Emergency Specialist, P-4, Temporary Position, Regional Services Div (ECAR), 6 months, ECARO O/P Istanbul, #00137557

Organizational Context

UNICEF operates in over 190 countries and territories, dedicated to saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping them fulfill their potential from early childhood through adolescence. We are committed, passionate, and proud of our work, viewing the promotion of every child's rights as a calling. UNICEF offers diverse opportunities for professional and personal development.

Job Purpose

The Emergency Specialist enhances the quality, timeliness, and effectiveness of UNICEF’s preparedness and response support to country offices across the ECA region. Through strengthened risk analysis, anticipatory approaches, emergency planning, coordination, and capacity development, the role ensures that humanitarian action is coherent, risk-informed, and aligned with organizational commitments and inter-agency standards. By improving preparedness systems and supporting national and subnational capacities, the position enables country offices and partners to anticipate risks, take proactive preparedness measures, and respond more effectively, thereby reducing the humanitarian impact of shocks and stresses on children and their families. Effective performance contributes to stronger regional readiness and compliance, including higher-quality preparedness and contingency plans, enhanced cross-border and sub-regional approaches, and more child-sensitive, resilient, and risk-informed systems.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Deputy Regional Director, the Emergency Specialist is responsible for leading emergency preparedness and response across the ECA region. The post provides strategic and technical support to country offices on preparedness and response planning and system shock-responsiveness. The post supports risk and foresight analysis, capacity building initiatives, fosters regional and sub-regional partnerships, and facilitates coordination with Centers of Excellence (COEs), the Regional Office team, EMOPS, and Country Offices. Key responsibilities include: 1. Emergency Preparedness and Readiness: Developing and strengthening preparedness plans, conducting risk assessments, and building capacity for anticipatory action. 2. Emergency Response: Providing technical guidance and support during emergency responses, ensuring timely and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance. 3. Shock Responsiveness of Systems: Enhancing the resilience and responsiveness of systems to various shocks and stresses, particularly those affecting children. 4. Coordination and Partnerships: Facilitating coordination with internal and external stakeholders, including UN agencies, NGOs, and national authorities. 5. Reporting and Monitoring: Ensuring effective monitoring and reporting on emergency preparedness and response activities. 6. Perform other duties as required.

Work Experience

A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in humanitarian programming, disaster management, and programme planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration. Proven experience in developing, formulating, and overseeing the implementation of preparedness, response, and resilience programmes is required. Prior hands-on experience at the regional level in emergency preparedness and response management in upper-middle/high-income country contexts is required.

Skills

UNICEF policies and strategy on national and international emergency issues (conflicts, natural disasters, recovery), Global humanitarian issues, specifically relating to children and women, and UNICEF's position and approaches, Humanitarian reform principles, international humanitarian laws, and reform updates, Latest developments and trends in emergency preparedness and response management, UN security operations and guidelines, Principle of gender parity and equality, Risk analysis and foresight, Capacity building initiatives, Regional and sub-regional partnerships, Coordination with Centers of Excellence (COEs), Regional Office, EMOPS, and Country Offices

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