OPSCEN Emergency Officer, P-2, EMOPS NYHQ #103033

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

How can you make a difference? 

The OPSCEN Emergency Officer reports to the OPSCEN Manager and oversees and supports the OPSCEN watch function. The watch function includes monitoring emergency-related developments, communicating critical events through real-time alerts and media monitoring reports, providing real-time support to staff around the world, and supporting NYHQ business continuity.  In order to support 24/7 operations, the OPSCEN Emergency Officer will be required to work rotating shifts, including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.

Oversee the OPSCEN Watch Function

• Manage and supervise the OPSCEN Watch Staff and Administrative Assistant.
• Develop and manage a monthly schedule to ensure 24/7 coverage of OPSCEN.         
• Develop, monitor and periodically review OPSCEN’s operating procedures.
• Ensure effective use of technology and operational systems to enable day-to-day and emergency telecommunications and services.
• Ensure that OPSCEN back-up locations in NY and Geneva are prepared to assume functions when main location is not tenable.
• Supervise the monitoring of global humanitarian emergencies, political events and security–related incidents.
• Quality assurance of OPSCEN watch products, particularly alerts and media monitoring.
• Provide training to new OPSCEN team members.
• Provide briefings and presentations on OPSCEN to visiting colleagues, donors, VIPs, student groups and UNICEF National Committees.

Provide UNICEF staff globally with 24/7 emergency information and communication services.

• Provide 24/7 emergency assistance to UNICEF staff globally through immediate advice, follow-up and/or referral.
• Facilitate emergency-related conference calls and videoconferences.
• Bilateral calls are facilitated for senior managers.
• Maintain global staff contact database, Headquarter (HQ), Regional Office (RO) and Country Office (CO) staffing lists.
• EMOPs distribution lists are organized by function, responsibility and location.
• Review, distribute and archive information from COs, ROs and HQs, including situation reports, updates and appeals, etc.

Issue real-time alerts and/or daily media monitoring reports to update key staff on critical humanitarian and/or security developments globally

• Monitor global events with potential humanitarian implications for children and/or security implications for UNICEF staff.
• Disseminate alerts and advisories to key staff at CO, RO and HQ levels;
• Create and disseminate daily media monitoring reports
• Following a critical security incident, establish location and status of UNICEF staff and dependents and ensure immediate follow-up by UNICEF security staff.

Develop robust business continuity systems to ensure that OPSCEN remains operational in the event of a critical incident affecting NYHQ

• Create effective and up-to-date business continuity SOPs.
• Ensure OPSCEN remains functional in the event of a serious incident in New York through implementation of OPSCEN’s business continuity plan.
• Provide training to OPSCEN’s back-up team and support monthly operational handovers.
• Disseminate messages to NYHQ staff by SMS concerning security incidents and weather events affecting NYHQ.

Qualification of Successful Candidate

• Education: Master’s degree in a related field or a bachelor’s degree with additional work experience.
• Work Experience:  Candidates with a Master’s degree must have at least three years of humanitarian-related work experience. Those with a Bachelor’s must have at least five years’ humanitarian-related work experience.
• Language Proficiency:  Fluency in English required; proficiency in another UN language highly desirable.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Our core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

This position is classified as “rotational” which means the incumbent is expected to rotate to another duty station upon completion of their tour of duty.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

Remarks

* The successful candidate for this emergency recruitment MUST be available to commence work within 31 days of receiving an offer.

* Employment is conditional upon receipt of medical clearance, any clearance required, the grant of a visa, and completion of any other pre-employment criteria that UNICEF may establish. Candidates may not be further considered or offers of employment may be withdrawn if these conditions are unlikely to be met before the date for commencement of service.