International Humanitarian Consultant Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Cluster Transition based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (For non-Ethiopian nationals only)

The main goal of the consultancy is to ensure timely, effective, and coordinated humanitarian action in Ethiopia by enhancing emergency preparedness systems, supporting the transition of cluster coordination mechanisms, and facilitating safe and well-planned IDP returns.

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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to access 

Ethiopia is situated in the Horn of Africa and is the second most populous country on the continent with an estimated population of 115 million. It borders six African countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, and covers 1,104,300 square kilometers. Approximately 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient cultures with Middle Eastern and African cultures evident in the religious, ethnic, and language composition of its people.

Over the past couple of years, children and their families across Ethiopia faced multiple and complex emergencies, such as the conflict in the northern Ethiopia and the drought, which resulted in millions of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. UNICEF has programmes in Child Protection, WASH, Health, Nutrition, Social Policy, and Education and serves over 15 million children in Ethiopia. Join UNICEF Ethiopia to contribute to improving the lives of children and women.

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Join our team to provide specialized, time-bound technical support to strengthen UNICEF Ethiopia’s emergency preparedness, anticipatory action, and humanitarian response capacities. Under the supervision of the Chief of Emergency and Field Operations, the consultant will lead the cluster simplification and transition process, enhance preparedness tools such as the EPP and ERP, and support coordination and analysis for IDP return operations in Tigray. This assignment fills a critical technical gap that cannot be covered by existing staff and ensures timely, coordinated, and evidence-based humanitarian action across sectors.

Scope of Work:

A) Goal and Objective

Supervision: Under the supervision of the Chief of Emergency and field Operations Unit, the consultant will provide technical leadership and operational support to strengthen UNICEF Ethiopia’s emergency preparedness, anticipatory action, and response capacities, as well as to support the coordination of IDP return processes in Tigray.

Goal: The main goal of the consultancy is to ensure timely, effective, and coordinated humanitarian action in Ethiopia by enhancing emergency preparedness systems, supporting the transition of cluster coordination mechanisms, and facilitating safe and well-planned IDP returns.

Objectives: 

1.Lead cluster simplification, transition, and exit planning, ensuring a smooth handover to sector-led coordination.

2.Strengthen emergency preparedness, anticipatory action, and rapid response capacities at national and sub-national levels.

3.Support high-quality reporting, data management, and situational analysis to inform operational decisions.

4.Assist in planning, coordination, and technical support for IDP return operations in Tigray.

B) Link to AWP / IR Areas

This assignment directly supports the Ethiopia Country Office Annual Work Plan (AWP) under the following areas:

1. Emergency Preparedness and Response: strengthening early warning, contingency planning, and rapid deployment capacities 
2. Cluster Coordination and Transition: supporting cluster simplification, exit planning, and sectoral handover.
3. IDP Returns and Durable Solutions: facilitating safe, coordinated, and multi-sectoral return processes.

The consultancy complements ongoing UNICEF work and ensures alignment with broader humanitarian coordination, inter-agency frameworks, and national priorities.

Note:

• Applications submitted without a fee rate will not be considered.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree (Masters’ or higher) in one of the following fields is required: Public Health, Social Sciences, Emergency, Disaster Management, Sanitary Engineering or another relevant technical field. Preferably a combination of management, administration, and relevant technical fields.  

*A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

• Work Experience: At least [8] years of relevant work experience at international and national levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration. 
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and a second UN language; Local working language of the duty station is an asset.

Desirables:

[Include the position desirables, including complementary education, additional experience, additional language, specific skills, etc]

• Specialized training/experience in resilience/nexus /durable solutions and public health emergencies’ programme management highly desirable.
• Knowledge of development and humanitarian issues, strategies, as well as programming policies and procedures in international development cooperation.
• Prior experience in a similar role is highly desirable.
•  
  Excellent interpersonal, internal, and external communication, coordination capabilities, and excellent team building and leading, and programme management skills
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. (This criteria is essential as a desirable and should be included in all job postings.)

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 

[add the 8^th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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 is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates and persons with disability 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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

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.