UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, Protection

In line with UNICEF’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, humanitarian action is fundamental to realizing the rights of very child. As such, it is central to UNICEF’s mandate, encompassing effective preparedness, response and early recovery to save lives and protect child rights. EMOPS provides quality, effective and timely support to country and regional offices to better invest in preparedness and respond to the most pressing humanitarian challenges for improved and sustained results for children affected by humanitarian crises. EMOPS’ goals support the Strategic Plan’s focus on equity, reaching the most disadvantaged and helping humanitarian investments lead to better development outcomes. In order to achieve this, EMOPS has humanitarian access, principled humanitarian assistance and protection for children; risk analysis and monitoring, preparedness and response; strategic alliances and partnerships; safety and security of programmes and staff; and humanitarian coordination as key focus areas.

Strategic alliances, partnerships and advocacy strengthening and expansion for child focused humanitarian action are critical to deliver results for children and realize their rights in humanitarian situations. Partners are also key providers of support services and experts for UNICEF in emergency response.

Job Context 

The job is under the Inter-Agency and Humanitarian Partnerships Section (Geneva): The IA&HP works to strengthen the contribution of UNICEF and EMOPS to fostering effective alliances and relationships with UN agencies, IASC processes, and advocates with Member States on behalf children in humanitarian situations and how member states can do to preserve and protect their rights The section also monitors trends and events in the Geneva humanitarian environment, promotes UNICEF positions and provides substantive comments in relevant humanitarian fora. The IA&HP also builds operational relationships with NGOS and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements. Cooperation is fostered through regular consultations with these partners and engagement on substantive issues in order to bring our work closer to children, enhance engagement with frontline responders and enhance operational work on child protection issues requiring special attention, including working with children with disabilities, the provision of psychosocial support and other areas. The Emergency Officer will work particularly on the standby partner portfolio which provides in kind expertise for UNICEF operations in emergencies.

How can you make a difference?

Under the guidance of the Emergency Specialist, Standby Arrangements, the Emergency Officer will manage and strengthen UNICEF’s engagement with organisations that collaborate as ‘standby partners’ to enable UNICEF to provide adequate, effective and efficient deployment of human resources in situations and frontline service delivery capacity in emergencies.

With the Emergency Specialist, Standby Arrangements, the Emergency Officer will serve as the global focal point for emergency standby capacity requests, nominations and selections. With the Global Cluster Coordination Unit, the Emergency Officer manages the recording and reporting of RRT/FST deployments; oversees the pre-deployment and logistics of standby deployees and RRT/FST members deploying to UNICEF offices, as well as extensions and post mission performance evaluation. The Emergency Officer also provides analysis and strategic reporting on UNICEF emergency standby capacity response. The Emergency Officer is tasked to strengthen knowledge management and data to support the development of more effective partnership, measure and evidence results, and advocate for improvements to deployment practices through close collaboration with DHR. The Emergency Officer also represents the Section in trainings and is a key interlocutor with partner. The Emergency Officer supports partnership development and expansion, as well as ensuring standby management processes are fit for purpose.

Summary of key functions:

Standby Deployments

• Daily management of standby deployments by conducting and overseeing the related activities (field and record requests, review ToRs, receiving and screening of candidates for quality of nominations and in line with UNICEF’s PALs clearance process, liaison with COs and partner agencies etc.) (approx. 250-350 per year).
• Daily management of RRT/FST requests, recording and reporting and liaison with GCCU on deployment decisions (approx. 60-80 per year).
• Monitor the pre-deployment of deployees and oversee all pre deployment (travel, medical, security, visa, code of conduct and arrival details) procedures with the CO and deploying partner agency (approx. 200-250 per year).
• Ensure extension requests are in line with mandate of standby arrangements, support Country Offices to prepare justifications and PERs and liaise with the deploying partner on extensions (approx. 60-80 per year).
• Manage queries from Country Offices on Standby Arrangements, including use of surge modalities, UNICEF obligations on security, logistics and administration.
• Manage fast-track UNV request and nomination process.
• Liaise and coordinate with DHR and ROs on emergency surge deployments, specifically updating the Surge Tracking Systems for all Level 2 and Level 3 responses weekly/bi-weekly.
• Closely engage with Standby Partners and advocate for support and support partnership expansion.
• Participate in and represent UNICEF in Standby Partner Network meetings and related working groups consisting of deploying partners, UN agencies, and donors as required
• Act as a key interlocutor with partners.

Monitoring

• Ensure compliance with performance monitoring by monitoring and tracking deployee PERs (approx. 200-250 per year).
• Maintain the UNICEF External Surge Dashboard, manage its rollout to new partners/UNICEF staff as needed and create customised dashboard for particular divisions/responses as needed (e.g. GCCU RRT/FST dashboard).
• Complete yearly survey of deployees, analyze and publish results, including individual feedback to Standby Partners and Country Offices
• Complete End Year on Standby Arrangements including trend analysis, developments of program, partnership analysis and prepare presentation to Standby Partners
• Ensure consistent and accurate data collection for established key indicators for monitoring the standby program.

Program Development and Partnerships

• With ITCD and DHR, collaborate on the internal management and measurement of surge and in particular developments in surge management software and platforms.
• Develop case studies and communication materials to highlighting the work of deployees and standby partners for the Annual Report.
• Systematically screen and analyse internal information and communication material for the purpose of distribution to partners.
• Maintain current briefing notes and response dashboards as needed for major Standby Partners and assist to coordinate Standby Partner monitoring visits.
• Support the Manager Humanitarian Partnerships and the Emergency Specialist, Standby Arrangements with evidence-based analysis to demonstrate gaps, highlight trends and present the resulting findings to Standby Partners to advocate for future surge needs.
• Support the Manager Humanitarian Partnerships and the Emergency Specialist, Standby Arrangements in preparation of materials for new partnership negotiations.

Other

• Represent the Section in training and act as a key resource person as well as providing support on learning and development processes
• Performs any other duties and responsibilities appropriate to the purpose of this post, as assigned by the supervisor.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Minimum first-level university degree in the disciplines relevant to the following areas: social work, social welfare, social policy/protection, sociology, political science or other field relevant to international child protection related development /humanitarian action
• Work Experience:  A minimum of two years of international professional work experience in UN development/humanitarian organizations, other international development/humanitarian Non-Governmental Organization
• Experience coordinating human resources, surge rosters or operations required
• Experience working with surge management software required

• Language Requirements: Fluency in English required.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency
• Skills in Salesforce, Power BI and strong Excel skills an advantage
• Experience working in countries in crisis for UN or IFRC/NGO organizations an advantage
• Knowledge of French and/or Arabic is an advantage

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates from all underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.

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

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.