Health Manager (MNCH) 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 below:

Job Title: Health Manager (MNCH) - Not for Nigerian Nationals

Job No: 561222
Location: Abuja
Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment
Categories: Health
Level: P-4

How Can You Make a Difference?

• Under the general guidance and supervision of the Chief of Health and HIV , the Health manager (MNCAH and HIV) is responsible for supporting and leading the management, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the maternal newborn  child adolescent health and HIV (MNCAH/HIV) programme within the country programme.
• S/He provides technical guidance and operational support throughout the programming process to facilitate the achievement of concrete and sustainable results, according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), organizational Strategic Plans and goals, standards of performance, and accountability framework.
• The successful candidate will lead a team of committed professionals in Abuja and will provide technical oversight to MNCAH specialists at the State level.  
• The portfolio includes the roll-out and scale-up of community health workers, including the community health information system, in key States;  support to the Government to expand access to PHC (Primary Health Care ) services for pregnant women, especially those most vulnerable, in collaboration with other clusters of the Health Section; to conceptualize and roll-out level-2 newborn units to reduce newborn mortality; to implement a UNICEF-led project to expand Oxygen capabilities in selected key States of Nigeria; to develop the adolescent health strategy of the Nigeria Country Office (NCO), in collaboration with the gender specialist and others; to lead the UNICEF Nigeria country office efforts to improve quality of care , especially regarding Child Survival, and to implement and scale-up interventions aiming the reduction of malaria, Tb and HIV/AIDS morbidity and mortality among women and children; to lead the efforts to integrate PMTCT into PHC; and to design and lead the operationalization of MNCAH humanitarian interventions.
• If you are that person, we encourage you to apply and become part of a highly motivated and dynamic team.

Summary of Key Functions / Accountabilities

• Programme development and planning
• Provide technical support for situation analysis and establish goals and strategies on the MNCAH and HIV  programme
• Identify opportunities to scale-up programmes to improve Quality of Care, especially regarding Child Survival, and to implement and scale-up interventions aiming the reduction of malaria, Tb and HIV/AIDS morbidity and mortality among women and children
• Ensure alignment of the sectoral programme with the UNICEF Nigeria MNCAH and HIV Strategic Plans and objectives.
• Ensure cross sectoral alignment with internal and external partners.
• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
• Lead the management and oversight of the MNCAH and HIV programme grants and resources, including strategic leadership and negotiations with Government, partners and donors.
• Lead the Nigeria country office efforts to build a solid, sustainable portfolio in communicable diseases (malaria, TB, HIV), and in Quality of Care in the context of child survival.
• Provide technical and managerial leadership for the development, implementation and monitoring of MNCAH and HIV component of the Health and HIV section workplan.
• Supervise and guide consultants for MNCAH and HIV to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently
• Provide technical leadership to strengthening integration of MNCAH/EMTCT into primary health care
• Manage MNCAH and HIV grants and projects, including allocation of resources, timely implementation, reporting, and ensuring compliance with UNICEF and donor’s requirements.
• Contribute to the resource mobilization efforts of the MNCAH and HIV cluster
• Advisory services and technical support
• Provide technical and strategic support in the development and implementation of national policies, strategic documents and action plans regarding community health, communicable diseases (malaria, Tb, HIV), Quality of Care, child survival, MNCAH, Oxygen, and adolescent health
• Provide technical support for policy and technical briefs on MNCAH and HIV .
• Advocacy, networking and partnership building
• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with government, development partners and Civil Society Organisations.
• Prepare communication and information materials on  community health, communicable diseases (malaria, Tb, HIV), MNCAH and HIV for UNICEF Nigeria Country Office
• Participate and represent UNICEF in appropriate inter-agency discussions such as the Joint Team on HIV
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
• Support generation of quality evidence to improve program implementation.
• Promote and contribute to the development and implementation of innovative solutions and best practices including digital, to achieve MNCAH and HIV results.

Requirements
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:

• An Advanced University Degree in one of the following fields is required: Public Health, Paediatric Health, Obs-gyn Specialization, Biology, Family Health, Health Research, Global / International Health, Health Policy and/or Management, Biostatistics, Socio-medical, Health Education, Epidemiology or another relevant Technical field.
• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public health planning and management, maternal and neonatal health care, communicable diseases (HIV, TB or malaria) management, and/or health emergency/humanitarian preparedness.
• Experience working in a Global Health Initiative (Global Fund, GFF, GAVI) is considered as an asset.
• Proven experience in managing complex and demanding portfolios
• Executive education in management, innovation, and/or gender will be an asset 
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English and another UN language. Fluency in the national language of the duty station is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are:

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

To view our competency framework, please visit here. 

Application Closing Date
1st May, 2023 (W. Central Africa Standard Time).

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 
• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
• 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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
• All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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, 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).
• 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.