Job Opportunities at UNICEF

More Precisely, The Incumbent Will

• Initiate and prepare detailed situation and risk analyses of trends and possible emergencies in the Eastern and Southern African Region. Collaborate with regional office programme sections to ensure that emergency-related needs are proactively assessed, identified addressed using existing support channels at the RO and HQ levels. Provide policy and programme advice and recommendations for preparedness and anticipatory actions to the Regional Office, EMOPS, and concerned Country Offices, as well as inputs to Regional Situation Analyses and Reports, and presentations to Country Representatives at the RPMT.
• In conjunction with Country Offices, provide policy and technical guidance in the development of detailed contingency and preparedness plans and plans for operational and programmatic response in the event of emergency in ESAR countries, taking into account available resources, and including specific recommendations on actions to be taken by Country Offices, the Regional Office and HQ.
• Advise Country Office Representatives, Deputy Representatives, Emergency and Operations focal points on the incorporation and strengthening risk-informed programming approaches including emergency preparedness, resilience programmes, and activities and related operational provisions in country programmes. Monitor preparedness and emergency response elements in planning and reporting documents including Country Programme Documents, Country Programme Management Plans, and Annual, and Mid-Term Reviews.
• In conjunction with the other Regional Advisers, participate in reviews and evaluations of UNICEF emergency-related responses in the region. Support and encourage emergency-related monitoring and evaluations. Implement emergency activities-related monitoring and evaluations, including development, field testing, and application of new tools and methodologies. Participate UNICEF emergencies After Action reviews and evaluations in the region, as well as regional and global policy reviews of such responses.
• Manage the Humanitarian Action Resilience and Peacebuilding Section within the Regional Office. Develop, coordinate, implement, and monitor emergency preparedness and response procedures within the Regional Office to enable it to provide timely and priority operational and programmatic support to Country Offices and countries affected by emergencies. Advise the Regional Management Team on the management and improvement of such procedures. Provide support for staff training programmes to strengthen programming skills and familiarize staff with appropriate programmatic responses to emergency situations, including modes of interagency cooperation.
• In close collaboration with the Regional Chief of Communications, monitor and provide current information on emergency situations in the region and respond to children’s needs. Support Country Offices, Regional Offices, and HQ to develop high-level advocacy strategies.
• In collaboration with the Regional Advisor Public and private Partnerships assess priority resource needs related to different countries and areas of programmatic interventions. Ensure and advocate for mobilization of financial resources for the implementation of appropriate sectoral Emergency Preparedness and Response interventions in the Region.
• In collaboration with the Regional Adviser for Health, ensure proper support is provided to preparedness and response for public health emergencies, and encourage cross-border coordination among relevant countries and COs.
• Coordinate and represent UNICEF in building strategic regional and sub-regional alliances for coordination and cooperation in DRR, humanitarian response, and humanitarian advocacy. Consult, coordinate, and liaise with international, multi, and bilateral agencies, donors, government and inter-governmental counterparts, NGOs, and other groups to advocate for children's well-being, rights, protection, and interests on onsets of emergencies and ensure the needs of children are taken into account in the preparation and launching of inter-agency appeals
• In collaboration with Operations sections ensure surge and emergency staffing and supply items are prepositioned and ready to be allocated/deployed based on existing emergency threats and scenarios.

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

• Advanced University degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, public administration, law, public health, nutrition, international relations, business administration or other related disciplines. Preferably a combination of management, administration, and relevant technical fields.
• A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration.
• Specialized training/experience in emergency response management is required.
• Developing country work experience and familiarity with emergency is required.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is considered an asset.

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How can you make a difference?

• The position reports to the Regional Advisor, Emergency, and is responsible for ensuring that multi-country emergency preparedness and response is well supported and coordinated, especially in the Horn of Africa. The incumbent will ensure that the quality policy and program planning related to emergency preparedness and response as well as the risk-informed programming are implemented to promote resilience for countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) and the Regional Office (RO).

The Incumbent Will

• Supports the Regional Advisor, Emergency, to manage L2 and L3 Emergency Management Team (EMT) meetings, including Horn of Africa as well as Regional Director/ Deputy Regional Director (DRD) briefings.
• Provide high quality input to the development of critical analysis of emergency risk in the region.
• Provide technical advice to Country Offices on developing capacity building strategies for national partners (government at the national and sub national levels, civil society and community actors) to enhance their capacity for emergency preparedness and response guided by the Core Commitments for Children.
• Provide technical advice to Country Offices on integrating risk-informed programming to promote resilience into Programme planning processes.
• Provide technical advice and quality assurance to Country Offices and Inter-Agency Humanitarian Country Teams 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).
• Ensure that timely and priority operational and programmatic support is provided by ESARO to designated Country Offices affected by emergencies by:
  • Mobilizing, coordinating, and deploying technical support to COs to respond to short-term surges in demand
  • Mobilizing and facilitating technical advisors to support COs meet the CCCs in the framework of the UNICEF Strategic Plan.
• Ensure that COs approaches and learning on risk-informed programming to promote resilience are documented, packaged, and shared to promote evidence-based approaches in the region.
• Overview of the budget and financing management of HARP section as well as allocation and reporting of regional funds and grants across the CO (GHTF, FCDO, HIP).

Multi-country emergency preparedness and response is well supported and coordinated, especially in the Horn of Africa. Oversight of CO EPP compliance, quality review and country risk prioritization across the region.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Advanced University degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, public administration, law, public health, nutrition, international relations, business administration or other related disciplines. Preferably a combination of management, administration, and relevant technical fields.
• A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration.
• Specialized training/experience in emergency response management is required.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.