Regional Disaster Data Expert, UNV, Cairo

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General

Description of assignment title

Regional Disaster Data Expert

Assignment country

Egypt

Duty stations

Cairo

Work location

UN Premises

Expected start date

01/03/2026

Duration

12 months

(with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal

13. Climate action

Host entity

UNDRR Egypt

Modality

Onsite

Type

International

Volunteer category

Expert UCoS to Mar2026

Work arrangement

Full-time

Number of Assignments

1

Details

Mission and objectives

Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), UNDRR has over 120 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyses action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community. 

Within this context the Disaster Data Expert is expected to support government counterparts from different entities to enhance their national data capability to enable better disaster-related data collection, analysis, reporting and application. 

Specifically, the disaster data expert is expected to: 

• Support countries in the rollout of DELTA Resilience, the UNDRR- supported system for nationally owned Disaster & Hazardous Events, Losses and Damages Tracking & Analysis, and accelerated reporting through the Sendai Framework Monitor (SFM), liaising with designated focal points in the countries. 
• Coordinate support for country-level data ecosystem analysis maturity assessment and data readiness and quality assessment to understand context-specific needs and best suited approaches and solutions to strengthen data governance and disaster-related data applications. 
• Support countries and partners through tools, approaches, and programmes to enhance national capacities on the use of disaster-related data standards, methodological frameworks, and new technologies to establish DELTA Resilience as country-owned disaster tracking systems. 
• Provide support to the national disaster risk reduction/Sendai Framework focal points in engaging statistics offices and sector-specific stakeholders in collecting data for reporting against Sendai Framework and related SDG targets and indicators, coordinating with national statistical offices, relevant ministries and agencies. 
• Support the continuous development, update, customization, and enhancement of training materials (for both e-learning, self-paced and facilitated in-person sessions), and the delivery of training activities, including webinars, masterclasses, blended learning sessions, etc. 
• Assist in identifying good practices in disaster-related data application, documenting use cases on disaster-related data, and developing communication materials (case studies, presentations, videos, etc.) to demonstrate the value of investing in national systems for data collection and analysis. 
• Support governments on strengthening national data collaboration and coordination among data producers, users and other stakeholders (including civil society, academia, media and private sector) to enable application of disaster-related data for risk analysis, progress monitoring and reporting, DRR financing, preparedness, early warning and early action, risk-inform development, recovery planning, etc.

Context

UNDRR supports countries in establishing institutional mechanisms, data systems, and capacities to assess climate and disaster risks and their impacts, and to apply this knowledge to inform decision-making and action, in line with the UNDRR Strategic Framework 2026 2030 and its focus on risk knowledge as a catalytic area of work. 

The position is based in Cairo as part of the UNDRR Regional Office for Arab States. The volunteer will be part of the Regional Office team responsible in providing technical assistance to governments and stakeholders to strengthen disaster data collection, analysis, and use, including for monitoring and reporting on progress in implementing the Sendai Framework. 

A recent evaluation of the Sendai Framework Monitoring system highlights limitations in data availability and capacity to collect data. This also assumes significance in the light of recent historic decisions on loss and damage taken at the last three UNFCCC COPs, reinforced the need for more comprehensive data on human, environmental and economic impacts to inform programmes, policies and technical assistance. Within this context, UNDRR is implementing its SFM acceleration strategy and rolling-out DELTA Resilience as a core country-owned solution for data on hazardous events and disaster losses and damages. The UNV will contribute directly to the rollout of DELTA Resilience in his/her region of assignment, and to strengthening national disaster-related data systems and risk knowledge generation and use.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Regional Risk knowledge/Data officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Disaster Data Expert will: 

• Support countries in data ecosystem maturity and data readiness and quality self-assessment to understand context-specific needs and best suited approaches and solutions to strengthen data governance and disaster-related data applications. 
• Identify technical assistance needs of governments in the region to understand benefits, opportunities and needs to establish, enhance or upgrade national disaster tracking systems enabled by DELTA Resilience. 
• Support countries through regional and/or national capacity development efforts (as required) to collect and analyze data through DELTA Resilience and accelerate reporting on the Sendai Framework Monitor (SFM), including relevant SDG indicators. 
• Provide technical assistance to countries for strengthening and connecting existing data systems, legacy data migration and integration, and/or enhancement of interoperability with DELTA Resilience. 
• Liaise with National Statistical Offices (NSOs) for integration and streaming disaster-related statistics with the national statistics ecosystem, including supporting reporting roles. 
• Assist Sendai Framework monitoring focal points to identify, clean and maintain appropriate primary and secondary data sources for reporting on the Sendai Framework Monitor.
• Assist data users in understanding the multiple applications of data and the specific requirements, in terms of format, type of data, disaggregation per variables, latency and quality need to enable different use-cases/applications. 
• Support data producers and users to identify, analyze, and interpret trends or patterns through simple data visualizations, using basic statistical methods and/or machine learning techniques, to identify relevant features and variables in structured and unstructured sources of information and data.
• Support government counterparts and UN country teams in producing analytical reports, enhancing dashboards, producing infographics and translating data into meaningful insights.

Eligibility criteria

Age

18 - 80

Required experience

7 years

Nationality

Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience

7 years

Languages

English, Level: Fluent, Required 

Arabic, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable

Required education level

Master's degree in Data science, computer science, data analytics, economics, statistics, information management, GIS-analysis, public administration, management or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Competencies and values

• Professionalism 
• Integrity 
• Teamwork 
• Commitment to continuous learning 
• Planning and organizing 
• Communication 
• Flexibility 
• Commitment towards principles of voluntary engagement

Skills and experience

• Data analysis, applied analytics and statistics, information management, project management, stakeholder management, capacity development, or related area is required.
• Experience with self-service analytics and data visualization applications is desirable. 
• Experience in coordinating and facilitating capacity development efforts is desirable.
• Experience in tools for geospatial data management is highly desirable.
• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development.
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment is required. 
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines. 
• Have affinity with or interest in disaster risk reduction, climate action and/or resilience building volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.

Area(s) of expertise

Crisis and emergency response, Economics and finance, Information technology

Driving license

-

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

Cairo, Egypt is a family duty station with a wide range of services (health, education and leisure) and good living conditions. It has long been a center of the region’s political and cultural life, with high levels of tourism. Like other similar cities, Cairo offers good quality of life in terms of access to shopping centers, banks, medical services, educational facilities, cultural events, etc. The Arab Republic of Egypt has a unique geographical position in Northeast Africa, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, on the Mediterranean and Red Sea, and its connection to Sub Saharan Africa through the Nile Valley. Link to the entitlement calculator: https://app.unv.org/calculator Access to UNV E-Campus for training and learning, including access to LinkedIn learning. Further entitlements and information available at: https://www.unv.org/volunteer-your-country-conditions-service.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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