Emergency Officer P4 – Limited Fixed Term (3 positions : 1 Benin, 1 Côte d’Ivoire, 1 Togo)

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), a highly prestigious, reputable & world’s largest humanitarian organization, operates in more than 120 countries and territories, bringing life-saving assistance in emergencies, building pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change and supporting sustainable and resilient livelihoods for a world with zero hunger. At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do, and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of the diverse, committed, skilled, and high-performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP’s values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

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ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

The Emergency Operations Division (EME) contributes to WFP’s strategic goal of achieving Zero Hunger by 2030 through the management of an emergency preparedness and response portfolio. EME provides a field-focused, service-oriented, steering and convening role focusing on forward-looking preparedness and support to emergencies to ensure a swift, coordinated and integrated response.

The Emergency Officer will have the operational and technical skills to provide expertise for the design, management, coordination and implementation of emergency preparedness and response operations, facilitating timely, efficient, and effective approaches that are integrated across functions, supporting appropriately programmatic activities.

Rising armed conflict in the Central Sahel has led to massive population displacement, catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity in some of the Countries of the region. Over the past years, significant spill-over into the Gulf of Guinea countries has been reported, resulting in a refugee flux and internal displacements.

This Emergency Officer position in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo aims to support the Country Offices’ operations to provide in a timely manner the most appropriate response to beneficiaries and affected populations. For each Country Office, the position will be reporting to the Country Director with technical support from Regional Bureau Dakar as well as Headquarter Emergency Team.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Under the supervision of the Country Director and close support from Regional Bureau Dakar as well as Headquarter Emergency Team:

Emergency Coordination

1. Take a leading and collaborative role in coordinating the emergency response in direct support to the Country Director.

2. Lead cross-functional analysis, including context analysis to inform the emergency preparedness and response team in Regional Bureau and headquarters.

3. Facilitate cross-functional coordination at the appropriate level and convene counterparts from various technical/functional areas to ensure that emergency preparedness and response is delivered in a coherent, integrated, and efficient manner.

4. Lead preparation of emergency assessment capacities, contingency planning, scenario building and Concept of Operations to ensure adequate operational readiness and where feasible, a transition plan for more sustainable emergency responses.

5. Provide advice to Country Office (CO) and Regional Bureau (RB) on the operationalization and integration of a multi-dimensional approach to humanitarian access across their Concepts of Operations, Access strategies, work plans and, where possible, Country Strategic Plans.

6. Monitor emerging humanitarian and food security trends and potential socio-economic and political instability to identify risks and strategies for preparedness and risk reduction before a crisis occurs.

7. Provide timely situational updates to senior management and a diverse range of stakeholders to ensure effective decision-making as well as required external support by the Country Office / Regional Bureau/headquarters.

8. Ensure that WFP’s activities linked to the emergency response are coordinated with the affected communities, authorities, and partners.

Resource Mobilization

9. Proactively provide advice and support on the mobilization of WFP resources and capabilities for effective and sustainable emergency response.

10. Leverage available funding mechanisms, partnership networks, and communication and advocacy platforms to raise the visibility of the emergency operation and requirements.

11. Identify opportunities to secure additional emergency staff and non-staff resources from external partners, engaging with relevant actors and stakeholders.

12. Identify and leverage technological tools and solutions to enhance emergency response effectiveness and efficiency.

Leadership and Management

13. Serve as a key advisor to management on all matters related to the emergency response.

14. Promote/Advocate for the application of WFP’s emergency guidance and protocols.

15. Lead the development of functional training and documentation of lessons learned to promote good knowledge management practices ensuring improvement of future emergency responses.

16. Lead, motivate, and develop a substantive emergency response team to enable high performance.

17. Take responsibility for an equitable and inclusive workplace that incorporates all dimensions of the WFP diversity and inclusion framework.

Education:

You have

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree equivalent, BAC+4/5), recognized by https://www.whed.net/home.php in social sciences, public administration, international law, public health, international relations/development/affairs, logistics, supply chain management, business administration or other relevant fields, OR a first university degree (Bachelor’s degree equivalent, BAC +3) in the same disciplines with additional years of experience and/or advanced training courses.

Experience:

You have:

At least eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional post-graduate experience working in programmatic activities with a focus on Emergency preparedness and management.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE FOR ENTRY IN THE ROLE:

• Has taken an active role in negotiations with donors/ government officials, partners, media outlets, etc. on multiple issues of moderate complexity.
• Has gained substantial experience in humanitarian operations roles as (but not limited to) a programme or project officer, team leader, supply chain officer, head of field office, or equivalent. Experience in developing and implementing Cash Based Transfer activities is highly desired.
• Has demonstrated leadership in a variety of contexts, including in emergencies and/or hardship duty stations.
• Has effectively recruited and managed multicultural teams.
• Has experience working in collaboration with a diverse array of humanitarian actors, including governments, NGOs, U.N. agencies, civil society, etc.

Languages:

Fluency (level C in reading, writing and speaking) in English and French.

Deadline for application: 28 May 2023

WFP Value Proposition

• Meaningful and impactful careers – Our day-to-day work makes a difference in the lives of the people we serve.
• Continuous learning and training – We provide learning tools for our staff to continually develop their careers.
• Multicultural and stimulating working environment – We encourage gender and cultural diversity to make our teams stronger.