Purpose of the Position
Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Representative accountable for the development, design, planning, implementation and management of the overall Health and Young Child Survival and Development (YCSD) component of the country programme. As head of the section, lead and supervise a group of professional and support staff to develop and administer the sectoral and/or inter-sectoral programmes with a view to integrating equity and gender considerations across all aspects of the country programme.
Key Expected Results
1. Timely, regular sectoral data-driven analysis with consistent integration of age and sex-disaggregated data for effective prioritization, programme planning, development and results-based management within the UNICEF, UNDAF, Malawi Health SWAP and MDGS II programming frameworks.
2. Technical leadership, guidance and coordination provided to key government and non-government partners on national policies, strategies, processes and programs related to Health, including emergency preparedness and response, with a particular focus on relevant maternal, neonatal and child survival interventions (upstream activities).
3. Technical and operational leadership, guidance and coordination provided to key government and non-government partners on scaling-up tailored packages of maternal, neonatal and child survival interventions including the elaboration and implementation of detailed sectoral work-plans and budgets (downstream activities).
4. Programme monitoring, evaluation and reporting carried out in a timely manner, efficiently, rigorously and transparently in compliance with the established guidelines and procedures.
5. Government and non-government recipients accountable for UNICEF supply, non-supply and financial assistance.
6. Effective knowledge management through a) documentation and dissemination of lessons learned, b) development and implementation of appropriate capacity building strategies, c) technical leadership, guidance and coordination of operational research.
7. Integration of rights-based approaches and humanitarian principles in Health programmes.
8. UNICEF`s global goals and Health-related MDGs effectively promoted through advocacy and policy dialogue in the Health sector.
9. Effective communication, networking and leveraging achieved through partnership and collaboration with government, UN and non-government partners for technical and financial resource leveraging in favour of young child survival within a district based and community focussed approach to maternal, newborn, child health development.
Qualifications of Successful Candidate
1. Education:
Advanced degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Medicine, Public Health, Pediatrics Health, Health Research, International Health, Health Policy and Management, Environmental Health Sciences, Family Health, Biostatistics, Socio-medical Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Education, or a field relevant to international development assistance in Health.*
2. Work Experience:
- Eight years of relevant work experience. Field work experience.
- Experience in facilitating technical support in health related emergency and humanitarian preparedness.
- Experience in programme/project management, and UNICEF policies and strategy to address conflicts, natural disasters, and recovery.
- Experience working in the UN or other international development organization an asset.
- Background/familiarity with equity, emergency and gender mainstreaming.
- Direct experience in supporting maternal, newborn and child health development and district health system strengthening required.
3. Language Proficiency:
- Fluency in English and another UN working language.
- A good knowledge of local working language of the duty station an asset.
- A first level university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Competencies of Successful Candidate
- Communicates effectively to varied audiences, including during formal public speaking.
- Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
- Sets high standards for quality of work and consistently achieves project goals.
- Has good leadership and supervisory skills;
- co-ordinates group activities, ensuring that roles within the team are clear.
- Translates strategic direction into plans and objectives.
- Analyzes and integrates diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.
- Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups; maintains an effective network of individuals across organizational departments.
- Identifies urgent and potentially difficult decisions and acts on them promptly;
- initiates and generates team- and department-wide activities.
- Demonstrates, applies and shares expert technical knowledge across the organization.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.
