Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) Specialist

Peace and Security Cluster

Recent assessments indicate widespread explosive ordnance contamination in Northern Ethiopia, especially in areas that have seen intense fighting. While the full extent and impact of the contamination is yet to be established, the fighting is believed to have contaminated vast swathes of land with explosive remnants of war (ERW). Moreover, explosive remnants of war (ERW) continue affecting the life of civilians, including several children, in recent months. ERW is spread across residential areas and internally displaced persons sites, in communal locations and amongst rubble, posing an immediate risk to life, the delivery of humanitarian aid, inhibiting safe movement, and preventing access to basic services.

The project aims to reduce the immediate and long-term impact of explosive ordnance on civilians and humanitarian operations in northern Ethiopia through coordination and explosive ordnance risk education. As lead of the mine action area of responsibility, ensuring MA contributes to improving the safety of at-risk communities by establishing a humanitarian mine action sector, capable of effectively delivering on the objectives of the Humanitarian Response Plan. The Mine Action Response Programme defines and implements specific activities in accordance with emerging humanitarian needs and through needs-based prioritization, involving an analysis of the explosive ordnance threat, IDPs movement, survey data, and the wider humanitarian response.

Reporting to the Operations & Quality Assurance Officer, the Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) Specialist will carry out the following tasks:

A.    Operations and Coordination:

• Ensure the technical quality of the EORE projects implemented, in coordination with the support services and programme units, in line with UNMAS Ethiopia’s strategy, donors, International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and good practices of the EORE sector;

• Contribute to the overall execution of EORE grants and contracts in close collaboration with the Programme section and with implementing partners/contractors;

• Support the integration of EORE into the development of a national strategy by the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA);

• Develop EORE materials and content for awareness-raising, including for the integration of EORE into the school curriculum (modules and training guides) when needed;

• Lead the production and amendment of EORE materials and content for awareness-raising, as well as EORE training and capacity building contents as required to contribute to face-to-face and remote modalities;

• Provide strategic and technical support to mine action organizations in key areas of EORE in line with the national strategy;

• Coordinate with MAAoR members, including the NMAA, and other relevant sectors such as health, education and protection in the implementation of EORE; 

• Establish working relations and regular communications with security stakeholders and national authorities (police, military, civil defence,) in EO affected states in Ethiopia;

• Liaise with national authorities and relevant humanitarian partners on matters related to EORE interventions;

• Develop plans and guide new innovative approaches to deliver EORE including the use of digital applications and integration of EORE in protection, conflict preparedness initiatives and wider humanitarian response;

B.    Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Introduce performance indicators, success criteria, targets and milestones to EORE interventions;

• Document best EORE practices and lessons learned: Ensure learning and monitoring processes are in place and that resulting best practice is widely shared;

• Identify new opportunities and needs for the development of EORE activities and develop new initiatives to address these in cooperation with partners;

• Provide technical guidance to EORE personnelfor the development and implementation of programme work plans and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms;

• Implement the quality assurance / quality control of implementing partners’ operations, in compliance with relevant, IMAS, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines, and encourage change and improvement in performance and quality;

• Identify needs for training and capacity building of implementing partners’ EORE teams and develop training plan accordingly;

C.    Implementation and Reporting: 

• Conceptualize, develop and implement baseline and end-line surveys as required, including KAPB efforts, liaising withthe  information management teams and implementing partners;

• Provide technical inputs and assistance to the NMAA forthe development of EORE National Standards, and support mine action organizations with the development of EORE SOPs;

• Provide technical and planning support to the Mine Action implementing Ppartners with regards to project implementation including training, materials development, monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance activities;

• Support verification of field activity reports in coordination with the information management team; 

• With the support from the Ops/QA Officer, develop and deliver Explosive Ordnance Awareness (EOA) in different formats to national authorities, humanitarian agencies and implementing partners;

• Provide substantive inputs to donor reports, funding proposals, budgets, and ad-hoc reports as required by the Programme team;

• Any other duties as requested and tasked by the supervisor;

​​D. Other:

• Ensure compliance with IMAS 12.10, TN 12.10/01,, UN Mine Action Strategy and policies, and relevant guidelines from the national authorities;
• Participate in relevant forums/working group meetings representing UNMAS Ethiopia.

• Advanced university degree (master or equivalent) with 5 years of relevant experience OR

• First level university degree (bachelor or equivalent) with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• Secondary School diploma (high school or equivalent) with 11 years of relevant experience

• Relevant experience is defined as experience in curriculum development, training delivery, communication/education material development, behaviour change, health promotion, or in a similar field

• Two years of experience in carrying out community outreach or community awareness activities (e.g. HIV/AIDS programme, education, etc.) is required

• Experience in risk education related to explosive hazards, IEDs, or small arms and light weapons, or other mine action experience, is desired

• Knowledge of International Mine Action Standards is desired

• Applicants must have a legal entitlement to work in Ethiopia
• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.