Emergency Specialist (Emergency Response Team Member), P-4, Fixed Term, #103046, EMOPS, New York, USA

The post is under the general supervision of the Chief HFSS, EMOPS NY, with a technical reporting line on issues pertaining to humanitarian access, space, and principles to the Humanitarian Access Policy Specialist, HPS, EMOPS NY, and is a member of the Emergency Response Team (ERT). This post will provide support to UNICEF country offices to prepare for and mobilize immediate response to new or suddenly deteriorating humanitarian situations through deployment to affected country offices. The position will support humanitarian coordination; emergency preparedness; and in the domain of humanitarian access and space, while ensuring adherence to humanitarian principles. The position may also provide remote support from HQ as needed. This will be done in consultation with Regional and Country Offices. The post requires frequent extended travel to conflict and natural disaster affected countries and extended working hours.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a Champion

The post is under the general supervision of the Chief HFSS, EMOPS NY, with a technical reporting line on issues pertaining to humanitarian access, space, and principles to the Humanitarian Access Policy Specialist, HPS, EMOPS NY, and is a member of the Emergency Response Team (ERT). 

How can you make a difference?

This post will provide support to UNICEF country offices to prepare for and mobilize immediate response to new or suddenly deteriorating humanitarian situations through deployment to affected country offices. The position will support humanitarian coordination; emergency preparedness; and in the domain of humanitarian access and space, while ensuring adherence to humanitarian principles. The position may also provide remote support from HQ as needed. This will be done in consultation with Regional and Country Offices. The post requires frequent extended travel to conflict and natural disaster affected countries and extended working hours.

The key functions of this position are ...

When deployed to a Country Office (approximately 60-75%):

• As agreed with the Representative, help represent UNICEF in discussions with inter-agency partners, donors, government, non-state entities, and other relevant actors to advocate and negotiate for, and assist in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of, humanitarian assistance and coordination.
• Coordinate inputs for preparation of response and/or contingency plans – including UNICEF led cluster plans - to ensure timely delivery of humanitarian assistance as per CCC benchmarks, including issues of gender equality, PSEA and disabilities.
• Undertake frequent visits to emergency programme locations to assess and monitor progress. Supervise project administration. Coordinate inputs and prepare project progress reports for UNICEF, donors and partners.
• Provide support to inter-agency policy consultations to ensure a coordinated timely response and to ensure evolution of programme focus in sync with context changes. Coordinate with RO/HQ to establish a clear position and coherent strategy.
• Work to optimize humanitarian access and space by helping to establish and oversee collaborative processes among colleagues which ensure planning and negotiations incorporate and balance humanitarian principles, protection principles, security guidelines, other relevant norms or policy, and best practices.
• Identity and train key staff with access related responsibilities in best practices related to humanitarian negotiation, actor-mapping, networking and relationship management, convoy management, context analysis, and internal and external access coordination.
• Capture and document field experience, field practice, and lessons learned in the domain of humanitarian access for its incorporation into corporate guidance.
• Leverage the technical expertise, cross-cutting skills and field experience of the ERT to improve the quality of UNICEF’s humanitarian response and support Knowledge Management of the ERT. 
• Realization of child rights and monitoring of violations including human security issues and staff security within the organizational context with partners.
• Disseminate humanitarian policies, internal and inter-agency strategies and operational guidelines to guide UNICEF humanitarian response to children affected by emergencies, including both armed conflict and natural disasters situations.
• Support the coordination of rapid assessments (inter agency or independently, as appropriate) during the acute stage of an emergency to determine programmatic needs, possible access impediments, as well as factors affecting the organization's capacity to function in the field.
• Support the provision of managerial field-based guidance, coaching and mentoring to programme teams on policy, and with the Representative, determine priorities for intervention and any changes that may be required to design and scale up result-based humanitarian emergency operations.
• Collaborate with sectoral and cross sectoral programme officers to ensure that humanitarian programmes are coherent with UNICEF's country programme and its Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies (CCCs) are met.
• Support internal emergency coordination to review progress and address bottlenecks in a timely manner.
• Ensure regular liaison with RO, HQ and partners, through established coordination mechanisms to ensure follow-up actions at the respective levels and information needs are met.

When not deployed to the field (approximately 25-40%):

• Incorporate field reality to strengthen/ improve UNICEF’s humanitarian capacity, mechanisms, procedures, guidance, tools, programme policies and advocacy.
• Support CO preparedness through to the analysis of the Emergency Preparedness Platform (EPP) for those considered high risk in the horizon scanning. Support development of preparedness and response plans for incipient crisis COs.
• Support UNICEF’s engagement with global clusters including on standards and guidelines, identifying common bottlenecks across humanitarian situations and escalation of issues for IASC discussion/decision 

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

Education:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in any of the following: Social Sciences, Public Administration, International Relations, Public Health, Education, or other fields related to the work of UNICEF. Training in emergency response important.

Experience:

• eight years of professional work experience at national and international levels in humanitarian response.
• Experience in Humanitarian Access which could include humanitarian negotiation, access sensitive operational planning, actor mapping, networking and relationship management with state and non-state entities, context analysis, and other relevant experience.
• Experience in emergency preparedness is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and French or Spanish is required. Fluency in any other UN language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

“Eligible staff are encouraged to apply for this post. Internal applicants will be given due consideration."