Application for Humanitarian Deployments
ZIF deploys ("seconds") experts to humanitarian operations in order to meet increased, acute and short-term personnel needs. These deployments are made possible for members of the ZIF Expert Pool with a humanitarian background through deployment agreements with UN partner organizations that are part of the Standby Partnership Network.
Who we look for
We second experts to short-term humanitarian deployments of various UN partner organizations. We are therefore looking for experienced experts with a humanitarian background for our ZIF Expert Pool, who are available for these deployments at short notice.
Which humanitarian UN partners does ZIF have?
ZIF works closely with the following UN partners to deploy qualified standby personnel to humanitarian operations:
- OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- WFP, the United Nations Refugee Agency
- UNHCR, the United Nations Children's Fund
- UNICEF, the United Nations World Food Programme
- WHO, the United Nations World Health Organization
Additional deployment agreements with UN humanitarian partner organizations are in progress.
What are the criteria for becoming a ZIF Expert Pool member?
We review your application documents on the basis of standardized application criteria. In doing so, we are guided by the criteria, needs and personnel requirements of our UN partners.
We base our selection on the following general profile requirements:
- Completed university studies (degree) or equivalent professional training (preferably in the relevant professional profile)
- Several years of relevant professional experience in the desired professional profile in a humanitarian operation (or comparable)
- International experience (preferably in a crisis/conflict area)
- Very good oral and written knowledge of German and English (proficiency level C1 or higher)
- Interest in working in different countries and regions
- Excellent social, communication and intercultural skills as well as outstanding strength of character (especially reliability)
- Strong health: physical health as well as above-average mental resilience
- Ability, motivation and willingness to work in an international team, even under difficult external conditions
- Ability to travel, and, if applicable, fitness for tropical conditions
- Availability in principle at short notice (for an assignment of up to six months), flexibility and mobility
- Adherence to the free democratic constitutional order in the context of the German constitution (Grundgesetz)
- Excellent computer skills (MS Office)
- Driving license class B (formerly class 3) and driving experience
The following requirements are of advantage:
- Good knowledge of other languages relevant to the assignment (especially French, Spanish and Arabic; proficiency level B2 or higher - in some cases, level B1 may be sufficient for Arabic).
Your way to a humanitarian deployment
The application process for humanitarian deployments consists of two steps: In the first step, you complete the admission procedure for the ZIF Expert Pool for the area of humanitarian deployments. In the second step, you apply for a specific position in a humanitarian UN operation through ZIF.
Step 1: Become a member of the ZIF Expert Pool
You bring humanitarian and technical expertise and would like to contribute to a short-term humanitarian deployment? Apply now! We are continuously recruiting specific humanitarian profiles for the ZIF Expert Pool.
Before you apply: Please read more about our application requirements here.
Apply for the ZIF Expert Pool online
Membership in the ZIF Expert Pool in the competence field humanitarian operations is a prerequisite for a deployment. We want active pool members and expect you to be available for deployments, that you actively apply to suitable positions offered to Expert Pool members, and that you keep your ventus profile up to date.
Go directly to the application for the ZIF Expert Pool. Go to the humanitarian profiles with more detailed information.
Consultation and Competency-Based Interview
We review all applications and invite suitable candidates to an online information session about humanitarian deployments with ZIF to discuss our deployment conditions, answer your questions and discuss your availability.
Following the consultation, we conduct a Competency-Based Interview (CBI) with you online. After a successful CBI, we check your references and ask you to submit a police clearance certificate.
Preparation: online and face-to-face courses
With a successful CBI, you have completed an essential selection step on your way into the ZIF Expert Pool. The preparation for your possible secondment now can begin and entails preparatory online courses, the mandatory in-person preparatory course “Humanitarian Briefing” and the mandatory in-person security training “Hostile Environment Awareness Training“ (HEAT).
The following free online courses are required:
- UNDSS BSAFE (prerequisite for participation in the HEAT training course)
- Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by UN Personnel
We also recommend the online course „Building a Better Response".
We invite you to attend the Humanitarian Briefing, our mandatory preparatory course for short-term humanitarian deployments. The in-person course covers topics such as contractual deployment conditions, the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) nexus, team building in crisis situations and humanitarian standards.
We also organize for you to take part in HEAT training course.
© ZIF Berlin
Congratulations! You are now a member of the ZIF Expert Pool.
You have successfully completed the selection process and are now a member of the ZIF Expert Pool in the competence field of humanitarian operations. You will receive access to the ZIF membership area and can use your ventus profile to directly apply for positions with our UN partner organizations.
©Stephan Pramme, Andreas Arnold
Step 2: Applying for jobs in humanitarian operations
In humanitarian crises, rapid action is required. Ideally, the time between the request for personnel by a UN partner organization and the departure of the humanitarian experts is usually no more than two weeks.
We publish the calls for application on our website and on ventus.
In order not to miss any pool openings or calls for applications, we recommend you set up a customized job and training alert on ventus, set preferably to update on a daily basis.
Apply directly via the advertised position using the online form or via your ventus account!
We will continuously review applications received and nominate suitable candidates to the respective UN partner organization within 72 hours, in close cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office. In some cases, the UN partner organization will invite you to a telephone interview. If the UN partner selects you, we will inform you immediately and prepare the secondment with you.
Overview of the application process:
- ZIF receives job postings from our UN partner organizations and publishes them on the ZIF website and on ventus.
- You apply via the job posting page with your ventus profile.
- ZIF screens the applications.
- Following consultations with the German Federal Foreign Office, ZIF nominates suitable pool members to the respective organization.
- The receiving organization interviews the nominated applicants and decides on the nomination.
- Onboarding and employment contract with ZIF.
Important information about the application process
ZIF Expert Pool
The ZIF Expert Pool comprises pre-selected and pre-qualified personnel who can be seconded to different operational and occupational settings. We accept experts for three different areas of competence to join the ZIF Expert Pool: peace operations, humanitarian operations and election observation missions. Different application procedures, selection processes and application deadlines apply for these three areas of expertise. It is possible to apply for more than one area of competence.
More information on
- our application page for election observation missions.
- our application page for peace operations.
If you are already a member of the ZIF Expert Pool of the fields election observation or peace operations and are now interested in humanitarian operations, please contact sbp-desk@zif-berlin.org. You can find the specific profiles we are looking for here.
What we offer
During your assignment to the UN partner organization, you will be classified as seconded personnel, and employed by ZIF with a comprehensive support and benefits package. This includes an employment contract with full coverage by German labor and social security laws.
Support before, during and after the assignment
Support before, during and after the assignment
Legal and social protection
Legal and social protection
Contact
Write to us at: sbp-desk@zif-berlin.org – we will get back to you as soon as possible!
On Your Way to a Humanitarian Operation
If you apply for admission to the ZIF Expert Pool and have relevant humanitarian expertise, you can deploy with ZIF to a UN partner organisation. We offer
- Professional pre-deployment preparation,
- Comprehensive support before, during and after deployment, and
- An employment contract in accordance with German labour laws for the duration of your deployment with a UN partner organisation.