Emergency Specialist, (P-4) at UNICEF

Job Number: 528354
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Work Type : Fixed Term Appointment

For every child, a champion

• UNICEF Nigeria recently scaled up its integrated humanitarian response plan, and is leading humanitarian response in the education, WASH and nutrition sectors in the country, as well as the child protection sub-sector.
• We are tackling the resurgence of wild poliovirus, and are promoting health care access overall.
• We are also working on bringing 100 percent access to clean water and sanitation by 2030.
• We are working with partners on early childhood education initiatives and are supporting the national HIV program. In addition, UNICEF Nigeria is providing support for three critical child protection initiatives.

How can you make a difference?

• Under the direction and guidance of the Chief of Field Office (Borno) and Nigeria Country Office Senior Management, coordinates overall emergency preparedness and response in northeast Nigeria.
• Responsible for the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the emergency interventions, including contributing to fundraising for humanitarian activities, to ensure the survival and well-being of children and mothers and affected communities in emergency. 
• Provides coordination and support for policy and programme planning and management in UNICEF supported emergency programme and humanitarian sector coordination.

Emergency Preparedness:

• Ensures that adequate emergency preparedness measures are taken through the development and updating of country contingency plans and establishment of early warning mechanisms, which leads to more effective preparedness and response to specific emergencies.
• 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.
• 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.
• Develops and maintains databases on country/regional information, and ensures the flow of information and communication crucial for the planning and implementation of emergencies. Identifies availability of resources in emergency prone areas and establishes logistics plans to be implemented during an emergency operation, to ensure a timely and effective emergency response.
• Assists in developing and conducting emergency training courses specifically designed for regional standby Emergency Response Teams; participates in these courses with the Team, and participates in other emergency training workshops in the region, leading to build-up in the emergency preparedness and response capability of UNICEF staff and implementing partners. Plans, organizes and conducts training for the office’s staff capacity building in emergencies preparedness and response.

Emergency Response:

• In the event of an emergency, takes prompt action 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. Ensures that the office is provided with effective telecommunications facility and security assistance for the staff in an emergency, as necessary. In coordination with the programme and operations groups, establishes contact with all UNICEF staff and their dependants and visitors to ensure their safety and whereabouts, and informs OPSCEN and the Regional Director of their status.
• Assesses local conditions resulting from the emergency situation affecting children and their families in the country. Leads and/or participates in needs assessment missions in conjunction with the Regional Office, the HQ Divisions, and field staff, in order to determine priorities and an appropriate intervention by UNICEF. Participates in UN Country team emergency response and contributes to assessing the crisis and humanitarian situation in the country with special regard to the survival, protection and wellbeing of children, adolescents and women.
• Assists the Chief of Field Office (Borno) and Nigeria Country Office Senior Management 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.
• 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.
• Establishes longer-term requirements of the emergency operation/interventions. Plans and develops a more regular operational and staffing structure to take over from the Emergency Response Team.
• 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. Identifies implementing/operational partners and establishes implementing arrangements.  Ensures that the UNICEF support is effectively provided to the government with respect to sectoral coordination within the framework of the cluster approach and based on the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs).
• 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.
• 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. Contributes towards the preparation of the Situation Analysis and the Country Programme Document.

Humanitarian Coordination:

• Provides effective oversight and guidance to sector coordinators where UNICEF is the lead agency (Education, Nutrition, WASH, Child Protection) to ensure internal coordination across sectors and with programmes (including where UNICEF is not the sector lead (e.g. Health), as well as vis-a-vis inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms and the OHCT in Maiduguri.

Early Recovery:

• Ensures a strategic approach (short term and long term) to programme development, taking into account and building upon country objectives and priorities, including the link between humanitarian response, early recovery and the reconstruction and development programme.
• Ensures early recovery programme commitments as per the CCCs are included in sector plans.
• Coordinates UNICEF’s participation in Post-Crisis Needs Assessments, adjusts programme strategies as relevant and facilitates the coordination of UNICEF inputs into national plans and recovery frameworks

Qualifications

• 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 (8) years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels, including in complex emergency response management in conflict settings, humanitarian coordination, programme development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and administration.
• Language Proficiency: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language /Local working language of the duty station an asset.

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.