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.
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For every child, hope
UNICEF in the State of Palestine works to uphold the rights of children to access essential services and protection, from early childhood through adolescence. Our objective is to ensure that every child in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, irrespective of background or circumstance, has an equal chance to fulfil their potential. Following the escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, UNICEF is responding at scale with Education, WASH, Nutrition, Health, Child Protection and Multi-Purpose Cash, while preparing for return to learning for children across the State of Palestine to respond to the most precent and critical needs of children, while supporting the restoration of essential services.
Under the direction and guidance of the Special Representative, you will coordinate overall country office emergency preparedness and response. You will be responsible for the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the emergency interventions, including fund-raising for emergency activities, to ensure the survival and well-being of children and mothers and affected communities in emergency. You will provide coordination and support for policy and programme planning and management in UNICEF supported emergency programme.
Your key accountabilities and duties:
Emergency Preparedness
1. Ensures that adequate emergency preparedness measures are taken through the development and updating of country contingency plans and establishment of early warning mechanisms, which leads to more effective preparedness and response to specific emergencies.
2. Participates in the formulation and development of plans of action in preparation and response to emergencies, and monitors compliance of all sectors with emergency plans of action, including financial resources. Ensures coordination of the management of emergency preparedness and response.
3. Provides policy and program advice related to emergencies, including on management related issues. Provides direction and guidance to the country office in the implementation of emergency preparedness measures, which strengthens preparedness and response mechanisms in the country faced with impending emergencies.
4. Develops and maintains databases on country/regional information, and ensures the flow of information and communication crucial for the planning and implementation of emergencies. Identifies availability of resources in emergency prone areas and establishes logistics plans to be implemented during an emergency operation, to ensure a timely and effective emergency response.
5. Assists in developing and conducting emergency training courses specifically designed for regional standby Emergency Response Teams; participates in these courses with the Team, and participates in other emergency training workshops in the region, leading to build-up in the emergency preparedness and response capability of UNICEF staff and implementing partners. Plans, organizes and conducts training for the office’s staff capacity building in emergencies preparedness and response.
Emergency Response
6. In the event of an emergency, takes prompt action as Team Leader or member of the Emergency Response Team which is deployed immediately to establish UNICEF's presence and implement the initial operational tasks relating to emergency assistance. Ensures that the office is provided with effective telecommunications facility and security assistance for the staff in an emergency, as necessary. In coordination with the programme and operations groups, establishes contact with all UNICEF staff and their dependants and visitors to ensure their safety and whereabouts, and informs OPSCEN and the Regional Director of their status.
7. Assesses local conditions resulting from the emergency situation affecting children and their families in the country. Leads and/or participates in needs assessment missions in conjunction with the Regional Office, the HQ Divisions, and field staff, in order to determine priorities and an appropriate intervention by UNICEF. Participates in UN Country team emergency response and contributes to assessing the crisis and humanitarian situation in the country with special regard to the survival, protection and wellbeing of children, adolescents and women.
8. Assists the (Deputy) Representative in emergency operations oversight and program management to ensure that the funding, budget, management, reporting, and field presence coordination are managed efficiently and effectively with clear accountabilities.
Emergency Project
9. Prepares inputs for appeals and updates related to emergencies as well as project proposals for emergency. Works with program sections and senior management to mobilize donor response and recovery/rehabilitation-related funding, including annual or multi-annual humanitarian appeals and documents.
10. Establishes longer-term requirements of the emergency operation/interventions. Plans and develops a more regular operational and staffing structure to take over from the Emergency Response Team.
11. Maintains continuous, effective and strategic coordination, communication, consultation and liaison with Government, UN agencies, NGOs, donors and allies to appeal for aid for children and women with the special needs resulting from emergency situations requiring effective emergency responses in all sectors. Identifies implementing/operational partners and establishes implementing arrangements. Ensures that the UNICEF support is effectively provided to the government with respect to sectoral coordination within the framework of the cluster approach and based on the Core Commitment for Children.
12. Represents UNICEF in all humanitarian and recovery related forum at the strategic level and keeps management informed of all humanitarian developments in the country in terms of policies, strategy, situation developments, potential threats and opportunities/issues in partnership.
13. Ensures that disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response strategies are mainstreamed in the country office's workplans. Prepares sectoral input for the country programme documents, plan of action, annual workplans, and all related documents of the office’s Emergency Preparedness and Response. Contributes towards the preparation of the Situation Analysis and the Country Programme Document.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education:
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.
Experience:
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 highly desirable.
Language Requirement:
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language, in particular Arabic, is considered as 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
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 (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people.
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is: a role with direct contact with children, works directly with children, or is a safeguarding response role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.
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 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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will 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 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 female candidates are encouraged to apply.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
This is required for all posts requiring a higher education degree. “UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
The VA is open to all (internal and external candidates)
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.
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.
This vacancy is archived.