UNICEF Emergency Specialist Jobs in Kenya

UNICEF Emergency Specialist Jobs in Kenya

Job no: 555956

Contract type: Temporary Appointment

Duty Station: Nairobi

Level: P-3

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.

The Humanitarian Action, Resilience, and Peace Building (HARP) Section of UNICEF’s East and Southern Africa Office (ESARO) seeks to strengthen country capacity for timely, effective, and reliable programming in humanitarian action, peacebuilding, and resilience.

HARP's work bridges the divide between humanitarian action and development by strengthening preparedness to multiple environmental hazards and conflict-related risks to minimize the impacts these have on children.

HARP works closely with other programme and operations sections to ultimately ensure that lives are saved, and the rights of children and women are protected as defined in the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs) which is aligned with internationally accepted standards.

The work of HARP builds on systems that support humanitarian action with the overall aim to achieve faster scaling up of responses in major emergencies including early identification of priorities and strategies, rapid deployment of qualified staff, and clear accountabilities for the response.

Recognizing the importance of the lifesaving role that early action plays, HARP works with COs and other UN partners to further strengthen Government and agency dedicated capacities for disaster management identifying and measuring specific and measurable performance targets both for humanitarian preparedness and response.

South Africa region has been particularly affected in 2020 by climate change, by political/security, and by socio-economic crisis aggravated by the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, Angola, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe have see their total population in IPC 3 increase.

Similarly, Mozambique was declared an L2 corporate emergency in November 2020, although this was deactivated in August 2022, the country continues to experience large increase of IDP (946,508 IDPs) in Cabo Delgado as of June 2022 and continue to experience the impact of multiple tropical cyclones including cyclone Eloise and Gombe.

Furthermore, the recent approval, to activate a Level 3 (L3) Corporate Emergency Activation Procedure (CEAP) Scale-up for the Horn of Africa drought crisis presents increasing need to mobilize dedicated support to the drought affected countries of Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia for 6 months (from 14 September 2022 to 13 March 2023).

How can you make a difference?

Under the general guidance of the Emergency specialist, provide support to UNICEF Country Offices (CO) engaged in humanitarian action encompassing preparedness, response, and resilience.

The Emergency Specialist will work as part of the Humanitarian Action Resilience and Peace Building (HARP) Section and with sectoral emergency focal points within the Regional Office (RO), inter-agency partners and Country Office staff.

In addition to providing technical support to the Southern Africa Countries (Angola, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Comoros, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana), the incumbent will support the Horn of Africa L3 drought rollout and response monitoring for emergency preparedness, response, and resilience programming’ covering Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia

The Emergency Specialist will support the HARP section in the reporting requirement for the HARP section (for example donors, HAC, Sitrep) and lead on Donor reports for specific Southern Africa countries.

Emergency Preparedness and response:

Support CO to adopt adequate emergency preparedness and response measures

through the development and updating of EPP, country contingency plans, and follow up on compliance of CO with the implementation of agreed MPAs.

Dissemination/review of regional early warning.

Coordination of emergency preparedness and response between ESARO sections and contribute to regional and cross boarder coordination foras for emergency situations including the regional Inter-Agency Standing Committee (RIASCO) and, SADC platforms.

Provides advice to the country office in the implementation of emergency preparedness measures in the field to strengthen preparedness and response mechanisms in the country faced with impending emergencies.

Develops and maintains databases on country/regional information and ensures the flow of information and communication crucial for the planning and implementation of emergency preparedness and response management.

Provide dedicated support to the preparation, documentation, and follow-up of emergency management mechanism within the RO including

Emergency Management Team, Humanitarian Action Group, and other mechanisms as required.

Plans, organizes, and conducts training for CO staff capacity building in emergencies preparedness and response. Assists in developing and conducting emergency training courses.

Provides training and/or briefing, as required.

Emergency and resilience Project

Participates in the implementation of plans of action and work plans for emergency and resilience projects.

Support Risk informed programming, resilience, and Humanitarian development nexus regional work and support for CO based on programmatic needs, and regional resilience priorities.

This can include also an analysis of key risks
Lead reporting and preparation of briefing including maintenance of corporate action point from regional emergency coordination fora as well as for donor reporting.

Coordinate with ESARO program sections and management to mobilize donor response and recovery/rehabilitation-related funding, including annual or multi-annual humanitarian appeals and documents (e.g., pitch documents, HAC, ...).
Maintains coordination, communication, consultation, and liaison with regional bodies, UN agencies, NGOs, donors.

In coordination with senior resilience specialist, participates in humanitarian and resilience-related forum 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.

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

Advanced University degree in International Relations, Public Administration/Public Policy, Humanitarian Affairs, Development, Social Sciences, or a related technical field.

A minimum of five years of professional work experience at national and international levels in humanitarian response. Preferred experience in preparedness, and complex emergencies, including experience in early recovery in the East and southern Africa region.

Excellent written reporting skills.

Fluency in both written and spoken English.

Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergencies is considered an asset


UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

Builds and maintains partnerships

Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

Drive to achieve results for impact

Innovates and embraces change

Manages ambiguity and complexity

Thinks and acts strategically

Works collaboratively with others.


How to Apply

For more information and job application details, see; UNICEF Emergency Specialist Jobs in Kenya

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