Emergency Officer, NO-B, Damascus, Syria, MENA Region #128496 (Temp. Appt.)

UNICEF Syria is hiring an Emergency Officer at the NO-B level to support the programme in the Field Operations section in Damascus. The selected candidate under the supervision of the Chief field Operations and Emergency will coordinate with the team and bring added value to the operationalization of preparedness and accountability.

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.

And we never give up.

For every child, peace

UNICEF Syria was established in 1970 and has been working with partners to help empower children to fully claim and enjoy their rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UNICEF works with partners across Syria to deliver supplies, services, and expertise in areas of Child Protection, Education, Health, Nutrition, Water, Hygiene and Sanitation for every child. UNICEF also provides humanitarian assistance when needed.

Syria continues to face one of the most complex emergencies in the world. Unprecedented humanitarian needs are compounded by displacement inside the country and across its borders, extensive destruction of civilian and social services infrastructure, devastating impacts on the economy, and most importantly, the breakdown of the social fabric that stitched the country together for decades.

Today, 90% of people in Syria live in poverty, most are unable to make ends meet or bring food to the table. Families have had their resources depleted, with limited employment opportunities, skyrocketing prices, and shortage of basic supplies. For most people, the current socio-economic challenges represent some of the harshest and most challenging circumstances they have faced since the beginning of the crisis 11 years ago.

In 2024, 16.7 million people need humanitarian assistance. This is the highest number of people in need ever recorded in Syria since 2011. The number of children in need – more than 6.5 million – has increased by seven per cent in the past year alone. This is largely due the ongoing conflict, continued displacements, the unprecedented economic crisis, deepening poverty, and unemployment. The COVID-19 pandemic, the hike in price of commodities triggered by the overall global economic situation and the impact of sanctions are further compounding the dire situation.

For information of the work of our organization, please visit our website: UNICEF Syria  

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Syria in Damascus is looking for an Emergency Officer at the NO-B level, under the direct supervision of the Chief Field Operations to support the implementation of the of the country office emergency preparedness and response. The Emergency Officer 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 in Syria field operations.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

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.

1. 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.

1. Emergency Project

• 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.

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

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 (2) years of relevant professional work experience at the national and/or international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, or administration.
• Field work experience in Syria is required.
• Training and/or experience in emergency response management highly desirable.
• Working experience with UNICEF/ UN will be an asset.
• Candidates with experience in a humanitarian context will have an advantage. 

Language Requirement:

Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

Desired Skills:

Technical Knowledge

1. Specific Technical Knowledge Required (for the job).

• UNICEF policies and strategy to address on national and international emergency issues, particularly relating to conflicts, natural disasters, and recovery.
• Knowledge of global humanitarian issues, specifically relating to children and women, and the current UNCEF position and approaches.
• Knowledge of the principle of gender parity and equality.

1. Common Technical Knowledge Required (for the job group).

• The UNICEF mission statement; UNICEF Board policy papers and decisions.
• The Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies.
• The Convention on the Rights of the Child; Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women.
• EMOPS Technical Notes, EMOPS Emergency Field Book.
• UNICEF Program Manuals, policy guidelines, ExDirs, PROs; Country Programme documentation.
• UNICEF personnel, financial, supply and administrative rules, regulations, and manuals.
• National development plans and policies; Guidelines and manuals from NGO/donor partners
• Annual work plan.
• UNDAF; The UN Humanitarian Reform; IASC documents, guidelines and materials on UN Humanitarian Reform and the cluster approach.
• Information & Communications Technology literacy, including skills and knowledge of office system applications, LAN, internet navigation, telecommunications, and data analysis.
• Gender equality and diversity awareness.

1. Technical Knowledge to be Acquired/Enhanced (for the Job).

• Knowledge of local conditions and country legislation relevant to UNICEF programmes.
• UN security operations and guidelines.
• UN policies and strategy to address international humanitarian/emergency issues and response.
• UN common approaches to programmatic issues and UNICEF positions in international developing cooperation.
• Knowledge of the latest developments and trends in emergency preparedness and response management related fields.

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…

Level 1: 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, and Works collaboratively with others. 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Staff members with Fixed Term, Continuous or Permanent contracts with UNICEF serving in an E/Non-Family Duty Station must have served a minimum of one year Time in Post (TIP) in their current position at the time of the closing of the vacancy announcement.

For National Officer (NO) positions, only nationals of the country are eligible, except staff members who are who are already legally permitted to work for UNICEF in the country. 

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 shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

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.

This is an internal and external vacancy announcement.

Syria Country Office is a non-family duty station, with an E hardship classification.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.