HEAD OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE UNIT

Under the overall delegated authority of the Assistant Director-General for Culture and the direct supervision of the Director of the Culture and Emergencies Entity, in close cooperation with the Secretaries to the different governing bodies of the Culture Conventions, the incumbent will be responsible for developing, planning and implementing the programme of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit, as well as enhancing and strengthening the leadership and performance of the Culture Sector in enabling Member States to provide effective response to crisis situations.

The incumbent manages and coordinates the Culture Sector's emergency preparedness and response to crisis situations, including conflict- and disaster-related situations, to ensure effective Sector capacity to provide support for effective emergency action before, during and after the crisis.

In particular, the incumbent  shall\:

• Develop, implement and monitor strategic plans and policies related to risks to cultural and natural heritage from disasters and conflicts, building on existing strategies adopted by the Governing Bodies of the Culture Conventions, and in cooperation with the Crisis Preparedness and Response Team of UNESCO and related efforts of the United Nations system, and develop, propose and implement further innovative related strategies and approaches as necessary; 
  
• Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of programmes, projects and activities including the outreach strategy related to Emergency Preparedness and Response by leading the development of institutional and technical national capacity in emergency and risk reduction, in all critical areas, providing strategic and policy advice to Member States in developing their national capacity for managing risks in emergencies/disasters in liaison and cooperation with the Culture Sector Entities and relevant partner institutions; lead training sessions on emergency preparedness, response and recovery for heritage and advise the responsible entities in the conception of culture emergency preparedness and response projects, including within Post Disaster Needs Assessments and Post Conflict Needs Assessments;
  
• Identify priority issues and ensure that these are adequately addressed in the Sector and UNESCO integrated action/intervention plan. Ensure liaison with the Crisis Preparedness and Response Team within the Field Support and Coordination Division, notably regarding strategic orientations of UNESCO's action in the field of cultural emergency preparedness and response; represent the Culture Sector in meetings and follow up on within the Sector on PCPD countries addressed;
  
• Plan and implement specific response activities for culture, including missions to post-disaster and post-conflict areas, in close coordination with the house-wide efforts of UNESCO and the overall United Nations system, including ensuring assessment of damages on cultural and natural heritage, providing guidance to Member States in preparing requests for assistance, in close collaboration with Field Offices, using existing UN related mechanisms and coordinating with partners in the implementation of mitigation and preparedness interventions and ensuring effective communication and reporting in relation to emergencies and the safeguarding of cultural and natural heritage;
  
• Develop strategic and financial partnerships related to specific disaster/crisis emergency situations; mobilize voluntary resources for emergency risk management for cultural and natural sites, in line with the priorities of the prevailing C/5 Programme and Budget and the Culture Sector's Resources Mobilisation Framework and provide supervision, guidance and advice to the Emergency Preparedness and Response team, and ensure the reporting to the Conventions' Governing Bodies and donors.
  

Education

Advanced University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in the field of Culture, Social Sciences, Development Studies, International Relations, Law, Political Science or Disaster Management.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible and relevant professional experience in emergency response and disaster risk reduction and/or in the field of cultural heritage.
• Relevant experience acquired at international level.
• Experience in designing, managing and implementing policies, programmes and projects related to emergency operations, including emergency preparedness and response to crisis situations.
• Experience in assessing, designing, implementing and monitoring activities, with a strong commitment to evidence-based, context-driven, flexible and principled programming.
• Experience in fundraising and resource mobilization.
• Experience in managing staff, tasks and budget.

Skills and competencies

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the UNESCO Secretariat. For this post, excellent knowledge of either English or French is required.