In consultation with the Security Adviser and Force Commander, undertake a crisis management exercise or simulation soon after GSF start-up and before achievement of Initial Operational Capability (IOC), that will bring together all the GSF leadership, designated GSF members and GSF partners to participate in a “dry run” for a crisis.
• Ensure the function of the JOC and the Security Adviser are interoperable, with a clear separation of duties.
• Ensure the JOC maintains the capacity to expand to include GSF entities or GSF partners, as well as to host mission-wide crisis management teams as needed.
• Ensure that a briefing or presentation on the JOC is part of induction for newly arriving GSF staff.
• Ensure the JOC collates all-source reports, undertakes preliminary analysis to support senior management decision-making, providing a GSF internal periodic (possibly daily) mission briefing, including SitReps, to the SR, Force Commander, CoS and designated senior and mid-level managers across the GSF. Also providing internal significant Incident reports ('Flash Reports'), as well as exceptional ‘ad hoc’ reports on current operations.
• Provide an integrated daily and/or weekly ‘GSF SitRep’ for approval by the SR, through the CoS, for transmission to SGP members and GSF partners as appropriate.
• Provide briefings on current GSF operations to senior GSF staff members and visiting high level officials from SGP members, GSF troop and police contributing countries delegations, the OAS and the United Nations system.
• Oversee the coordination of ‘Requests for Information’ (RFI) between the JOC, other civilian and uniformed entities across the GSF while ensuring an appropriate level of confidentiality for GSF operations.
• Ensure handover notes are produced by JOC members to ensure institutional knowledge is passed from outgoing to incoming staff.

The Chief of the Joint Operations Center may be requested by the CoS to perform other duties, as required.




CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.