Emergency Officer Vacancy-Job Ref: JKNEUNICEF/0902/202452

Emergency Officer Vacancy-Job Ref: JKNEUNICEF/0902/202452
Tahoua ( Niger )

JOB DESCRIPTION

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 realize their potential.

In 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for all.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope.

Niger continues to face persistent challenges, including armed conflicts in four key regions (Diffa, Maradi, Tillabéri, Tahoua), climatic hazards such as flooding, as well as a complex and dynamic humanitarian situation characterized by epidemics. , food insecurity, malnutrition, and population movements. Persistent insecurity continues to cause population displacements, mainly in the regions of Diffa, Maradi, Tahoua and Tillabéri. As of October 31, 2023, the country has more than 733,000 displaced people, including 442,000 internally displaced people (an increase of 20% compared to the same period in 2022) and more than 291,000 refugees, including more than 248,000 women.

These displaced people are distributed in 29 departments across the four regions. Furthermore, insecurity has also led to the closure of numerous infrastructures, notably 989 schools (plus 84,000 children affected) and 91 health structures. According to the results of the harmonized framework of November 2023, for the current period (October – December 2023), 2.3 million people, or 8.9% of the total population, are food insecure. For the projected period (June – August 2024), 3.2 million people, or 12.4% of the total population, will be food insecure (in phases 3 and 4). More than 400,000 children suffer from severe acute malnutrition.

UNICEF provides multisectoral responses to people affected by crises affecting Niger and aims to strengthen its emergency response capacity and effectiveness, but also the link between humanitarian interventions and resilience-building programs.

The RRM (Rapid Response Mechanism) is a rapid response mechanism, integrated into the framework of humanitarian coordination. It aims to provide an initial response to the urgent needs of people affected by a humanitarian shock linked to an armed conflict, a natural disaster or an epidemic. It makes it possible to very quickly understand and classify the urgent needs of populations, and to provide them with multi-sector humanitarian aid to reduce the loss of human life and improve their living conditions. The RRM operates primarily in the regions of Diffa, Tillabéry, Tahoua and Maradi.

OCHA alongside the government (MAH/GC) ensures the external coordination of the RRM and UNICEF ensures the technical coordination of the mechanism and the function of central purchasing for BNA kits, WASH and intimate hygiene inputs. Technical coordination includes supervision and monitoring of the quality of interventions, compliance with international standards and the RRM, review of tools, training of partners, communication with clusters and working groups, leadership for organization and facilitation of technical workshops, monitoring missions for the implementation of activities and strategic and innovative advice.

How can you make a difference…

Under the direction of the supervisor, the Emergency Officer establishes and implements the office’s emergency preparedness and response as well as monitoring the RRM mechanism in the Tahoua region. He/She is responsible for the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of emergency interventions to ensure the survival and well-being of children and mothers, as well as affected communities. in an emergency situation.

This includes :

Emergency preparedness:

Provide professional assistance in risk analysis to identify conditions/situations conducive to emergencies and contribute to early warning and timely emergency preparedness.
Support the drafting of action plans for emergency preparedness and response. Collect information on best practices in emergency situations for the preparation of emergency plans. Monitor compliance of all sectors with emergency action plans.

Identify formal and informal sources of information. Collect, interpret and analyze all available data on the evolution of the emergency situation and its implications for emergency operations. Maintain the effective flow of information and communication essential for planning and implementing emergency measures. Identifies resource availability in emergency-prone areas.

Contribute to the organization and conduct of capacity building of office staff in emergency preparedness and response. Prepare briefing notes, as needed. Participate in emergency training workshops in the region, and contribute to improving the emergency preparedness and response capabilities of office staff.
Emergency responses:

In the event of an emergency, as a member of the rapid response team, quickly assist in the implementation of initial operational tasks relating to emergency assistance. Immediately gathers reliable information to verify the nature and extent of the emergency from staff, government officials, other UN agencies or local organizations and the media. Follows up to ensure the office has effective telecommunications facilities and staff security assistance in the event of an emergency, if necessary.

Assists the supervisor in assessing the local emergency and safety situation. In an emergency, conduct a first initial assessment of the scale of the crisis and its implications for children, women and the community in the affected area. Contribute to the assessment of the validity of the emergency preparedness plan and the office’s ability to address the current crisis as well as immediate and additional needs. Contribute to the determination of priorities and appropriate intervention by UNICEF. Coordinate with other partners the conduct of a rapid assessment covering priority sectors as defined in the Key Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action. Establish contacts with community leaders, government officials, UN agencies, media and other partners to keep country and field offices informed of emergency situations.
Participates in the implementation of the emergency preparedness and response plan, if necessary. Assists in identifying urgent staffing needs and redeployment from the country/area office. Ensures timely delivery of aid and procurement of supplies, and monitors the appropriate and effective use of UNICEF resources. Identifies problems and constraints in project execution. Sends daily situation reports to relevant parties.
Emergency Projects:

Participates in the implementation of action plans and work plans for emergency projects. Carry out field visits to emergency project implementation areas, in order to assess local conditions and monitor project progress. Ensure project management. Prepare input for emergency calls and updates. Coordinate with section program staff and others to mobilize donor funding for response and recovery, including humanitarian documents and appeals (e.g. project proposals). Communicate and advocate on the situation and needs of children through local and international media, as necessary.

Collects and analyzes lessons learned from UNICEF emergency operations experience and contributes to the adoption of best practices and standards for longer-term emergency responses. Assists in identifying long-term emergency response/operations needs.
Works with other colleagues to ensure that disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response strategies are integrated into country/area office work plans. Assist in the preparation of sectoral input for the office’s country program documents, action plans, annual work plans and other related emergency preparedness and response documents. Provide technical input to the preparation of situation analyzes and country program document, as required.
As an advocate for every child, you will need to have…

A University Diploma (BAC+3) in one of the following fields: Social Sciences, Public Administration, Law, Public Health, Nutrition, International Relations, Business Administration or any other related disciplines;
At least two years of professional experience in the humanitarian field within the United Nations System (UNS) and/or in International Organizations;
Experience in program coordination and/or management, including distribution of inputs (Shelter, BNA, Food), Health, Nutrition, Education, Water, Hygiene and Sanitation, or Child protection, involving the SNU, Government Services and/or International NGOs;
Experience with the RRM mechanism or other mechanisms with a similar approach is an undeniable asset;
Excellent oral and written communication skills;
Good ability to organize work, adapt quickly to change, and cope with stress and work in a hostile environment;
Mastery of the Microsoft Office package, and Kobo or similar tools;
Good knowledge of the context and work experience in emergency response;
Perfect command of French, and knowledge of the language of the area of ​​intervention;
Ability to read and understand technical documents in English.
For each child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values ​​of Caring, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability (CRITA) reinforce everything we do and how we do it.

Basic skills:

Establish and maintain partnerships (1);
Cultivate self-awareness and demonstrate a sense of ethics (1);
Strive to obtain tangible results (1);
Innovate and embrace change (1);
Managing ambiguity and complexity (1);
Think and act strategically (1);
Work collaboratively with others (1).
During the recruitment process, we assess candidates according to the competency framework.

Please click on the button below to Apply.