Organization: UNICEF – United Nations Children’s Fund
Location: Nairobi
Grade: Mid level – P-4, International Professional – Internationally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
Public Health and Health Service
Malaria, Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases
Closing Date: 2024-10-23
Join our team as a Health Specialist focused on New Vaccines and Platforms, where you’ll play a pivotal role in global coordination and planning.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
For every child, … health….!
This post is located in the Immunization Section under the Health Programmes, outposted in Nairobi, and works in the coverage & equity workstream of Immunization in close coordination with the other team members and under the guidance and direct supervision of Senior Adviser Immunization. Health Specialist, New Vaccines and Platforms oversee functions of Health Specialists (HPV and Malaria) also works in close collaboration with the Maternal, Neonatal and Adolescent Health Unit, other sections and programmes, counterparts in other UN agencies and partners, government officials, subject matter experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors ensuring successful new vaccines implementation guidance and technical assistance.
How can you make a difference?
Join our team as a Health Specialist focused on New Vaccines and Platforms, where you’ll play a pivotal role in global coordination and planning. You’ll be responsible for implementing, monitoring, and evaluating vital program activities, analyzing data, and reporting progress while fostering teamwork and enhancing managerial capacities during country operations. In addition, you’ll collaborate closely with fellow Health Specialists working on HPV and Malaria, ensuring accountability for the successful introduction of new vaccines. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact in global health!
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have to…
Leadership and Coordination
As a Health Specialist, you’ll provide essential leadership and coordination for the national introduction of HPV and other new vaccines. This involves collaborating with UNICEF HQ, regional and country offices, donors, and partners to create integrated delivery systems that leverage platforms such as schools for health and wellbeing interventions. You will develop a long-term roadmap for vaccine introduction, prepare strategic implementation guidance, and draft periodic donor reports. Additionally, you’ll assess the programmatic needs for HPV, Malaria, and other vaccines, and work with stakeholders to secure resources for effective implementation.
Technical Assistance and Support
In this role, you will offer technical assistance to countries, focusing on budgeting, logistics, and financial management to ensure the successful rollout of new vaccines. You will identify and oversee targeted country assistance to align with technical partners like WHO and CDC, collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure timely support for vaccine rollouts. Furthermore, you’ll manage funding requests and monitor expenditures, ensuring all resources are tracked and reported effectively to donors.
Reporting and Data Management
You will be responsible for developing comprehensive donor reports and providing input for various publications related to new vaccines. Supporting the Immunization Section, you’ll contribute to joint work plans and thematic reports, integrating HPV and Malaria programs with adolescent health initiatives. Additionally, you will maintain detailed records of immunization activities, ensuring accurate data collection and management. Working closely with data analytics teams, you’ll help disseminate global progress on vaccine introduction, maintaining a repository of results and documentation for ongoing monitoring and reporting.
The following minimum requirements:
A master’s degree in public health, medicine, or a related technical field, such as epidemiology or another social science discipline, is required.
Work Experience:
At least eight years of solid experience at national/international level in immunization program including global health and/or healthcare, programme coordination, managing and monitoring programme and preparing proposals and fund utilization reports is required.
Desirables/Assets:
Knowledge of UNICEF or other UN administrative rules and procedures and experience in programme management, and donor/partner coordination (ideally Gavi experience).
Experience in HPV, Malaria and other new vaccines program management, applying statistical methods, proven track record of publishing manuscripts in top academic journals and a track record of academic presentations in the field of vaccinology is an asset.
Language Requirements:
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
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
Builds and maintains partnerships
Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
Drive to achieve results for impact
Innovates and embraces change
Manages ambiguity and complexity
Thinks and acts strategically
Works collaboratively with others
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
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 does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.
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.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be 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 canceled.
Remarks:
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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.
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.