Emergency Officer
Organizational Context
UNICEF Philippines is dedicated to protecting the rights of Filipino children, especially the most vulnerable. Working with the government and partners, UNICEF aims to improve social services and address barriers to children's rights realization. The Mindanao Field Office (MFO) in Cotabato City strengthens UNICEF's presence in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), a region facing challenges in social services due to conflict and insecurity. UNICEF leads the BARMM Humanitarian Team (BHT) to coordinate humanitarian efforts with local authorities and partners.
Job Purpose
The Emergency Officer will support UNICEF's efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness, response, and coordination in the BARMM region. This role is crucial for ensuring effective and timely information sharing, facilitating collaboration among humanitarian partners and BARMM authorities, and enhancing emergency coordination mechanisms. The position will contribute to the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus by fostering collaboration between humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding actors. The officer will work closely with the Programme Specialist and M&E Officer to support all aspects of emergency management, from preparedness and planning to response and post-emergency activities, ultimately aiming to improve the capacity to respond to children's needs amid complex challenges.
Responsibilities
The Emergency Officer will provide essential support to the Emergency Focal Point and M&E Officer in various critical areas. This includes coordinating emergency preparedness and response with local government, UN agencies, and civil society partners, and providing secretariat support for the BARMM Humanitarian Team (BHT) and Civil-Military Coordination Cell. The role involves assisting in the preparation of briefing notes, updates, and presentations for humanitarian forums, and consolidating operational information for sharing with authorities. The officer will also monitor humanitarian risks, support the maintenance of the Emergency Preparedness Platform, and assist in developing contingency plans and organizing training. During emergencies, the role entails supporting needs assessments, consolidating findings, preparing response plans, and ensuring that responses address the specific needs of vulnerable groups. Furthermore, the officer will support internal planning processes, document lessons learned, and contribute to integrating emergency preparedness into broader planning frameworks.
Work Experience
A minimum of three years of professional experience in emergency preparedness and response, humanitarian coordination, or programme planning is required. Experience supporting development or emergency programmes in a field office, government, or UN setting is advantageous. Experience in supporting coordination processes, preparing meeting materials, and proficiency in MS Office are desirable. Familiarity with data analysis tools and ability to work effectively in a challenging field environment are also beneficial.
Skills
Key competencies include accountability, adaptability, flexibility, planning, organization, and professionalism. Additional skills and expertise areas mentioned are community development, emergency preparedness, crisis response, project management, programme development, and strategy. Proficiency in a local BARMM dialect is desirable.