Emergency Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, established in 1946, operates in over 190 countries and territories with a mission to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential. The organization is committed to promoting the rights of every child and offers diverse opportunities for professional and personal development. UNICEF's workforce reflects the diversity of the children it serves, and it is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Job Overview:
The Emergency Specialist plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality, timeliness, and effectiveness of UNICEF's preparedness and response support to country offices across the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECAR) region. This position involves strengthening risk analysis, anticipatory approaches, emergency planning, coordination, and capacity development. The Emergency Specialist ensures that humanitarian actions are coherent, risk-informed, and aligned with organizational commitments and inter-agency standards. By improving preparedness systems and supporting national and subnational capacities, the role enables country offices and partners to anticipate risks and respond more effectively, ultimately reducing the humanitarian impact of shocks and stresses on children and their families. The position also 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. The Emergency Specialist is responsible for leading emergency preparedness and response across the ECA region, providing strategic and technical support to country offices on preparedness and response planning and system shock-responsiveness.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead emergency preparedness and readiness initiatives across the ECA region.
• Provide strategic and technical support to country offices on emergency response planning and system shock-responsiveness.
• Conduct risk and foresight analysis to inform preparedness strategies.
• Build capacity through training and development initiatives for country offices and partners.
• Foster regional and sub-regional partnerships to enhance emergency response capabilities.
• Facilitate coordination with Centers of Excellence (COEs), the Regional Office team, EMOPS, and Country Offices.
• Ensure compliance with UNICEF policies and inter-agency standards in emergency response.
• Perform other duties as required to support the organization's mission and objectives.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in social sciences, public administration, law, public health, nutrition, international relations, business administration, or related disciplines. A combination of management, administration, and relevant technical fields is preferred. Additionally, candidates should have a minimum of eight years of progressively responsible professional work experience at national and international levels in humanitarian programming, disaster management, and program planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration. Proven experience in developing, formulating, and overseeing the implementation of preparedness, response, and resilience programs is essential. Hands-on experience in emergency preparedness and response management in upper-middle/high-income country contexts is also required.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree in relevant fields such as social sciences, public administration, law, public health, nutrition, international relations, or business administration is required. A combination of management, administration, and technical fields is preferred, indicating a well-rounded educational background suitable for the complexities of emergency management.

Experience:
Candidates should have at least eight years of progressively responsible professional work experience in humanitarian programming, disaster management, and program planning and implementation. This experience should encompass both national and international levels, demonstrating a strong understanding of emergency preparedness and response management, particularly in upper-middle/high-income country contexts.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language is desirable. Familiarity with the ECAR region is considered a significant asset, enhancing the candidate's ability to navigate the specific challenges and contexts of the area.

Additional Notes:
This position is a temporary assignment, and candidates must be prepared for mobility as a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF. The organization promotes an inclusive workforce and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, or background. UNICEF offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and adherence to UNICEF's standards and principles is mandatory. Candidates must also meet medical clearance and inoculation requirements as part of the hiring process.