Education in Emergencies Officer (HER Roster)

Host entity: UNICEF Vietnam

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Administration, Emergency preparedness, crisis response, Education

Application deadline: 20/08/2026

Mission and objectives

To support the implementation, monitoring and reporting of UNICEF Viet Nam Education in Emergency programmes.

Assignment context

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) has established the Humanitarian Emergency Response (HER) Roster to support speedy recruitment of qualified and motivated UN Volunteers for potential emergency response assignments. Candidates will be pre-screened based on their qualifications, experience, and suitability for the specific thematic or functional areas described in this Description of Assignment (DoA). Shortlisted candidates may remain in the UNV HER Roster for up to 6 months and be contacted should an emergency arise. Inclusion in the UNV HER Roster does not guarantee recruitment as a UN Volunteer. Selection and recruitment timelines will depend on the emergency occurrence, availability of candidates, and final approval by the UN host entity in accordance with Conditions of Service for UN Volunteers.

Viet Nam is highly vulnerable to climate-related and natural hazards, including typhoons, floods and landslides, which frequently disrupt children's access to education. In 2024 and 2025, multiple emergencies affected schools and learning continuity across several provinces, highlighting the need for timely, coordinated and inclusive Education in Emergencies (EiE) responses.

UNICEF Viet Nam works closely with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), Departments of Education and Training (DOETs), Education Sector Group members and other partners to support emergency preparedness, response and recovery in the education sector. Guided by UNICEF's Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs), UNICEF supports the provision of learning materials, education-related humanitarian assistance, capacity building, sector coordination, and monitoring and reporting of education responses.

This assignment is part of UNICEF Viet Nam's EiE programme and will support the planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting and coordination of emergency education interventions. Working closely with government counterparts, partners and UNICEF programme teams, the Education in Emergencies Officer will contribute to ensuring that crisis-affected children can continue learning and that education systems are better prepared to withstand future shocks.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Education Specialist, the Education in Emergencies Officer will undertake the following tasks:

Task 1: Provide technical support for timely implementation of UNICEF education response implemented by partners, including DOET(s) in the targeted affected provinces.
• Support and assist the management of the EiE supply plan, its timely procurement, distribution, and monitoring in close cooperation with the Supply Unit, and the Education Team as well as coordination with the national and provincial governments.
• Maintain close contact and coordination between UNICEF, MOET and DOET in the province(s) and sector members to arrange meetings, workshops and training courses pertaining to programme development.
• Facilitate the implementation of communication plans for education related activities as needed in close collaboration with Social Behavior Change (SBC) Focal Point.
• Travel to the fields in support of EiE programme on behalf of the Education team, consolidate and report actionable findings from trips as relevant.

Task 2: Monitor the UNICEF EiE response to ensure it is in full track as per the agreed target and plan in coordination with other sectors (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) , Child Protection, Health, Nutrition, etc.) and cross cutting working groups (Accountability to Affected Population, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Gender Based Violence, etc.); Prepare situation analysis updates and emergency-related donor reports throughout the emergency response.
• Develop and maintain systemized records, documents and plans for the monitoring of EiE interventions within the Humanitarian Performance Monitoring (HPM) System.
• Support monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the UNICEF supported EiE activities (Humanitarian Cast Transfer (HCT) distribution, learning supplies, EiE trainings and awareness raising activities) in the respective assigned province(s).
• Support providing quality concise inputs for Situation Reports (SitReps) and other reports of UNICEF Response Plan in coordination with the Education Team and Planning Monitoring and Evaluation/Emergency Unit.
• Undertake field visits to assigned provinces to join needs assessment missions, monitor EiE implementation and provide technical assistance to DOETs and sector members as required.
• Coordinate, consolidate required information, and provide drafts and input for donor reports relevant to emergency response in collaboration with the Education team.

Task 3: Assist EiE communication/visibility and resource mobilization.
• Assist the preparation of data, information and relevant figures, as well as provide inputs, for the development of EiE donor proposals.
• Support the preparation of events, including donors’ visits for UNICEF-supported EiE activities, ensuring proper UNICEF visibility and the field level;
• Support and facilitate the collection and documentation of human-interest stories from the field in coordination with the Communications and Advocacy team to demonstrate good practices and challenges of EiE interventions to be used for visibility and resource mobilization.

Task 4: Support the EiE coordination of Education Sector Group (ESG) and UN joint response team with national and provincial partners to ensure an inclusive response and accountability to affected populations, including monitoring the response and recovery implementation.
• Prepare ESG coordination meeting under the guidance of the Education Sector Coordinator.
• Draft actionable meeting minutes in timely manner aiming to be shared with members one day after the meeting is concluded.
• Assist with 5Ws(Who, What, Where, When, and for Whom) of the ESG for consistency and coordination of efforts to avoid duplication.
• Maintain the most-updated contact and mailing list of the Education Sector.
• Assist data collection/assessment of education sector group at provincial levels.
• Support the roll out EiE capacity building for the officials of DOET, MOET and ESG members to improve the quality of education response.
• Support joint UN emergency response planning and reporting.
• Lead in developing progdocs and relevant documents in collaboration and consultation with UNICEF sectors and relevant government actors including local authorities.

Skills and experience

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in development planning and management in formal and/or non-formal education and/other relevant areas is required, at least three of which field-based dealing with large-scale emergencies or displaced/refugee situations.
• Experience in responding to emergencies in the Education sector, including experience supporting the Education-in-Emergency Sector Group and cluster approach is an asset. 
• Strong communication (written and verbal) skills and fluency in both English and Vietnamese required.  
• Excellent inter-personal communication skills to be able to work closely with team members from a wide range of cultural and social context is desired.  
• Sound judgement is required in follow-up on requests; high degree of accuracy is important.  
• Ability to meet tight deadlines through excellent time management, organization, and multi-tasking skills.  
• Experience of working in the UN or other international development organizations is most preferable.

Please refer to the Context section for details on the UNV Humanitarian Emergency Response (HER) Roster. Shortlisted candidates may be included in the UNV HER Roster for up to six months and contacted should a suitable emergency response assignment arise. Inclusion in the roster does not guarantee recruitment.

Competencies and values

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Living conditions

General Information:
The Socialist Republic of Viet Nam is a vibrant and diverse country with a rich cultural heritage and a rapidly advancing economy. Over the past four decades, Viet Nam has undergone a profound transformation, emerging from a challenging past to become a dynamic, middle-income nation. Through the visionary Đổi Mới (Renovation) reforms initiated in 1986, Viet Nam has achieved remarkable economic progress and social development, positioning itself as a key player in the global market.

Today, Viet Nam enjoys strong diplomatic ties with 189 nations and upholds a foreign policy of friendship and partnership, committed to fostering global peace, mutual respect, and sustainable development. The country is well-recognized for its commitment to growth, innovation, and international cooperation, making it a trusted and reliable partner on the global stage.

Security:
Viet Nam is a stable and safe country with a minimum of security threats. The Government (GoV) maintains tight control over the security environment. Armed conflict has not been present in 50 years. There are no terrorist groups, domestic or international currently known to be organized or operating in Viet Nam. Road Traffic Accidents and climate-induced disasters are the most important threats that the UN personnel should be aware of.

Housing:
There are plenty of choices in Ha Noi at different prices depending on the demand and budget. The UN Volunteer can choose to locate near the office to walk to work or choose to settle down far away from the office, in a more popular neighborhood.

Schools & Childcare:
Most of the international staff’s children attend international schools with an academic system that is widely recognised abroad. International schools often include kindergarten and pre-school classes (sometimes even a nursery) for younger kids.

The school year in Viet Nam starts in August/ September every year and ends in May the next year, so kids can be admitted at the beginning of the Autumn (August) or Spring (January) semester. There are various schooling options available in major cities of Viet Nam.

Work for spouses & partners:
Work opportunities are available for spouses and partners. However, if hired by any organization, a work permit must be applied through the same hiring organisation.

Entitlements of National UN Volunteer include Entry Lump Sum Allowance (USD350), Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) for National UN Volunteer Specialist in Hanoi, Viet Nam at VND 23,432,745*, Insurance Coverage (Comprehensive health, life, and malicious acts insurance); Annual Leave of 2.5 days per month; Access to UNV’s learning and career development resources; and Exit Lump Sum Allowance (USD120/1 month) payable upon successful completion of the assignment. For further information on the full entitlements, please refer to the following:
• You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.
• The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.