Emergency Specialist, NO3, Lusaka, Zambia, Temporary Appointment 6 months (Open to Zambian nationals only)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

UNICEF Zambia is a medium-sized Country Office, with just over 100 staff. The Country Programme 2023-2027 promotes the rights of every child and reaches the most disadvantaged children in Zambia. UNICEF works with the Government of the Republic of Zambia to improve social policies and systems, and on the ground to make sure that these systems reach all children, with a particular emphasis on the most vulnerable.

The UNICEF Programme of Cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) is designed to address and mitigate the threat of poverty the country’s children face while responding to the needs with interventions addressing the multiple causative factors.

To find out more about UNICEF’s work in Zambia, please visit https://www.unicef.org/zambia/.

For every child, Protection

The UNICEF Programme of Cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) is designed to address and mitigate the threat of poverty the country’s children face, while responding to the needs with interventions addressing the multiple causative factors.

To find out more about UNICEF’s work in Zambia, please visit https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/ZMB/SitePages/About-us(1).aspx 

How can you make a difference?

The incumbent will establish and implement country office emergency preparedness and response. Responsible for the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the emergency interventions to ensure the survival and well-being of children and mothers, and the affected communities in an emergency situation. 

Key function, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks

KEY END-RESULTS

1. Emergency preparedness is effectively arranged together with establishment of country contingency plans and early warning mechanisms. 

2. Emergency preparedness and response plans addresses gender issues that may be expected to intensify during emergencies. 

3.  Emergency plans of action are developed, and compliance and coordination of all sectors with the plans are implemented.

4.  Technical advice on emergencies and programme management related to implementation of emergency preparedness measures are effectively provided.

5. Emergency preparedness and response, and a consistent flow of information of the humanitarian situation are effectively coordinated within the office.

6. Substantive improvements are made in the emergency preparedness and response capability of UNICEF staff and implementing partners through conduct of effective training activities.

7. In the event of an emergency, UNICEF’s presence is promptly established and the initial emergency operational tasks are effectively executed, including provision of support for information communication technology, telecommunications facility and all staff security related assistance in the country office.

8. Needs assessment is effectively conducted to determine priorities and an appropriate intervention by UNICEF based on the local emergency situation affecting children, their families and community.

9. Timely delivery of assistance and supplies is provided, urgent staffing requirements are identified, and the appropriate use of UNICEF resources is monitored for effective project delivery.

10. Emergency appeals and project proposals are prepared, and concerted efforts are put forward to mobilize donor response and recovery/rehabilitation-related funding.

11. Longer-term requirements of the emergency operation/interventions are determined to build a regular operational and staffing structure.

12. Continuous, effective and strategic coordination, communication, consultation and liaison are maintained with Government, UN agencies, NGOs, donors and allies in support of the special needs of children and women affected by emergency situations within the framework of the cluster approach and based on the Core Commitment for Children.

13. Management is kept informed of humanitarian developments in relevant policies, situation developments, potential threats and opportunities/issues in the country.

14. Emergency preparedness and response strategies are mainstreamed in the country office’s workplans.  Sectoral input is provided for all related documents for the office’s Emergency Preparedness and Response, as well as for the Situation Analysis and the Country Programme Document.

Please review the details in the attached job Profile for the position:   Zambia Emergency Specialist NOC.pdf

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

• Advanced 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.
• Five years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and administration.
• Developing country work experience (for IP) or field work experience (for NO).
• Specialized training/experience in emergency response management highly desirable.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

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: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

 UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

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 benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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, therefore, 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.

Remarks:

• UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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 only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.