For every child, a fair chance…

UNICEF’s mandates to promote/improve adolescents’ health, well-being, development, and participation ensure that neither age, poverty, gender inequality, nor social exclusion determine access to adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health rights (SRHR) and services, including life-saving HIV prevention, treatment, and care. UNICEF’s HIV response ensures all adolescents have access to information and adolescent-friendly health services to protect them from the adolescent pregnancies, mental health disorder, and exposure to substance abuse, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV through a multi-sectoral approach; and the adolescents living with STIs/HIV have access to treatment, care and support they need to remain alive and healthy.. UNICEF and its partners’ responses ensure all adolescents have access to. Ending AIDS among children is vital to ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030 – the overarching goal of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) of which UNICEF is a cofounding partner.

Within ESARO, the Adolescent HIV and SRHR portfolio support adolescents and young people in all their diversity with particular emphasis on girls and young women (AGYW) adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV), and adolescents and young mothers (AYM). Through strategic partnerships such as the Joint UN 2gether 4 SRHR Programme which aims to advance progress in the region towards achieving the Goals and targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 5, that relate to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

The HIV/AIDS Specialist (Adolescence and SRHR) also provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM) and UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Support to programmes/projects development and planning
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results.
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
4. Networking and partnership building
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An Advanced University Degree in public health, pediatric health, family health, health research, global/international health, health policy and/or management, environmental health sciences, biostatistics, socio-medical, health education, epidemiology or other health related sciences is required.  *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in public HIV/AIDS and SRHR planning and management and/or in relevant areas of health care, including adolescent health at the regional level some of which preferably in a developing country is required.
• Relevant experience in SRHR and HIV/AIDS programme development and management in any UN system agency or organization as well as experience in the humanitarian setting is an asset.
• Experience working with youth-led organizations and in social and behaviour change will be an added advantage.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.