Emergency Specialist (Temporary Appointment for 364 days), UNICEF South Asia

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 future

How can you make a difference? 

• In the event of an emergency, takes prompt action as a member of the Regional Office Emergency Team, which is activated immediately to provide technical guidance and oversight to UNICEF’s CO rapid assessments, response planning and implementation. Immediately verifies the nature and extend of the emergency with country focal points, government officials, other UN agencies or local organizations and media
• Maintains regional mechanism to monitor and track country level responses to emergencies, includingnatural disasters, disease outbreaks, and conflicts. Prepares regular emergency briefs on emerging and ongoing humanitarian situation for the regional office to ensure staff are aware of response activities.
• In the event of surge deployment, participates and assists with assessment of local emergency and security situation affecting children and mothers in the locality, in conjunction with the Regional Office, the HQ Divisions, and field staff. Assesses the validity of the office preparedness plan and ability of the office vis-à-vis the current crisis as well as immediate and additional needs. Determines corporate priorities and an appropriate intervention (supply procurement, fund-raising, and staff development) by UNICEF. Coordinates with other partners to make a rapid assessment covering priority areas as defined by the Core Commitment for Children in Emergencies. Establishes contact with relevant interagency groups to keep abreast of emergency situations.

• Participates in the implementation of plans of action and workplans for emergency projects managed at the regional level. Implements and monitors regional project activities. Undertakes field visits to country offices as needed. Contributes to technical decision making on project administration (e.g., activates, requests or reprogrammes allocation of emergency funds). Prepares inputs for appeals and updates related to emergencies. Works with program sections and senior management to mobilize donor response and recovery/rehabilitation-related funding, including annual or multi-annual humanitarian appeals and documents (e.g., pitch documents). Works with Regional Advisors to mobilize donor response and recovery/rehabilitation-related funding, including annual or multi-annual humanitarian appeals and documents (e.g., pitch documents).
• Identifies longer-term requirements of the emergency operation/interventions. Proposes a more regular operational and staffing structure to optimize delivery of results for children in the region.
• Maintains continuous, effective, and strategic coordination, communication, consultation and liaison with regional platforms of UN agencies, NGOs, donors and allies to appeal for aid for children and women with special needs resulting from the emergency situation requiring an effective emergency response in all sectors. Identifies implementing/operational partners and establishes implementing arrangements.
• Participates in regional humanitarian and recovery related forum and keeps the Regional Emergency Advisor informed of all humanitarian developments in the country in terms of policies, strategy, situation developments, potential threats, and opportunities/issues in partnership.
• Promotes that disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and response strategies are mainstreamed in the country office’s workplans. Liaise with program sectors to ensure input for the country programme documents, plan of action, annual work plans, and all related documents of the office’s Emergency Preparedness and Response. Contributes towards the preparation of the Situation Analysis and the Country Programme Document.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  Emergency Specialist P3 TA – Vacancy Announcement .pdf

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

Education:

• 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.

Experience:

• Five years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in humanitarian programming, disaster management, and programme project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administrationWork experience at the international level in developing countries and/or familiarity with emergency.
• Specialized training/experience in emergency response management highly desirable.
• Strong technical skills in editing, reporting and consolidation of quality documents and reports is required.
• Demonstrated coordination skills, including cross-country is an asset. 
• Direct field experience in emergency programme planning, management or evaluation is an asset.
• Working experience in the countries of South Asia region is a strong advantage
• Relevant UN or international NGO experience is an asset.

Language requirements:

• Fluency in English and excellent written and oral communication and report writing skills in English is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Desirable Technical knowledge:

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…

• 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)

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 female candidates 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.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.