Programme Officer (Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Response), NO-1, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (Temporary Appointment until 31 Dec 2026) #136809

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For every child, the right to protection

UNICEF works to promote and protect the rights of every child, with a strong focus on equity and reaching the most vulnerable. In Mongolia, children are increasingly exposed to climate-related disaster risks, including dzud, extreme cold, floods, and air pollution, which impact health, education, nutrition, and protection outcomes.

UNICEF Mongolia integrates disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate resilience, and emergency preparedness and response (EPR) across sectors (Health, Nutrition, Education, WASH, Child Protection, Social Policy) to ensure continuity of essential services for children and communities.

How can you make a difference? 

Under the supervision of the Programme Specialist (Climate Change and Clean Air), the Programme Officer (DRR and Emergency Response) provides technical and programmatic support to:

• Strengthen child-sensitive DRR and climate resilience programming
• Ensure effective emergency preparedness and response coordination
• Support integration of risk-informed programming across sectors
• Support the integration and institutionalization of shock-responsive social protection (SRSP) within national systems, working closely with the Social Protection team to strengthen preparedness, delivery mechanisms and response to climate and disaster-related shocks.
• Strengthen partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders, including the Government, UN agencies, CSOs and the private sector.
• Strengthen public awareness, education, advocacy and communication.  

Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Resilience Programming

• Support the design and implementation of child-centered DRR and climate resilience programmes aligned with organisational strategy. Ensure that programmes are gender-responsive and inclusive of vulnerable populations.
• Support the integration of shock-responsive social protection (SRSP) into DRR,  climate resilience programming, post shock social protection and financing systems.Mainstream DRR and climate risk into sectoral workplans (WASH, Education, Health, Nutrition, CP, SP)
• Contribute to risk-informed programming, including the integration into CPD, AWPs, and SitAn.
• Support the development of evidence, risk assessments, and vulnerability analysis for the Mongolian context
• Promote innovative approaches for resilient services (e.g., winterization, climate-resilient infrastructure)
• Work with local communities to strengthen resilience capacities, facilitate training, awareness campaigns, and participatory planning.

Emergency Preparedness

• Conduct hazard, vulnerability, and capacity assessments, analyze climate risks and disaster trends to inform programming
• Support the development and updating of country contingency plans, early warning systems, and emergency preparedness measures, including capacity building on disaster risk reduction.
• Contribute to the planning, coordination, and monitoring of emergency preparedness and response plans, ensuring alignment across sectors and resources.
• Provide technical support and advice on emergency preparedness and response, including programme management aspects.
• Maintain relevant data, information systems, and resource mapping, including logistics planning to enable timely and effective emergency response.
• Support preparedness actions for social protection in emergencies, including assessment of national social protection system readiness, identification of delivery mechanisms and integration into contingency  and financing plan.

Emergency Response

• During emergencies, participate as a member of the Emergency Response Team, supporting initial response actions, verification of emergencies, and coordination with government, UN, and partners.
• During emergencies, support rapid assessments of emergencies, including impacts on children and communities, and contribute to defining appropriate response priorities in line with CCCs.
• During emergencies, assist in the implementation of emergency response plans, including coordination of resources, monitoring of programme delivery, financial tracking, and preparation of situation reports.
• Strengthen institutional and community-based response mechanisms.
• Support the design and implementation of shock-responsive social protection responses, including cash-based interventions and post shock responses and tracking.

Partnerships

• Liaise with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and relevant ministries and agencies
• Participate in inter-agency coordination mechanisms and clusters/sectors
• Identify opportunities for partnership and resource mobilization
• Strengthen partnerships with UN agencies, NGOs, donors, and the private sector
• Support advocacy for child-sensitive DRR and emergency response policies and financing
• Contribute to policy development on DRR and climate adaptation and advocate for risk-informed development and resilience investment.
• Contribute to positioning UNICEF in the national DRR and climate resilience agenda.

Public Awareness, Education, and Communication

• Prepare communication materials, position papers, and campaign materials and implement advocacy campaigns.
• Ensure the visibility of DRR programmes through media and digital platforms
• Translate technical DRR concepts into accessible content for diverse audiences, including children, adolescents, and young people.  
• Support community-based DRR communication while ensuring inclusion of vulnerable groups.
• Maintain documentation of lessons learned and best practices.

 Programme Monitoring, Reporting and Knowledge Management

• Support monitoring of DRR and emergency programmes against targets and indicators
• Contribute to programme reporting (RAM, donor reports, annual reports)
• Document lessons learned, best practices and innovations
• Strengthen knowledge management systems and facilitate learning within CO

Capacity Building and Technical Support

• Support capacity development of:
  • Government counterparts (national & subnational)
  • UNICEF staff and implementing partners
• Integrate climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction into development programs.
• Develop guidance, tools, and training materials on DRR/EPR
• Provide technical inputs to programme design, reviews, and evaluations
• Support capacity building of government counterparts and partners on shock-responsive social protection (SRSP), including systems strengthening, targeting, delivery mechanisms and post-shock response.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  JD_Programme Officer_DRR&Emergency Response_NOA_TA.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:  A university degree in one of the following fields: Social sciences, humanities, disaster and emergency management, environmental sciences, or another relevant technical field.

Work Experience: 

• At least one year of relevant professional work experience at national or international level in DRR, climate resilience, emergency preparedness and response, programme/project development is required
• Experience in Mongolia context (climate, dzud, emergencies) is an advantage
• Relevant work experience in areas related to children’s health, and children’s rights is an asset.
• Experience working with government and/or UN/NGOs is an asset
• Specialized training/experience in emergency response management is highly desirable.

Skills:

• Strong analytical, coordination, and communication skills.
• Ability to work under pressure in emergency situations.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and partnership skills.

Language Requirements:  Fluency in English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset

Desirables:

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

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…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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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 is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce.

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 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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.