Job Description

Please note that this vacancy is only open to eligible staff members who have been individually notified of their eligibility to apply for positions advertised in the Accelerated Posting Compendium.

June 12, 2026

A (least hardship)

Family

PR3

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2026-05-26

Emergency Officer

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Emergency Officer supports UNHCR’s work in emergency preparedness and response. This role involves emphasizing immediate protection and humanitarian assistance while working towards solutions from the onset of an emergency. The objective is to ensure timely, relevant, field-oriented support that are guided by the Operations, undertaken with the Bureaux and in close coordination with Divisions and other stakeholders. The Emergency Officer job may exist in Headquarters (HQ), Bureau, Multi-Country Office (MCO) and country operations.

The Emergency Officer normally reports to a higher-grade professional staff. The Incumbent will cover emergency preparedness and response as thematic area and will also work with other stakeholders to provide support to emergency preparedness, planning, and capacity development. The incumbent may supervise a diverse team of international and local staff.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

• Provide emergency preparedness support including contingency planning and context analysis and reporting, putting together regional plans as required.
• Provide emergency management support including emergency meetings, reporting, preparation of updates and analysis.
• Undertake risk analysis and horizon scans and produce emergency outlooks and reports
• Provide punctual field support for the preparation of contingency plans (including preparedness actions) and emergency response plans including field mission as required.
• Support emergency preparedness at regional level, interaction with regional UN offices and partners.
• Undertake gap analysis and quality review of ongoing emergency responses in support of the Operation managers.
• Engage in field deployment if relevant to the field of expertise.
• Liaise with relevant partners to address the priority emergency needs of forcibly displaced and stateless persons.
• Contribute to the development of a broad network of partners, and good coordination practices in line with the Refugee Coordination Model.
• Promote international and national law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards, and codes of conduct in particular Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and advocate that all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations fulfil their responsibilities mainstreaming protection.
• Contribute to the design, delivery and monitoring of programmes on an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) basis to address identified protection needs.
• Assist in managing a transparent, consultative, and responsible process for the approval of country-level emergency budgets and the allocation of resources.
• Ensure and monitor compliance with financial rules and regulations.
• Support the timely submission of projects to donors, CERF and pooled funding mechanisms (as applicable) and adequate reporting.
• Support the offices by identifying, disseminating, and applying good practices of innovative emergency response with a view to improving protection and assistance to forcibly displaced and stateless persons.
• Support assessment and preparedness planning missions in conjunction with other team members, to determine and guide appropriate programme interventions before the emergency occurs.
• Provide advice on emergency programme preparedness and response interventions.
• Work closely with the relevant HQ divisions and entities, Bureaus, and operations to ensure that timely and adequate emergency preparedness measures are taken.
• Support real-time reviews of emergency situations and, in collaboration with Evaluation Office, support "real time evaluations" of emergency response, as required.
• Provide lessons-learned of emergency preparedness and response and facilitate related emergency training and learning events as applicable.
• Contribute to country emergency operations plans as well as funding submission, appeals and reports.
• Assist field offices and the regional bureaux in the preparation for the post-emergency situations.
• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).

• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P3/NOC - 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Business Administration, Social Science, Economics,

International Relations or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Emergency Management Workshop - UNHCR, Security Management Learning Program - Other

HCR Management Learning Program- UNHCR.

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Previous job experiences relevant to the function, including emergency operations. Understanding of the Refugee Coordination Model and the cluster approach. Experience in team-building and offering creative thinking for rapid and effective solutions.

Desirable

Good knowledge of UNHCR financial rules, procedures and processes. Experience in providing training and in developing training materials. Knowledge of UNHCR specific programmes (ERP, Compass, etc.).

Functional Skills

*PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)

*ER-Inter-Agency Leadership/Coordination

*PR-Accountability to Affected People - Principles and Framework

*PR-Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Operations

*MG-Coordination

*CL-Protection Cluster Coordination

*CL-Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)

*PR-Refugee Coordination Model

PR-Developing Strategic Protection Framework

TR-Training and Capacity Building of Governments and/or national programs

MG-Field Operations Management

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English

For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language

For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Organizational Awareness

Teamwork & Collaboration

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

Empowering and Building Trust

Judgement and Decision Making

Managing Performance

Managing Resources

Cross-Functional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

Planning and Organizing

Political Awareness

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

The Emergency Officer works under the supervision of the Senior Programme Coordinator, collaborates with, and provides support to other colleagues in the Strategic Planning and Operations Support Section. He or She also receives and provides support to and from other sections within the Regional Bureau.

In addition to the responsibilities outlined in the Job Description, the ideal candidate will demonstrate the following:
Essential attributes
• Demonstrated experience in providing protection advisory in emergency response planning and programming, with the proven record of timely design and implementation of context-specific interventions that address protection risks while ensuring effective and principled humanitarian delivery in rapidly evolving emergency settings
• Demonstrated experience supporting emergency preparedness and response in complex humanitarian contexts, including early warning analysis, risk assessment, and contingency planning
• Proven capacity to provide technical advisory support to country operations on emergency preparedness, readiness, and response in line with corporate strategies and guidance
• Experience coordinating preparedness and response actions at regional and multi country levels, including close collaboration with HQ and Regional Bureau sections
• Familiarity with emergency operations in Africa, including a strong understanding of the region’s political, humanitarian, protection environment, displacement dynamics, and operational challenges
• Working knowledge of both French and English in a professional context

Desirable attributes
• Experience supporting emergency preparedness and response in contexts characterized by both sudden onset emergencies and protracted crises
• Strong analytical, coordination, and communication skills, with the ability to translate risk analysis into practical preparedness and response recommendations
• Ability to apply his/ her emergency preparedness and response knowledge effectively in complex, resource-constrained, and rapidly evolving emergency contexts
• Experience contributing to capacity building initiatives related to emergency preparedness and response
• Experience undertaking field missions to support emergency preparedness or response activities
• Strong team player, has strong service orientation, flexibility and proactivity to manage arising situations and challenges
• Promote collaboration and diversity in a multicultural environment and contribute to a positive work environment
The incumbent of the position will be expected to travel on missions to remote field-locations, some of which may have challenging living and working conditions as well as security constraints.

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

The Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa (RBWCA), based in Dakar, oversees UNHCR operations in eight countries with an established presence: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.

As part of a regional realignment, the Multi-Country Offices (MCOs) in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal were closed on 31 December 2025. Five standalone country offices –Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and Togo, – became fully operational on 1 October 2025 as National Offices. The Multi-Country Office (MCO) Cameroon covers Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome et Principe. The remit of the RBWCA has also expanded to include the Republic of Congo (under MCO Cameroon as of 1 October 2025), further consolidating oversight across West and Central Africa.

The Bureau is accredited to regional intergovernmental bodies, including ECOWAS and ECCAS, and engages closely with UN regional entities. With both Anglophone and Francophone countries, the region requires bilingual, context-specific engagement across diverse political and operational environments.

The West and Central Africa region is currently home to over 21.9 million forcibly displaced and stateless persons, including IDPs, refugees, asylum-seekers, and returnees. Major concentrations are found in Chad, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and the DRC, where conflict, intercommunal violence, and human rights violations continue to drive new displacement.

Humanitarian needs continue to rise due to expanding armed conflict in the Sahel, political instability, and the regional impact of the Sudan crisis, which has generated large refugee inflows into Chad and CAR. The region is also a major crossroads for mixed movements, requiring a route-based approach (RBA) along the central and western Mediterranean routes and the Sahel–North Africa axis.

While some voluntary repatriation and spontaneous returns occur, large-scale solutions remain limited. UNHCR prioritizes long-term solutions beyond return – including socio-economic inclusion, transition to national systems, and strengthened access to services – in protracted and fragile contexts.

Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) together illustrate the growing convergence between humanitarian response, national system-strengthening, and regional political dynamics in West and Central Africa. Chad has become the epicentre of the Sudan crisis, hosting more than 1.2 million refugees and operating at the limits of humanitarian capacity, making it a defining test case for UNHCR’s shift toward inclusion in national systems, development-anchored solutions, and reduced parallel structures. CAR, meanwhile, sits at the crossroads of the Sahel, the Great Lakes, and the Sudan regional crisis, with cyclical displacement, weak institutions, and volatile border zones continuing to strain its absorption capacity. Through the CAR Solutions Support Platform and cross-border coordination with Chad, Cameroon, Sudan and South Sudan, UNHCR is helping shape a more predictable framework for voluntary returns, community-based reintegration, and stabilization in areas of repeated displacement. Together, Chad and CAR underline the Bureau’s strategic move toward situation-based engagement, reinforced regional cooperation, and investment in national systems as the foundation for long-term solutions.

The Sahel has evolved from a sub-regional crisis into a complex, multi-layered situation that now shapes displacement, governance, and mixed movements across West and North Africa. The Central Sahel – Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger – continues to face escalating violence, shrinking humanitarian access, and rapidly deteriorating basic services, while the spill over into the Coastal States has transformed the crisis into a broader regional challenge. Despite this volatility, governments have demonstrated renewed political will through the Sahel+ strategy and the Lomé Dialogue, creating opportunities for coordinated approaches to asylum, border governance, protection data, and mixed movement management. UNHCR’s situational approach in the Sahel centres on community-based protection, urbanization and solutions, youth and gender, climate adaptation, and strengthened asylum systems, supported by a route-based framework that links countries of origin, transit, and destination. The Sahel thus represents both one of the deepest protection crises in the region and a critical entry point for state-led, regionally anchored solutions that reinforce resilience, inclusion, and social cohesion.

The DRC, the most recent addition to the RBWCA’s remit and immediately a regional priority, represents one of the most complex additions to the Bureau’s portfolio, with nearly 6 million IDPs and over 1.2 million Congolese refugees hosted in neighbouring states (primarily Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania). The country also hosts over 510,000 refugees from the region.

UNHCR’s role in the DRC extends beyond humanitarian response to support key regional peace processes, including the Washington Agreement (June 2025), the Doha Declaration of Principles (July 2025), and the Tripartite framework between DRC, Rwanda and UNHCR. UNHCR is recognised as a neutral technical facilitator.

The global funding landscape is driving a shift from broad programme-based models to more projectized, donor-aligned delivery. The Bureau is adopting project-based management, with new SOPs defining roles along the project cycle, strengthened accountability and contribution-tracking, and enhanced M&E to demonstrate results.

Capacity building on project management, proposal writing, donor compliance, and risk management will be rolled out. A regional oversight mechanism, standardized templates, and regional proposal packs will support quality and alignment. Strategic prioritisation of proposals will be essential to avoid overload.

The Bureau will also diversify partnerships – including national partners, development actors, ECOWAS, and emerging donors – to reinforce sustainability and avoid overly ambitious or politically sensitive commitments, particularly in complex contexts such as the DRC.

The incumbent will cover emergency preparedness and response as thematic area in country operations under the purview of the Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa and will also work with country operations and other stakeholders to provide support to emergency preparedness, planning, and capacity development. The position is based in the Regional Bureau in Dakar, Senegal and the incumbent may supervise a small team of local staff.

Living and Working Conditions:

It is planned that the entire United Nations system in Dakar will relocate to a common UN house in Diamniadio, approximately 40 km from the main city. Staff who choose to live in the the city would face a substantial commute. Arrangements are being made for staff transportation and teleworking schedules to ensure acceptable working conditions. Candidates applying for positions based in Dakar should consider this accordingly.

As the capital of Senegal, Dakar has a population of over one million and offers reasonable medical facilities, providing both general and specialist care in line with international standards. Dakar is classified by the United Nations as an "A" family duty station, indicating access to all basic services and most recreational activities and facilities.

Living conditions are comfortable, and essential services are readily available.

While the asylum practices in West Africa are generally generous, the operational and political environments present unique challenges for the UN, and particularly for UNHCR. The region hosts a variety of political and UN coordination mechanisms, requiring significant time and effort to ensure that UNHCR remains relevant. Key structures include the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, led by a Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), the Regional UNDG, and regional offices for WFP, UNICEF, OCHA, UN Women, FAO, among others. Donors also have regional p

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Bachelor of Arts: Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts: Economics, Bachelor of Arts: International Relations, Bachelor of Arts: Social Science

Certifications

Emergency Management Workshop - UNHCR, HCR Management Learning Program - UNHCR, Security Management Learning Program - Other

Completed an emergency mission of more than 2 months (outside of ERT scheme), Work Context: Emergency

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Accelerated Posting Compendium 2026 - Part B

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance