A Career Opportunity

UNICEF is the world’s farthest-reaching humanitarian organization for children. Across 190 countries and territories, and in the world’s toughest places, we work day in and day out to help children survive. To defend their rights. To keep them protected, healthy and educated. To give them a fair chance to fulfil their potential. Our work for every child relies entirely on voluntary support, including donations from generous Canadians. 

Senior Emergency Manager

(Permanent; Full time; Flexible-Hybrid; based in either Toronto or Ottawa)

Reporting to the Director, International Policy & Programs, the Senior Emergency Manager is responsible for managing UNICEF Canada’s work in global emergencies through regular contact with UNICEF’s headquarters and country offices, in support of fundraising and engagement opportunities in the Canadian market.

The Senior Emergency Manager monitors UNICEF’s global response to the world’s crises and acts as UNICEF Canada’s emergency convener across departments. The Senior Emergency Manager is responsible for ensuring that rapidly changing humanitarian information is accurate and disseminated in a timely manner in support of fundraising initiatives, media outreach and public engagement opportunities. 

The Senior Emergency Manager also oversees knowledge management and capacity building initiatives relating to humanitarian action across the organization and manages the development of a wide range of material, including donor proposals, policy and strategy documents about UNICEF’s humanitarian work.

This role may require irregular working hours and being available on short notice or on-call, as required when an emergency occurs.

The responsibilities of the position will include:

Crisis Management & Coordination (15%)

  • Convene and manage UNICEF Canada’s cross-departmental Emergency Team, which assesses and determines when an emergency response needs to be activated in support of fundraising and public engagement in Canada.
  • Monitor global events in relation to sudden onset emergencies and ongoing crises, maintaining strong relationships and regular contact with UNICEF’s country offices and departments.
  • Oversee the process of opening an emergency fund and manage the coordination of accurate and timely materials across departments, including executive team.
  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with program colleagues across the organization, at UNICEF Canada and globally, including Office of Emergency Programs, Division of Global Communication & Advocacy and Division of Private Fundraising & Partnerships. 

Program Management & Partnerships (30%)

  • Manage multi-million-dollar government and high-value donor-funded emergency programs in collaboration with UNICEF country offices, including tracking and monitoring implementation, budget and timeline using human rights principles, result-based management, and DEI/gender considerations. 
  • Collaborate with a range of departments to meet the needs of various donors, including providing timely updates on programming, funding and other stewardship requirements.
  • Develop and lead collaborative relationships with country offices and other global departments to monitor and evaluate program activities, travel to funded countries, as required, and provide regular reporting on progress of emergency programs.
  • Manage relationships with key stakeholders across the organization at global level to prepare program materials necessary for strategy, donor stewardship, compliance and funding opportunities.
  • Write proposals and reports for a wide variety of high-value and corporate donors at various levels of technical detail, using donor-friendly language, as appropriate for the audience.
  • Provide strategic guidance to fundraisers on key funding opportunities for sudden onset emergencies and ongoing conflicts.

Humanitarian Policy & Advocacy (30%)

  • Research and analyze the Government of Canada’s ongoing and emerging priorities and initiatives in foreign policy and international assistance and use findings to inform policy influence strategies and activities related to emergencies.
  • Build and nurture strategic relationships with senior elected officials and political staff, and develop strong relationships with all political parties, maintaining strict non-partisan views when representing the organization. 
  • Monitor new and ongoing parliamentary activities to identify and execute strategic opportunities to advance the rights of children living in or affected by emergencies.
  • Develop policy and advocacy resources to educate, influence and increase funding for sudden-onset and forgotten emergencies by decision-makers and influencers, in policy, legislation, programs and practices, including but not limited to participating in government consultations and roundtables, briefing papers (internal and external), official correspondence and official submissions and articles for external and internal publications, in collaboration with the communications team.
  • Monitor political and public discourse on humanitarian policy, emergency response and children’s rights issues in Canada and internationally, identifying opportunities to grow UNICEF’s thought leadership in Canada around humanitarian issues.

Knowledge Management, Communication & Capacity Development (25%)

  • Maintain an excellent knowledge of UNICEF’s policies and programs with regard to national and international development and humanitarian action, and monitor and communicate any innovations that are being piloted or adopted in humanitarian contexts. 
  • Promote effective relationships across departments to achieve objectives and optimize synergies in support of fundraising, marketing, advocacy and communication.
  • Manage quality, preparation and dissemination of concept papers, situation briefs and other materials for internal and external purposes, including research and fact checking.
  • Create and maintain tools and systems to share knowledge on UNICEF’s emergencies work and impact to improve organizational efficiencies. 
  • Lead on and manage training and learning opportunities about humanitarian issues to internal and external stakeholders, including volunteers, campaigners, vendors and partners.
  • Represent UNICEF Canada and make presentations at relevant public speaking events, panels, workshops and meetings.
  • Act as a media spokesperson on emergencies as requested.
  • Work with the IPP team to integrate a DEI lens into updates, concept notes and presentations on UNICEF’s humanitarian activities. 

The ideal candidate will have:

  • A university degree (master’s highly desirable) in International Development, Political Science, Human Rights or related field.
  • A minimum of seven (7) plus years of relevant work experience
  • Experience and strong knowledge of results-based management, data analysis, gender and environmental-based programming in the context of humanitarian action and human rights.
  • Strong knowledge of the Canadian international aid environment and the substantive issues affecting children in developing countries.
  • Exceptional skills in building productive working relationships with staff, country offices departments and other external partners.
  • Excellent project management and proposal development skills, with attention to detail and quality while meeting deadlines and multitasking in a fast-paced environment.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills through diverse media.
  • Ability to prepare and synthesize information for diverse internal and external audiences.
  • Ability to travel in Canada and internationally.
  • Experience working in humanitarian contexts at country level (an asset).
  • Bilingualism in English and French (an asset).

Salary Range: $70,500 to $85,500 per year

What we offer

UNICEF Canada strongly supports workplace wellness and offers the following benefits:

  • Extended Health and Dental Benefits with Health Care Spending Account
  • Life insurance and AD&D
  • Short Term Disability (STD) 
  • Long Term Disability (LTD) 
  • Employer contributions (5%) to Group Pension plan
  • Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
  • 2 paid personal days.
  • 10 paid sick days
  • Maternity and Parental leave top-up
  • 3 weeks of annual leave (vacation time increases with time served)
  • One additional day of vacation on the anniversary of each year of service, up to a maximum of 30 days.
  • Staff Appreciation Days.
  • Currently offering Flexible-Hybrid work option. 
  • Learning and Development Opportunities.
  • Discounted rate for a GoodLife membership.  

For consideration, please submit your resume and cover letter to careers@unicef.ca by March 1, 2024. Please attach your cover letter (including salary expectations) and resume as one document and reference “Senior Emergency Manager” clearly in the subject heading. 

UNICEF Canada sincerely thanks all applicants for their expressed interest in this opportunity, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. 

Consistent with our Child Safeguarding Policy, the successful candidate must receive clearance by a police background check, including a vulnerable sector screen. 

UNICEF Canada is an inclusive workplace and is committed to championing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process providing the applicant has met the requirements for the position.