Job Vacancies at UNICEF

For every child, efficient Health systems

• Health systems strengthening is one of three overarching approaches of the UNICEF Health Strategy which link UNICEF’s actions to its dual goals of ending preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths and promoting the health and development of all children (the other two are addressing inequities in health outcomes and promoting integrated, multi‐ sectoral policies and programs). These approaches are necessary to increase focus and coherence across health programs and underpin all of UNICEF’s programming and engagement in the health sector. In this strategic context, stronger health systems are necessary to reach the most marginalized children and women, to sustain the progress achieved and to increase the resilience of both delivery systems and communities to absorb and recover from external shocks, including public health emergencies and outbreaks.
• UNICEF’s HSS strategy targets national, sub-national and community levels of the health system with inter- related systems strengthening interventions: 1) national-level: support MoH to develop equity-focused health policies, strategies and plans, 2) district-level: improve management capacity for evidence-based planning and monitoring, 3) community-level: strengthen community platforms and ensure they are well integrated into sub-national health systems. In response to identified bottlenecks to the effective performance of health systems and in line with UNICEF’s areas of expertise, UNICEF also supports MoH to strengthen information systems; procurement and supply chains; social protection and welfare; engagement of the private sector, human resources for health, and quality of care at community and facility-levels.
• Central to UNICEF’s HSS approach is contributing to the social protection system and plan for financing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through primary health case (PHC) costing, development of investment cases, financial and fiscal space analysis and leveraging of resources (e.g., promoting insurance schemes focusing on the most vulnerable and prioritizing primary health care), budgeting and design of financing mechanisms to benefit children and women. Given the focus on a comprehensive and coordinated approach, linkages with social welfare services, early child development and adolescent engagement are also promoted.
• Under the supervision of the UNICEF ESARO HSS Specialist, and in close collaboration with System Strengthening Specialists in Health, HIV, Nutrition and Supply, Social Policy and other relevant sections, and the Sr Immun. Specialist (Health Economics) outposted from HQ, the incumbent will support countries in ESA region of UNICEF in direct guidance and technical oversight on Health Financing (including Primary Health Care costing) and other areas of Primary Health Care System Strengthening Technical Assistance to UNICEF Country Offices in the ESA region. The incumbent will through regional level Health Harmonization for Africa (HHA) HSS partners, including WHO, align and coordinate on technical assistance to countries in follow up actions from the Regional HSS Health Finance Forum in 2023 and to document and disseminate lessons learned from health financing reforms and related advocacy efforts. The incumbent will also work closely with our colleagues in UNICEF WCARO and other regions working on similar PHC strengthening efforts, to align and produce regional level toolkits and public goods.

How can you make a difference?

Coordinate and provide technical support to COs for Health Financing

• Oversee regional office technical support to UNICEF Country Offices (COs) for the costing of their PHC packages and advocacy to increase domestic funding for PHC
• Support UNICEF COs to prepare, present and summarize PHC financing findings for advocacy and use at country, regional and global levels.
• Support technically UNICEF COs in the region to develop the relevant economic analyses aligning with their national context, including focus on equity and decentralized financial flows and absorption
• Provide technical guidance on Public Financial Management for Health
• Follow up and provide support to countries in operationalizing action plans that emerged from the Regional Health Finance Forum 2023 for improvement in policies or reforms for increased PHC Financing
• Develop materials and guidance documents for economic analyses for health
• Develop package of guidance, tools, terms of reference for defining and estimating the costs of PHC packages, measuring PHC progress and financing, ensuring alignment with UNICEF and WHO joint global guidance and comparability across countries/regions
• Contribute to cross-country analyses of findings in support of global-level comparisons and documentation of promising practices, including around sustainability of financing for digital health
• Develop generic materials and methodologies to support health financing-related requests from COs (including UHC, investment cases, community health, health insurance, costing, etc.)
• Maintain roster of Health Economists that can provide in country technical assistance, throughout the region
• Disseminate the latest scientific knowledge and country experiences in developing, implementing, and advancing health financing policy for PHC.
• Develop content and organize capacity building webinars and course material targeted to different audiences within UNICEF (senior management, chiefs, health specialists)

Strengthen health financing partnerships at regional level

• Engage actively with existing mechanisms (such as HHA), regional level UN entities, public and private sector partners, to advance health financing best practices
• Advocate, during strategic discussions with Ministries of Finance and Health and other key decision makers and stakeholders, including UNICEF COs, to influence agenda setting in favor of health and wellbeing of children, women and young people
• Collaborate with WHO, BMGF, World Bank/GFF, USAID and other UN agencies and implementing partners to support country-level technical assistance on public financing: costing, financial and fiscal space analysis, budgeting and design of financing mechanisms to benefit children and women.
• Collaborate with systems strengthening experts in Health, HIV, Supply, Nutrition, ECD and other sections to ensure an optimal integration and alignment of the PHC Health Finance work with other ongoing initiatives.

Contribute to health systems’ strengthening agenda within UNICEF Regional Office

• Provide technical assistance to countries in the region on PHC integration of services and delivery, including Kenya (BMFG Joint Investment Mechanism Grant). Oversee grant reporting, budgeting, and provide technical oversight from regional office.
• Participate in regular weekly HSS meetings, Health section quarterly reviews, and region wide activities (e.g. country office annual reviews and regional office planning).
• Represent UNICEF ESARO in Health Harmonization for Africa (HHA) HSS partnership meetings and technical working group disucssions.
• Collaborate with systems strengthening experts in Health, HIV, Supply, Nutrition, ECD and other sections to ensure an optimal integration and alignment of the PHC and PHC Health Finance work with other ongoing initiatives.
• Perform other relevant HSS interventions in coordination with the supervisor

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in health economics or public health with a focus on health economics or health financing, or an advanced degree in economics or financing with a focus on Health Systems Strengthening and/or another related field is required.
• A good knowledge of theoretical and practical modeling is required
• Prior experience developing costing /using costing tools (OneHealth Tool, CHPCT, EQUIST)
• A minimum of 8 (eight) years of experience at the national and international levels in a relevant discipline, such as international public health or global development is required.
• Prior experience working with UNICEF country offices in Africa is required particularly in areas of economic analysis
• Preference will be given to candidates who have:
• Knowledge and experience of health economic analysis, especially cost analysis
• Knowledge of and experience with Public Financial Management in Health
• Knowledge of analyses of global health financing issues and trends
• Strong communication and relationship building skills in both the national community (e.g. local universities, national research institutions) and the global health community, particularly among donors, multilateral partners, and implementers
• Experience with Health Systems Strengthening applications and programs
• Experience in strengthening public health financing and governance
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergencies is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

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For every child, a future!

• As incumbent of this position, you will be based in the Eastern & Southern Africa Region (ESARO), reporting to the Deputy Regional Director, and providing leadership in strategic Human Resources (HR) management to twenty-one country offices and the regional office. You will have direct supervisory responsibility of the Regional HR, whilst providing oversight to the country offices’ HR leads

How can you make a difference?

• As Regional Chief of Human Resources, you will provide strategic vision and oversight on human resources function in UNICEF Eastern & Southern Africa Region (ESARO. You will be the first technical point of reference for country offices on HR management in the region and an expert adviser to the Regional Director/Deputy Regional Director, the Regional Management Team and Country Offices on the formulation, application, and implementation of regional HR goals, strategic approaches, policies, and best practices on human resource management in alignment with global HR strategies. Located in the Regional Office for ESAR in Nairobi, Kenya and reporting directly to the Deputy Regional Director, you will lead the implementation of HR priorities across the region and have direct supervisory responsibility of the Regional HR team and matrix management relationship to country office HR Chiefs.

The successful individual will be responsible for the following key accountabilities:

Management Excellence

• Promote management excellence in the office by ensuring accountability in all areas of HR and by demonstrating a high level of skills in the management of human resources including staff selection based on merit and the needs of the organization, staff counselling, systematic and equitable performance management, and staff well-being and development.
• Monitor compliance with all systems and procedures and ensure management integrity and accountability with high quality standards in all activities in HR; ensure the implementation of agreed audit recommendations; advise on corrective measures to be taken and establish relevant internal controls.
• Keep abreast of global and regional HR development trends and priorities to determine strategies, approaches, and innovations for global development of policies and procedures best suited for the region to ensure the ability of the organization to recruit, retain, develop, compensate and motivate a diverse body of highly qualified staff.
• Contribute to the culture and diversity journey for ESARO and offices in the region, in collaboration with management and other stakeholders. Provide strong support to staff wellbeing including the establishment of a values based, diverse, equitable, inclusive, and enabling workplace culture.

Strategic HR Planning and Management

• Provide ongoing strategy guidance, interpretation, and technical support to management of the ROs and COs in all areas of HR management. Provide expert support in the planning of budgets, staffing, organization design, and change management. Provide feedback and make recommendations from a field perspective on the establishment and improvement of systems and internal control and resolution of HR issues.
• Assist in identifying, addressing, and monitoring gender disparities and gender inequities in HR across all UNICEF country offices in the region.
• Contribute to the formulation of corporate HR strategies and implementation. Liaise with country offices and HR staff to facilitate the implementation of regional HR priorities, and quality assurance.

Recruitment, Selection and Placement

• Facilitate workforce plans, effective outreach, and resourcing strategies to attract diverse talented candidates. Provide advice and oversight on organizational policies and principles to select talented and diverse staff in the region. Lead international professional (IP) recruitment for the regional office.
• Support the HR needs for national professional officers, general service, and temporary staff by implementing proper and expedient recruitment procedures. Support the RD in the approval of recruitment of national officers ensuring compliance with organizational standards for recruitment of highly qualified staff aligning with policies and guidelines, standards of ethics, and transparency.
• Advise on and promote rosters for surge capacities for emergency response; promote efficient models to hire consultants; and explore innovative approaches to establish and monitor shared posts for efficiency in the regional context. Promote equity, transparency, and consistency in the selection and placement of staff.

Policy Implementation and HR Administration

• Promote equity, transparency and consistency in the interpretation, determination, implementation, and administration of HR policy, procedures, and guidelines on all HR related matters applicable to the staff.
• Ensure timely, equitable, transparent, and systematic administration of all HR benefits, entitlements, contracts renewal and termination, performance management, and other HR activities.
• In close coordination with the Country Offices and DHR, oversee to implement and administer the equitable, transparent, and efficient GS job classification system throughout the region in compliance with the established job classification policy, guidelines, procedures and

Learning and Development and HR Capacity Building

• Support the Regional HR Development Committee (HRDC) in establishing staff learning and development priorities for the region. Determine strategic learning needs in consultation with organizational units in the field to identify organizational competency gaps.
• Review country office strategic learning plans and learning budget allocation. Facilitate executive coaching programmes for the region and establish staff capacity-building initiatives. Enhance HR management capacity in the Region and strengthen staff competencies to meet the organization’s present and future requirements.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Promote critical thinking and innovative approaches and good practices in the region for effective human resource management and services.
• Keep abreast, research, benchmark and implement best and cutting-edge practices in HR management and information systems. Institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned throughout the region.
• Lead and/or contribute to develop regional/global policies and procedures and introduce innovation and best practices to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of HR management.

Staff and Management Relationship Management

• Monitor staff/management issues and support/advise management and staff as appropriate to improve relations and resolve HR issues. Provide support to the staff-management bodies in the capacity of HR focal point in the region and the Regional Office.

Inter-agency Cooperation, Networking and Partnerships

• Ensure active coordination of HR initiatives with other agencies. Maintain effective and steady communication or working relations with UN Agencies to seek harmonization as well as new ways to enhance effective HR management and development in UNICEF. Support common strategies and approaches for enhancement of the HR reform within the Common system.

Emergency Preparedness and Response

• In coordination with management and the staff, plan and ensure effective emergency preparedness and rapid.
• Assist in monitoring and assessing the emergency preparedness plans in COs including its validity for the current crisis, i.e., the security situation and immediate actions needed, the ability of the office to function, the funds that have been reallocated from existing sources, etc. Advise on adapting the emergency preparedness and response plan as necessary, with particular attention to gender issues that may be expected to intensify during emergencies.

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

• An Advanced University Degree (Master's) in human resource management, business management, international relations, psychology, or other related social science field is required.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of increasingly responsible professional experience, with an international organization and/or large corporation at the national and international levels, in human resources planning and management is required.
• Demonstrated success in building, leading, or managing teams of high-performing individuals
• Creates and encourages a climate of teamwork and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment.
• Analyzes and integrates potentially conflicting numerical, verbal, and other data from several sources.
• Previous experience in change management /innovation projects for organizational efficiencies is highly desirable
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of an additional UN Language (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish) is considered a strong advantage.