Internal vacancy - Emergency Coordinator (P4) Bulgaria CO (Temporary Appointment-364 days)

UNICEF Bulgaria is looking for an experienced Emergency Coordinator to provide the overall country office emergency preparedness and response to the Ukrainian crises.

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, safety.

Since the beginning of the Ukrainian crisis more than 234 000 refugees have entered Bulgaria with 101,000 remaining in the country, out of them 40,000 children. In line with the Inter-agency Regional Refugee Response Plan UNICEF Bulgaria is assisting the government together with UNHCR and other partners to respond to the humanitarian needs of the refugee children and their families.

How can you make a difference?

The Emergency Coordinator will provide the overall country office emergency preparedness and response to the Ukrainian crises. He/she will be responsible for the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the emergency interventions, including fund-raising for emergency activities, to ensure the survival and well-being of children and mothers and affected communities in emergency. 

 1.  Ensures that adequate emergency preparedness measures are taken through the development and updating of country contingency plans and establishment of early warning mechanisms.

2.  Participates in the formulation and development of plans of action in preparation and response to emergencies, and monitors compliance of all sectors with emergency plans of action, including financial resources. Ensures coordination of the management of emergency preparedness and response.

3.  Provides policy and program advice related to emergencies, including on management related issues. Provides direction and guidance to the country office in the implementation of emergency preparedness measures, which strengthens preparedness and response mechanisms in the country faced with impending emergencies.

4. Develops and maintains databases on country/regional information, and ensures the flow of information and communication crucial for the planning and implementation of emergencies.  

Emergency Response

5.  Acts as Team Leader or member of the Emergency Response Team which is deployed immediately to establish UNICEF's presence and implement the initial operational tasks relating to emergency assistance. 

6. Assesses local conditions resulting from the emergency situation affecting children and their families in the country. 

7. Assists in emergency operations oversight and program management to ensure that the funding, budget, management, reporting, and field presence coordination are managed efficiently and effectively with clear accountabilities.

Emergency Project

8. Prepares inputs for appeals and updates related to emergencies as well as project proposals for emergency. Works with program sections and senior management to mobilize donor response and recovery/rehabilitation-related funding, including annual or multi-annual humanitarian appeals and documents.

9.  Maintains continuous, effective and strategic coordination, communication, consultation and liaison with Government, UN agencies, NGOs, donors and allies to appeal for aid for children and women with the special needs resulting from emergency situations requiring effective emergency responses in all sectors. 

10. Represents UNICEF in all humanitarian and recovery related forum at the strategic level and keeps management informed of all humanitarian developments in the country in terms of policies, strategy, situation developments, potential threats and opportunities/issues in partnership.

11. Ensures that disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response strategies are mainstreamed in the country office's workplans. Prepares sectoral input for the country programme documents, plan of action, annual workplans, and all related documents of the office’s Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Situation Monitoring and Assessment 

12. Ensures that the Country Office and national partners use a well-prioritised and realistic plan of research, monitoring and evaluation activities that will provide the most relevant and strategic information to manage the Emergency Response, including tracking and assessing UNICEF’s distinct contribution. 

13. Monitors the M&E objectives, priorities, and activities required for effective CO Emergency Response to Ukraine crisis.

14. Drafts and collects a simple one-month data-collection plan to cover key data as required for the emergency response, working in close collaboration with the UN humanitarian clusters partners, the RO and CO.

Programme Performance Monitoring 

15. Coordinates with partners to ensure that monitoring systems are properly designed, and that data collection and analysis from field visits are coordinated and standardised across programmes to feed into to programme performance monitoring, with special attention to humanitarian response.

16. Prepares the weekly Situation Report and provides inputs to other reports and factsheets.

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

Education

Advanced University degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, public administration, law, public health, nutrition, international relations, business administration or other related disciplines. Preferably a combination of management, administration, and relevant technical fields.

Work Experience

Eight years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and administration.

Developing country work experience (for IP) or field work experience (for NO).

Specialized training/experience in emergency response management highly desirable.

Language Proficiency 

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.