Communication Specialist at the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Communication Specialist, P-3

Job No: 545457
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Contract Type: Temporary Appointment
Level: P-3
Categories: Health

How Can You Make a Difference?

• Under the guidance of the Health Manager Systems Strengthening, provide technical leadership and support towards PHC systems strengthening with a focus on the uptake of integrated Primary Health Care services to improve access and equitable coverage of key interventions in health program, including in the context of emergency and outbreaks linking with development programming.
• There is critical need given Nigeria’s maternal and child survival indicators and the current COVID 19 health emergency response to support stronger community engagement/mobilization with a functioning PHC platform and its referral levels of service delivery, including the community health platforms.

Main Responsibilities and Tasks
The Specialist will carry out the following activities related to the child survival and well-being program with a focus on improving uptake of PHC services among individuals, families and communities under the overarching framework of the health systems strengthening component of the health portfolio in Nigeria:

• Design an integrated PHC service uptake strategy to improve access and equitable coverage of key interventions for individuals, families and communities in the child survival and well-being program, including innovative programming towards fast tracking results.
• Provide technical and strategic support to all health system strengthening projects with a focus on improving uptake of PHC services and community engagement/mobilization.
• Work closely with the FMOH, NPHCDA, NCDC and partners at federal and State levels towards supporting the scale up of lessons learned towards improving uptake of PHC services in challenging situations including emergency and outbreak responses.
• Serve as the focal point for coordination and collation and understanding of the progress of uptake of PHC services to improve health practices and health-seeking behaviours.
• Support the field towards building a body of evidence on improving uptake of PHC services and community engagement/mobilization.
• Participate in technical meetings, coordination platforms at federal and sub national levels on community engagement/mobilization for PHC including humanitarian programs and other forums as needed.
• Support finalization of reports and proposals towards improving uptake of PHC services including in the context of emergency and outbreaks working closely with different clusters in the program and other sections internally as well as partners and stakeholders.
• Lead and provide support towards documenting and producing programme documentation briefs on key projects and priority areas on PHC and HSS.
• Support development of policy and program briefs.
• Other activities and support towards health systems strengthening activities as needed.

To Qualify as an Advocate for Every Child You Will Have

• An advanced University Degree in Social / Behavioural Sciences with emphasis on Strategic Communication, Planning for Behavioural Development, Social Mobilization, Participatory Communication, and Research, or equivalent is required for this position.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in public health and social development programs. Experience in the application of communication planning processes to specific programmes is an asset.
• Relevant experience in health development and management in any UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

For Every Child, you Demonstrate

• UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are:
Core Competencies:

• Communication (II)
• Working with people (II)
• Drive for results (II)

Functional Competencies:

• Leading and supervising (I)
• Formulating strategies and concepts (II)
• Analysing (III)
• Relating and networking (II)
• Deciding and Initiating action (II)
• Applying technical expertise (III)

Application Closing Date
1st November, 2021; W. Central Africa Standard Time.