Technical Specialist: Maternal and Reproductive Health at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the leading UN organization in Reproductive Health and Population and Development.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Technical Specialist: Maternal and Reproductive Health, P4

Job ID: 38515
Location: Abuja
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular 
Post Designation: Non-Rotational
Appointment Type: Fixed-Term Appointment
Contract Duration: One Year (Initially)

Background Information

• UNFPA Nigeria implements an integrated reproductive health programme aiming at increasing access to gender sensitive and culturally appropriate quality maternal health services, including emergency obstetrics and neonatal care in public and private facilities in supported States for women, adolescents, youth and affected population during emergency situations.
• The programme has a 3-pronged strategy as follows: i) Prevention of unintended pregnancies through access to modern contraception and family planning counselling; ii) Ensuring pregnant women have access to antenatal care and skilled care at the time of birth; iii) and at birth and during the post-partum period, all those with complications have timely access to quality emergency obstetric care. These interventions respond to Nigeria's large population and extremely challenging reproductive health indicators make its Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care needs enormous.

How you can make a difference:

• UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2018-2021), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.
• In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
• UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Main Tasks & Responsibilities

• The Maternal/Reproductive Health Technical Specialist will be ensuring high technical and programmatic support, in accordance with the principles of results based management and good governance to reinforce the quality of the reproductive health programme within health system.
• S/he is part of a team, consisting of Programme and Operational staff, including a Humanitarian Response Programme Officer.
• You will report directly to the Deputy Representative.

Tasks and Responsibilities
Policy, Advocacy and Coordination:

• Provide government and non-governmental organization (NGO) counterparts with technical assistance and advice on the strategic direction for strengthening the delivery, access to and quality of Reproductive and Maternal and Newborn Health Services, formulate recommendations on potential critical maternal health issues and provide advice in respect to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets
• Assist the UNFPA CO and partners in the coordination of maternal health and family planning programmes in general, and UNH4+, DFID, FMOH and other related RH project components in particular.
• Provide technical assistance to national partners on effective supply chain management, including information management, forecasting, distribution and information systems,
• Assist and advise the Federal Ministry of Health to develop and monitor the National obstetric fistula programme,
• Represent UNFPA in reproductive, maternal and newborn health working groups/ technical committees, meetings and workshops to position related SDGs and the ICPD on the agenda of international and national partners in Nigeria.

Capacity Development Partnerships:

• Support development and/or review of national strategies and frameworks for SRH particularly on FP, EmONC, MDR, MDSR, health commodities/supplies and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services.
• Provide technical assistance to national partners to scale-up quality health services to ensure universal access to reproductive health, including family planning, skilled attendance at delivery, emergency obstetric and newborn care, adolescent SRH, HIV, fistula prevention, treatment and reintegration.
• Advise UNFPA Nigeria and national partners on integrated approaches to ensuring universal access to quality Family Planning services and linkages/integration with maternal health and HIV prevention and treatment services.

Resource Mobilization and Partnership:

• Assist and advise the country office in financial resource mobilization for reproductive and maternal and newborn health (RMNH).
• Initiate the development of proposals on maternal health/reproductive health, identify, and engage potential donors to mobilize additional resources.
• Maintain and foster partnerships with UN agencies and other partners in the area of RH, particularly on Maternal Health, Family Planning, Obstetric Fistula, Adolescent SRH and Reproductive Health Commodity and Security (RHCS) to leverage resources and for advancement of knowledge.  
• Assist and advise the country office in financial resource mobilization for reproductive and maternal and newborn health (RMNH).
• Initiate the development of proposals on maternal health/reproductive health, identify, and engage potential donors to mobilize additional resources.
• Maintain and foster partnerships with UN agencies and other partners in the area of RH, particularly on Maternal Health, Family Planning, Obstetric Fistula, Adolescent SRH and Reproductive Health Commodity and Security (RHCS) to leverage resources and for advancement of knowledge.

Evidence, Knowledge Development and Dissemination:

• Advocate for and support the incorporation of evaluation results and lessons learned in the updating of strategies and approaches in order to improve the effectiveness of national health interventions and UNFPA operations,
• Provide support in developing a prioritized national operational research agenda in reproductive health, particularly maternal health, family planning, maternal health, obstetric fistula, adolescent SRH and RHCS.

Perform any other duties as required by UNFPA leadership.

Qualifications and Experience
Education:

• Advanced University Degree in any of the following: Public Health, Medicine, Social Sciences or other related discipline. The Degree must be directly related to the substantive area identified in the job description of the post.

Knowledge and Experience:

• 7 years of relevant and increasingly responsible experience in managing RH or health programmes, of which at least 5 years national and/or international experience in advising on reproductive, maternal and newborn health, family planning, Adolescent SRH.
• General knowledge of the principles and operational aspects of integrated RH/MH care.
• Interpersonal and communication skills for the dissemination of information and advocacy activities.
• Familiarity with UN development programmes and working procedures, especially UNFPA policies and programming procedures, an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is mandatory.
• Knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably French, is desirable.

Required Competencies
Values:

• Exemplifying integrity
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing diversity in all its forms
• Embracing change

Core Competencies:

• Achieving Results
• Being Accountable
• Developing and Applying Professional Expertise/Business Acumen
• Thinking analytically and Strategically
• Working in Teams/Managing Ourselves and our Relationships
• Communicating for Impact.

Functional Competencies:

• Advocacy/advancing a policy-oriented agenda
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Delivering results based programmes
• Internal and external communication and resource mobilization

Compensation and Benefits

• This position offers an attractive remuneration package commensurate with the level of the post.
• The package includes a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, housing allowance, home leave, health insurance and other benefits.

Application Closing Date
2nd August, 2021.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online