Emergency Officer

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

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.

You will be working with dynamic colleagues in one of the largest UNICEF Country Offices in the world. In a country undergoing rapid economic and demographic transition, help strengthen resilience and emergency preparedness to protect children from the impacts of climate induced disasters, public health emergencies, child marriage, child labour and violence. Support the country to invest more in health and education, and to extend safe water to the children who are left behind.

Bangladesh has a long history of natural disasters. The geographical location, land characteristics, multiplicity of rivers and the monsoon climate render Bangladesh highly vulnerable to natural hazards. Bangladesh suffers from floods, cyclones, storm surge, river bank erosion, earthquake, drought, salinity intrusion, fire and tsunami. In addition to the vulnerability of natural hazards, Bangladesh also currently hosts close to one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar who are in need of humanitarian support.

The UN Volunteer will be part of the Field Services Section, which takes forward the emergency coordination and field support function in Bangladesh Country Office. This position will provide technical support to UNICEF emergency preparedness and response country wide, including the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Under the direct supervision of the Emergency Specialist, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Provides technical assistance in risk analysis to identify emergency-prone conditions and contribute to early warning and timely emergency preparedness.

• Assists in the formulation of plans of action in preparation and response to emergencies in line with the Core Commitment for Children in Humanitarian Action, and monitors compliance of all sectors with emergency plans of action.

• Identifies formal and informal sources of information and routinely collects, interprets and analyses all available data on the evolving situation (e.g. flood, cyclone and drought forecasting, etc.) and its implications to the emergency operation.

• In the event of an emergency/disaster, assists in implementation of the initial operational tasks relating to emergency response and supports collection of reliable information to verify the nature and extend of the emergency with field staff, government partners, other UN agencies or local organizations and media.

• Assists with humanitarian performance monitoring, documenting and donor reporting. Supports follows up with programme and operations sections on the timely procurement of supplies and delivery of assistance. Identifies problems and constraints in delivery of humanitarian response and assists the emergency team in addressing them.

• Supports preparation of humanitarian reports (situation updates and reports, donor reports, etc.) in close collaboration with relevant programme and communication sections and field offices. Undertakes preliminary screening and verification of inputs, supports editing of the reports.

• Contributes to staff capacity building on emergencies preparedness through technical assistance to training and knowledge sharing sessions. Provides briefing, as required.

• Accountability • Adaptability and Flexibility • Building Trust • Client Orientation • Commitment and Motivation • Commitment to Continuous Learning • Communication • Ethics and Values • Integrity • Planning and Organizing • Professionalism • Respect for Diversity • Working in Teams

programme/project management, including planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation at the national and/or international levels.  Work experience in report writing and editing.  Exposure to emergency programming is an asset.
 Proficiency in use of Microsoft 365 applications, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams, and other related software packages.

Dhaka is located in central Bangladesh along the Buriganga River. Not only is it the capital city, but it is also the largest in the country. It is the centre of political, cultural, and economic life in Bangladesh. The official language is Bengali, while English is the working language of UN Agencies. In recent decades, Dhaka has seen the modernization of services, communications, and public works. The city is attracting large foreign investments and greater volumes of commerce and trade. It is also experiencing an increasing influx of people from across the nation; this has reportedly made Dhaka one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Good English-speaking medical, dental services, and educational centres are available for internationals.

Dhaka is connected to other cities by rail, road, and by air and internationals can move easily from one city to another. Dhaka has venerable green spaces, including many gardens and parks, historical places, and nice restaurants. The weather is tropical - hot and very humid during the summer monsoon season (April-September) and drier and cooler in the winter (October-March).

Historically, Bangladesh has been a safe country for internationals so far. While Dhaka is not categorized as a hardship station, the volunteer should be prepared for limitations in freedom of movement on foot, by public transport, and to certain locations.