Early Warning Expert to SADC-SHOC at United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

Specifically, the consultant will support the SHOC multi-hazard situation room at Nacala in:

• the day-to-day operations of the situation room in its multi-hazard forecasting and early warning system,
• integrating the SADC situation room with the Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Action Systems (AMHEWAS) and AUC situation room,
• capacity development and training on impact-based multi-hazard early warning, early and anticipatory action and management and application of risk information to staff of the SHOC and disaster management, meteorological and hydrometeorological institutions of SADC Member States,
• development of the legal/institutional frameworks and standard operating procedures for the SHOC, including on transboundary data sharing arrangements, among others,
• design the regional multi-hazard early warning bulletin in consultation with other the relevant bodies and the provision of bulletins and advisories to SADC member states, including through co-production and regional adjustment of the Continental Watch bulletin,
• diversifying the hazards covered and early warning advisory products produced by the SHOC situation room,
• participate in coordination and technical meetings with the other continental and regional situation rooms,
• other duties to support the operations of the SHOC situation room, as required.

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Disaster Risk Management, Geography, Hydrology or other relevant fields is required.
• A first-level university degree in any of these fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Five (5) years of experience at the national or international level in the implementation or other relevant programmes/projects of Disaster Risk Reduction is required.
• Experience in managing early warning or disaster operations projects and working in Africa at regional or national level on Disaster Risk Reduction/Management (DRR/M) is required.
• Experience in forecasting, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Early Warning Systems (EWS) is desirable Experience in coordinating/implementing early action or anticipatory action programmes is desirable.
• Experience in management of emergency information, for the generation of Early Warning (EW) messages is desirable.