Stretch Assignment: SBP Surge Officer (Emergency Officer), EMOPS, PCHP Geneva
In-person stretch for Geneva based candidates and/or remote for candidates applying from outside Geneva with the possibility to travel to Istanbul and/or Geneva for specific missions
Title: SBP Surge Officer (Emergency Officer)
Level: P2 – we encourage staff from all levels with the relevant experience to apply
Reports to: Emergency Specialist P3
Duration: 5 months
Section: EMOPS, PCHP Geneva
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Dates/Duration: From May 11, 2026 till October 11, 2026
Eligibility: All Fixed-Term, Permanent or continuing appointment UNICEF staff members currently working in UNICEF worldwide.
Background
The Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS) provides strategic and coordinated support to Country Offices preparing for and responding to humanitarian crises, in collaboration with Regional Offices, to ensure that they have the right capacities to respond effectively and deliver on its Corporate Commitments to Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs). EMOPS leads efforts to ensure that UNICEF’s role in complex and protracted emergencies and natural disasters is clearly defined, that the organisation is properly equipped to fulfil that role, and that all levels of the organisation are prepared to deliver our mandate. The Deputy Director’s Office in Geneva manages large scale activities to support UNICEF’s organisational strategies and capacity to undertake effective humanitarian action. The job is under the People Centered Humanitarian Partnerships (PCHP) section at EMOPS Geneva. The PCHP section works to strengthen the contribution of UNICEF and EMOPS to fostering effective alliances and relationships with UN agencies, International Organizations, NGO coalition, IASC processes, and advocates with Member States on behalf children in humanitarian situations and how member states can do to preserve and protect their rights. The SBP team works in close collaboration with other sections, such as DPC, HFSS and SD, providing surge support and advice to internal stakeholders.
Purpose of the Position
Under the guidance of the Emergency Specialist, Standby Arrangements, the position will manage and strengthen UNICEF’s engagement with organisations who collaborate as ‘standby partners’ to enable UNICEF to provide adequate, effective and efficient deployment of human resources in situations and frontline service delivery capacity in emergencies.
With the Emergency Specialist, Standby Arrangements, the Emergency Officer will serve as the global focal point for emergency standby capacity requests, nominations and selections. With the Global Cluster Coordination Unit, the Emergency Officer manages the recording and reporting of RRT/FST deployments; oversees the pre-deployment and logistics of standby deployees and RRT/FST members deploying to UNICEF offices, as well as extensions and post mission performance evaluation. The Emergency Officer also provides analysis and strategic reporting on UNICEF emergency standby capacity response. The Emergency Officer is tasked to strengthen knowledge management and data to support the development of more effective partnership, measure and evidence results, and advocate for improvements to deployment practices through close collaboration with DHR. The Emergency Officer also represents the
Section in trainings and is a key interlocutor with partner. The Emergency Officer supports partnership development and expansion, as well as ensuring standby management processes are fit for purpose.
Duration
This stretch assignment will be for a period of five (5) months.
Main Responsibilities and Tasks:
Standby Deployments
Daily management of standby deployments by conducting and overseeing the related activities (field and record requests, review ToRs, receiving and screening of candidates for quality of nominations and in line with UNICEF’s PALs clearance process, liaison with COs and partner agencies etc.) (approx. 200-250 per year).
Daily management of RRT/FST requests, recording and reporting and liaison with GCCU on deployment decisions (approx. 40-80 per year).
Monitor the pre-deployment of deployees and oversee all pre deployment (travel, medical, security, visa, code of conduct and arrival details) procedures with the CO and deploying partner agency (approx. 200-250 per year).
Ensure extension requests are in line with mandate of standby arrangements, support Country Offices to prepare justifications and PERs and liaise with the deploying partner on extensions (approx. 60-80 per year).
Manage queries from Country Offices on Standby Arrangements, including use of surge modalities, UNICEF obligations on security, logistics and administration.
Liaise and coordinate with DPC and ROs on emergency surge deployments, specifically updating the Surge Tracking Systems for all Level 2 and Level 3 responses weekly/bi-weekly.
Closely engage with Standby Partners and advocate for support and support partnership expansion.
Participate in and represent UNICEF in Standby Partner Network meetings and related working groups consisting of deploying partners, UN agencies, and donors as required
Act as a key interlocutor with partners, when required.
Monitoring
Ensure compliance with performance monitoring by monitoring and tracking deployee PERs (approx. 200-250 per year).
Maintain the UNICEF External Surge Dashboard, manage its rollout to new partners/UNICEF staff as needed and create customised dashboard for particular divisions/responses as needed (e.g. GCCU RRT/FST dashboard).
Ensure consistent and accurate data collection for established key indicators for monitoring the standby program.
Program Development and Partnerships
Develop case studies and communication materials to highlighting the work of deployees and standby partners for the Annual Report.
Systematically screen and analyse internal information and communication material for the purpose of distribution to partners.
Maintain current briefing notes and response dashboards as needed for major Standby Partners and assist to coordinate Standby Partner monitoring visits.
Support the Emergency Specialist with evidence based analysis to demonstrate gaps, highlight trends and present the resulting findings to Standby Partners to advocate for future surge needs.
Support the Emergency Specialist in preparation of materials for new partnership negotiations.
Other
Represent the Section in training and act as a key resource person as well as providing support on learning and development processes
Performs any other duties and responsibilities appropriate to the purpose of this post, as assigned by the supervisor Impact of Results: The effective delivery of the above tasks ensures that the Emergency Specialist is effectively supported and hence, the EMOPS workplan and targets are achieved.
Impact of Results: The effective delivery of the above tasks ensures that the Emergency Specialist is effectively supported and hence, the EMOPS workplan and targets are achieved.
Minimum Qualifications and Competencies
Two to five years of progressively responsible international professional work experience in UN development/humanitarian organisations, other international development/humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisation organization and/or the IFRC/ICRC.
Experience coordinating human resources, surge rosters or operations required. Experience working with surge management software required.
Skills in Salesforce, Power BI and strong Excel skills an advantage.
Experience working in countries in crisis for UN or IFRC/NGO organizations an advantage.
Release Arrangements (If applicable):
If selected for this opportunity, the relevant staff member will remain on their existing post. If selected applicant is Geneva-based, stretch assignment will be in-person in EMOPS Geneva office and/or if the selected applicant is from outside Geneva s/he will be on remote stretch assignment. Thus, no changes will be made to staff member’s existing status (post number, etc., will all remain as is).
Once the selection process has been completed, the receiving and releasing offices will communicate to reach an agreement on the exact start date for the recommended staff member.
The staff member selected for this stretch assignment will continue to receive salary and emoluments from the releasing office during the assignment on the basis of the parent duty station location.
There is no vacant post associated for this stretch assignment. In this regard, the selected staff member will not be eligible for SPA.
How to apply:
1. If interested, please discuss this assignment with your supervisor and obtain your supervisor’s agreement for your application to be submitted, as part of your learning and development plan for the year. The agreement of your supervisor is a pre-requisite for any such stretch assignment.
2. Upon receipt of supervisor’s agreement, please send your application via TMS requisition listed in the announcement with your up-to-dated CV and a cover letter by the deadline listed with the following:
Your up-to-date TMS profile;
Your two most recent PERs;
A cover letter detailing your interest, qualifications and suitability.
An approval note or email from your supervisor.
3. Candidates considered potentially well matched for the stretch assignment will be contacted for an informal interview. Supervisors may also be contacted for reference check.
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