Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Officer (CST-II)- Regional Bureau Cairo

Job Description

JOB PURPOSEAs the largest humanitarian agency in the world, WFP is well-known for its ability to anticipate, prepare for and respond to crises and deliver food assistance to people in need, either in-kind (IK) or in the form of cash-based transfers (CBT). WFP is also an enabler of the broader humanitarian system, playing a lead role in the Food Security and Livelihood Cluster, the Logistics and Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) and hosting the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS).Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) is at the core of WFP?s mandate and therefore is a critical functional area. WFP EPR officers ensure that the organization?s preparation for, and response to, emergencies is well coordinated both internally and externally.By implication, EPR work involves close collaboration with other WFP functional areas at the global-, regional- and country levels.Furthermore, it involves relationship-building and coordination with external actors in interagency settings (e.g. the cluster system) as well as through bilateral channels.Given the importance of EPR to WFP?s mandate, WFP is seeking to further reinforce its EPR capacity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Eastern Europe regions. This position addresses that gap.KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)This position is based in the WFP Regional Bureau in Cairo, Egypt reporting directly into the WFP Regional Head of EPR. The incumbent will be expected to lead RBC?s regional transformation efforts related to delivering in emergencies and will be part of an EPR team that includes HMI and conflict sensitivity where s/he is specifically responsible for programmatic elements of an emergency response, whether in-kind or CBT.The incumbent will be expected to have a strong field focus and be willing to travel frequently to field locations, including unstable and hard-to-reach locations. S/he will also work in close coordination with other parts of the organization, including the WFP Emergencies Division (EME) and CBT in headquarters.Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for the following:

• Working in close coordination with other Regional Bureau teams and EME, ensuring that WFP is continuously scanning the horizon for potential shocks and stressors that could lead to new emergencies in the region ? both operational and oversight countries, and reacting with timely and proportionate preparedness actions. This will include leading contingency planning exercises.
• Working with COs and the RB to prepare for possible emergency responses, including identifying appropriate Anticipatory Actions for mitigations and potential transition pathways out of emergencies.
• Supporting WFP COs to adapt from the MPA/APA system to using the RBC Minimum Agility Standards (MAS) in coordination with other functional units and providing training and guidance to EPR Focal Points at the CO level.
• Ensuring that the Regional Bureau has minimum surge capabilities for responding to emergencies within the region.This will include building and maintaining a cross-functional roster of emergency responders from within the Regional Bureau personnel and ensuring their readiness to deploy at short notice.
• As required, participating and programmatically leading ?first wave? deployments in response to emergencies in the region. This will include helping WFP to quickly design and scale-up new operations that respond to the urgent food and nutrition needs of crisis-affected populations, as well as to set up the necessary internal capacity and systems to make that happen.
• Lead WFP?s regional efforts to support national governments to better prepare for, and respond to, emergencies. Depending on the context, this may include supporting governments to assess the risk landscape, assess their own preparedness for emergencies, develop contingency plans and undertake emergency simulation exercises.
• Acting as a day-to-day interface with EME technical counterparts and ensuring an effective two-way flow of information. This will include ensuring active and effective Regional Bureau engagement in the Corporate Alert System (CAS), the corporate Early Warning Watch List and other related systems and processes.
• Closely working with the regional Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping team for data preparedness for emergencies and developing 72 hours assessment capabilities in the region.
• Providing support to COs and the RB on funding proposals linked to emergency preparedness and immediate response activations, such as WFP?s IRA funds and the CERF.
• Any other duties, as required

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