(JPO) Emergency Officer with UNICEF At US Agency for International Development

I. Overview

Through USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA), the United States (U.S.) sponsors qualified U.S. citizens for employment in the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Program.

These fully funded JPO positions strengthen the capacity of UNICEF and further encourage U.S. citizens to become active members of the international community. After completing their JPO assignments, a number of JPOs successfully compete for positions at UNICEF and in other international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

II. General Information

Title: Emergency Officer

Organization/Office: UNICEF, Field Operations and Coordination

Duty Station: Beirut, Lebanon

Start Date Required: As soon as possible

Duration: Two years

The USAID/BHA sponsored JPO will be an employee of UNICEF, not of the U.S. Government.

III. Duties, Responsibilities, and Output Expectations

Under the supervision of and in regular consultation with the Humanitarian Affairs Manager, P4, the JPO will be responsible for the technical contribution to the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the emergency interventions to advance the survival and well-being of children and mothers and affected communities in an emergency situation.

1. Emergency Preparedness
   • Provides professional assistance in risk analysis to identify emergency-prone conditions/situations and contribute to early warning and timely emergency preparedness.
   • Assists in the formulation of plans of action in preparation and response to emergencies. Gathers information on best practices in emergency situations for the preparation of contingency plans. Monitors compliance of all sectors with emergency plans of action.
   • Identifies formal and informal sources of information. Collects, interprets and analyses all available data on the evolving emergency situation and its implications to the emergency operation. Keeps the effective flow of information and communication crucial for the planning and implementation of emergency measures. Identifies availability of resources in emergency prone areas.
   • Assists in organizing and conducting staff training for the office’s capacity building in emergencies preparedness and response. Provides briefing, as required. Participates in other emergency training workshops in the region and contributes to enhancement of the emergency preparedness and response capability of the office staff.
2. Emergency Response
   • In the event of an emergency, promptly assists in implementing the initial operational tasks relating to emergency assistance. Immediately collects reliable information to verify the nature and extend of the emergency with staff, government officials, other UN agencies or local organizations and media. Follows up to ensure that the office is provided with effective telecommunications facility and staff security assistance in an emergency, as necessary. Contacts with all UNICEF staff and their dependents and visitors to ensure their safety and whereabouts, and promptly informs head of office, supervisor and other emergency staff of their status as required.
   • Assists supervisor with assessment of local emergency and security situation. Visits the location to conduct an initial rough assessment of the magnitude of the crisis and its implications for children, mothers, and the community. Assists with the assessment of the validity of the emergency preparedness plan and ability of the office vis-à-vis the current crisis as well as immediate and additional needs. Provides input in and contributes toward determining priorities and an appropriate intervention by UNICEF. Coordinates with other partners to make a rapid assessment covering priority areas as defined by the Core Commitment for Children in Emergencies. Establishes contact with community groups, government, UN agencies, media, and other partners to keep the country office of emergency situations.
   • Participates in Implementing the emergency preparedness and response plan as necessary. Assists in identifying urgent staffing requirements and redeploying country office staff. Follows up with the timely delivery of assistance and procurement of supplies and monitors the appropriate and effective use of UNICEF resources. Identifies problems and constraints in project delivery. Sends daily situation reports to concerned parties.
3. Emergency Project/Sector Coordination
   • Participates in the implementation of plans of action and workplans for emergency project. Undertakes field visits to emergency project areas, to assess local conditions and monitor project progress. Carries out project administration. Prepares inputs for appeals and updates related to emergencies. Coordinates with program sections staff and others to mobilize donor response and recovery/rehabilitation-related funding, including humanitarian appeals and documents (e.g., pitch documents). Communicates and advocates on the situation and needs of children through local and international media, as appropriate.
   • Collects and analyses lessons learnt from UNICEF’s emergency operations experience and contributes towards adoption of the best practices and standards for longer-term emergency interventions. Assists in identifying longer-term requirements of the emergency intervention/operations.
   • Works with other colleagues to make sure that disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response strategies are mainstreamed in the country office’s workplans. Assists in the preparation of sectoral input for the country programme documents, plan of action, annual work plans, and other related documents of the office’s Emergency Preparedness and Response. Provides technical input in the preparation of the Situation Analysis and the Country Programme document, as required.

Impact of Results

The efficient and effective support provided by the Emergency Officer contributes to the timely and appropriate development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and coordination of the emergency interventions to advance the survival and well-being of children and mothers and affected communities in an emergency situation.

IV. Supervision

Supervisor experience: The current supervisor of the post, Chief of Field Operations, Emergency and Humanitarian Coordination (P-5), has been working with various UN agencies and UNICEF continuously for almost 30 years in multiple duty stations around the world. The JPO will directly report to the Chief of Field Operations who has a very solid technical experience in emergency and humanitarian settings as well as a proven experience supervising staff at P4, P3, P2 and NO, GS categories as well as previous experience managing JPOs.

V. Qualifications and Experience

Education:

University degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, public administration, law, public health, nutrition, international relations, business administration or other related disciplines.

Work Experience:

Two years of relevant professional work experience at the national and/or international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation or administration. Developing country work experience (for IP) Training/experience in emergency response management highly desirable.

Languages:

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic or any other UN language is considered as an asset.

UN Competencies:

Core Values attributes:

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
• Sustainability

Core competencies skills

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

Functional Competencies

• Persuading and influencing (1)
• Applying technical expertise (1)
• Learning and researching (2)
• Planning and organizing (2)

Workforce Diversity:

The United Nations believes that an inclusive culture attracts the best talent and encourages all qualified applicants, regardless of gender, disability, sexual orientation, cultural or religious backgrounds, to apply.

VI. Learning Elements

Training and Learning Plan:

• Participation in a one-week JPO Induction Programme in New York;
• Guidance and advice in relation to training opportunities within the field of expertise;
• Use of yearly JPO training funds for internal/external training opportunities;
• Participation in the Mentoring, Coaching, and Career Counselling and Career transition programmes;
• Encourage field mission and/or stretch assignment during and after the 2nd year;
• Experience working in one of the largest and complex UNICEF humanitarian operations with a compound humanitarian crisis, including the largest refugees’ operation in the world.
• The opportunity to learn and exposure to UNICEF and inter-agency humanitarian coordination mechanism, in a complex environment.

In addition, the JPO will benefit from the following specific learning opportunities in the receiving office: Emergency Preparedness and Response Training including an Emergency simulation exercise. In addition to a wide range of humanitarian learning activities organized for the Lebanon office in collaboration with HQ EMOPS and RO humanitarian team.

VII. Background Information

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.