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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, [insert tagline]

UNICEF Benin launched its fifth country programme 2024-2026 on 1 January 2024. While this programme supports policies, strategies and systems for a child-friendly environment at national level, it coordinates interventions in a convergent manner in the four departments chosen on the basis of the deprivations suffered by children and supports emergency preparedness and response.

Since 2019, the spillover of violence from the Sahel countries has started to affect the vulnerability of children and their families in Northern Benin. More than 20 attacks against security forces and park rangers took place since the end of 2021. This security context, coupled with growing food insecurity, highlights the precarious and fragile environment for children and their families, that, if not addressed, makes the appeal of non-state armed groups an alternative coping mechanism. In a country where 65 per cent of the population is under 25 and three in four youth are underemployed, this exposes youth, and girls in particular, to higher risk of school dropout, exploitation, abuse and other forms of violence.

To reinforce prevention mechanisms and strengthen community resilience, UNICEF and its partners are providing a holistic package of interventions, services and care for children and their families in the field of education, health, nutrition and child protection including cash transfers for vulnerable families, life-skills education on social cohesion, construction of WASH infrastructures, socioeconomic integration for unemployed youth, and support to local authorities to develop emergency preparation and response plans. UNICEF’s approach is twofold: strengthening community resilience and ensuring basic service continuity delivery in areas of high vulnerability.

How can you make a difference? 

Under the guidance and supervision of the Deputy Representative, establishes and implements country office emergency preparedness and response. Responsible for the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the emergency and resilience interventions to ensure the survival and well-being of children and mothers, and the affected communities in an emergency situation.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities: 

1. Emergency Preparedness
2. Emergency Response
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
4. Networking and partnership building
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
6. Support the coordination of actions/initiatives on resilience and social cohesion.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  ToR emergency officerCotonouBenin_reviewedAR (002).doc

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

[Include the vacancy requirements aligned to the category and level of the position. You can see examples in the branded VA example.]

• Education:University degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, public administration, international law, public health, nutrition, international relations, business administration or other related disciplines. Preferably a combination of management, administration, and relevant technical fields..

• Work Experience: A minimum of two years of professional experience in a developing country in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and administration.

   Experience in emergency programme implementation.

  Experience in a UN system agency or organization is an asset

• Skills (optional): [Insert technical and non-technical skills]. 
• Language Requirements: Fluency in French. Working knowledge of English required

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency. [

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

[add the 8^th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.