UNICEF Kenya Hiring Emergency Specialist

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Job no: 567325
Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment
Duty Station: Nairobi
Level: P-4
Location: Kenya
Categories: Emergency

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, a safe home

The UNICEF East and Southern African region has been subject to an increasing number of emergencies in recent years, including climate change-related emergencies, armed conflicts, public health emergencies, etc. 

The increased number of emergencies and their complexity (mostly multi countries crises) increase the responsibility of the HARP (Humanitarian Action Resilience and Peacebuilding) section to ensure that all the 21 country offices in the region follow a thorough preparedness process and respond efficiently and timely to emergency onsets.

Under the direction and guidance of the Regional Advisor, Emergency, the Emergency Specialist will work as part of the Humanitarian Action, Resilience and Peacebuilding (HARP) section to initiate and provide policy and programme planning support in emergency preparedness, response, resilience, systems strengthening, and risk informed programming for countries in the East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR). The Emergency Specialist is responsible for the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the emergency interventions to ensure the survival and well-being of children and mothers and affected communities in emergency. The incumbent will also provide coordination and support for policy and programme planning and management in UNICEF supported emergency programme.

How can you make a difference?

The position reports to the Regional Advisor, Emergency, and is responsible for ensuring that multi-country emergency preparedness and response is well supported and coordinated, especially in the Horn of Africa. The incumbent will ensure that the quality policy and program planning related to emergency preparedness and response as well as the risk-informed programming are implemented to promote resilience for countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) and the Regional Office (RO).

The incumbent will:

1. Supports the Regional Advisor, Emergency, to manage L2 and L3 Emergency Management Team (EMT) meetings, including Horn of Africa as well as Regional Director/ Deputy Regional Director (DRD) briefings.
2. Provide high quality input to the development of critical analysis of emergency risk in the region.
3. Provide technical advice to Country Offices on developing capacity building strategies for national partners (government at the national and sub national levels, civil society and community actors) to enhance their capacity for emergency preparedness and response guided by the Core Commitments for Children.
4. Provide technical advice to Country Offices on integrating risk-informed programming to promote resilience into Programme planning processes.
5. Provide technical advice and quality assurance to Country Offices and Inter-Agency Humanitarian Country Teams on planning, monitoring, and reporting for Humanitarian Action including:
   1. The development of Inter-Agency Strategic Response Plans and Country and Regional chapters of the Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) report.
   2. Regular reporting of UNICEF Country Offices using the Humanitarian Performance, Management System (HPMS) and regular Situation Reports (SITREPs).
6. Ensure that timely and priority operational and programmatic support is provided by ESARO to designated Country Offices affected by emergencies by:
   1. Mobilizing, coordinating, and deploying technical support to COs to respond to short-term surges in demand
   2. Mobilizing and facilitating technical advisors to support COs meet the CCCs in the framework of the UNICEF Strategic Plan.
7. Ensure that COs approaches and learning on risk-informed programming to promote resilience are documented, packaged, and shared to promote evidence-based approaches in the region.
8. Overview of the budget and financing management of HARP section as well as allocation and reporting of regional funds and grants across the CO (GHTF, FCDO, HIP).

Multi-country emergency preparedness and response is well supported and coordinated, especially in the Horn of Africa. Oversight of CO EPP compliance, quality review and country risk prioritization across the region.

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

• 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.
• A minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration.
• Specialized training/experience in emergency response management is required.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• 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 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

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 (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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 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.

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

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

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 are also 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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Advertised: 08 Nov 2023 E. Africa Standard Time
Deadline: 22 Nov 2023 E. Africa Standard Time

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