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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, A safe home

The East and Southern African region is subject to an increasing number of emergencies in recent years, including climate shocks, armed conflict and displacement, public health emergencies. The increased number of emergencies and their complexity (mostly multi-hazard crises and often protracted) increase the responsibility of the HARP (Humanitarian Action Resilience and Peacebuilding) section to ensure that all the 21 country offices in the region have robust preparedness and response capacity to ensure timely and effective coordination and response to emergencies.

Under the guidance of the Regional Emergency Advisor, the Emergency Specialist will work as part of the Humanitarian Action, Resilience and Peacebuilding (HARP) section to provide technical assistance to UNICEF country offices in emergency preparedness and response in the East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR), as well as coordinating regional level, multi-sectoral emergency support across the Regional Office. Under the guidance of the REA, the incumbent will also provide support to RO senior management on emergency and humanitarian related meetings, interventions, policy documents and decisions.

How can you make a difference? 

The position is responsible for ensuring that multi-country emergency preparedness and response is well supported and coordinated by ESARO, especially in the Horn of Africa and Great Lakes. Under the supervision of the Regional Emergency Adviser, the Emergency Specialist supports the coordination, planning, implementation and monitoring of emergency preparedness and response in the region. This includes capacity building and technical assistance to strengthen country offices’ ability to prepare for and respond to emergencies, increasingly in complex and high threat environments or areas prone to climatic shocks and public health emergencies. Upon request, the Specialist will provide direct surge support to COs.

The incumbent will provide advice across the Regional Office and COs to strengthen principled humanitarian action, humanitarian response strategies - including improved access, humanitarian advocacy, comms and fundraising, emergency preparedness, anticipatory action and risk informed programming and prevention and mitigation of aid diversion.

S/he will also support the Regional Emergency Adviser in the overall management and work of the HARP section.

Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primary, shared, or contributory accountabilities for the following duties and key end-results.

1. Provide high quality risk analysis on emerging risks and crises to support timely preparedness and contingency planning
2. Provide technical advice to Country Offices to enhance their capacity for emergency preparedness and response guided by the Core Commitments for Children.
3. Provide technical advice to Country Offices on principled and risk informed humanitarian programming including on aid diversion mitigation.
4. Provide technical advice and quality assurance to Country Offices on planning, monitoring, and reporting for Humanitarian Action including:
• The development of Inter-Agency Strategic Response Plans and Country and Regional chapters of the Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) report.
• Regular reporting of UNICEF Country Offices using the Humanitarian Performance, Management System (HPMS) and regular Situation Reports (SITREPs).
5. Provide regular updates to the Regional Office Emergency Technical Teams on situation developments in the sub-region and identify critical gaps or needs in the humanitarian response where coordinated RO support is needed.

• • Ensure that timely and priority operational and programmatic support is provided by ESARO to designated Country Offices affected by emergencies by notably mobilizing, coordinating, and deploying technical support to COs to respond to short-term surges in demand.

6. Supports the Regional Advisor Emergency, to manage L2 and L3 Emergency Management Team (EMT) meetings, with a focus on the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa, as well as support to other senior level emergency related meetings/briefings.
7. Under the supervisor’s guidance and oversight, interact with other UN agencies, NGOs, regional bodies and other partners to contribute to inter-agency response and strategies and ensure UNICEF’s position is represented.
8. Contribute to strengthening humanitarian advocacy for greater humanitarian access and the timely and quality provision of assistance and protection for children and communities. Build CO’s capacities to develop access strategies and approaches for hard to reach areas in line with the CCCs.
9. Prepares inputs for appeals and updates related to emergencies as well as project proposals. Works with Partnerships and Comms to enhance visibility and mobilize humanitarian funding for crises in the region.
10. Overview of allocation, utilization and reporting of regional emergency flexible funds and grants across the COs (GHTF).                         

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: 

• Advanced University degree in relevant fields such as social sciences, public administration, law, public health, nutrition, international relations, business administration.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in complex and high threat emergency management, programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration.
• Country Office /Field work experience and work in complex emergency setting is required.

Skills:

• Specialized training/experience in emergency preparedness and response management is required.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. French is an asset.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience.

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 

(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people 

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.

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.

Eligible staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent contracts applying to IP TA positions in a duty station designated as L2/L3, may be able to retain a lien and their fixed-term entitlements, subject to approval by their Head of Office. The conditions of the temporary assignment will vary depending on the status of their post and relocation entitlements may be limited as per the relevant policies.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.