The Middle East escalations beginning in February 2026 have significantly increased regional instability, particularly affecting the Levant and Gulf, with spillover impacts on North Africa and the Horn of Africa. The crisis has strained national systems, disrupted infrastructure, displaced populations, and complicated development gains.
In response, UNDP requires strengthened crisis management capacity to ensure coordinated, real-time support to Country Offices operating in rapidly evolving and complex environments, while maintaining alignment with regional and corporate priorities.
Mission and Objectives
The Crisis Management Support Officer supports UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS), based in the Amman Regional Hub, in coordinating crisis response and recovery efforts across the region. The role focuses on coordination, reporting, information flow, cross-regional collaboration, and recovery planning in support of Country Offices, particularly in the Gulf and Levant.
Key Responsibilities
1. Crisis Response Coordination and Reporting
- Support coordination of crisis response efforts across Country Offices
- Compile, analyze, and synthesize inputs for timely and accurate reporting
- Maintain tracking systems for crisis actions, decisions, and follow-up
- Support alignment with regional and corporate priorities
2. Cross-Regional Collaboration
- Support the Gulf team and liaise with Levant, North Africa, and Horn of Africa teams
- Facilitate information exchange, lessons learned, and good practices
- Promote integrated, regionally aligned crisis response approaches
3. Recovery Planning and Strategic Alignment
- Support recovery planning processes aligned with UNDP strategies
- Identify programmatic solutions based on emerging needs and lessons learned
- Contribute to discussions on resilience and transition from response to recovery
4. Briefings and Knowledge Products
- Draft briefing notes, situation updates, and talking points for senior management
- Support development and quality assurance of knowledge products
- Maintain organized records of crisis-related documentation
5. Knowledge Management and Institutional Coherence
- Document and disseminate lessons learned and innovative practices
- Support institutional knowledge-sharing across Country Offices
- Track follow-up actions and promote continuous learning
Requirements
Education
- Master’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Political Science, Social Sciences, Management, or related field
- A Bachelor’s degree with an additional two years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s
Languages
- English: Fluent (required)
- Arabic: Fluent (desirable)
- French: Fluent (desirable)
Skills and Experience
- Minimum 3 years of experience in crisis coordination and management
- Experience working in the Arab States region
- Strong analytical, drafting, and reporting skills
- Ability to work independently under tight deadlines
- Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills in multicultural settings
- High adaptability in rapidly changing environments
- Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and digital communication tools
Volunteer Living Allowance: currently US$ 2,650 to US$ 3,100
UN Volunteers serve full-time in their professional expertise, supported by a benefits package, including a monthly living allowance to ensure a secure standard of living at their duty stations. These allowances are not intended as compensation, reward, or salary for the volunteer's service.
Check out UNV's Entitlement Calculator on UVP, the Unified Volunteer Platform, and learn more.
