Health Manager at UNICEF

Purpose of the Position

Under the overall guidance of the Chief of Section, accountable for the development, design, planning, implementation and management of the overall Maternal New-born and Child Health component of the country programme.

As head of the unit, lead and supervise a group of professional staff to develop and administer the sectoral and/or inter-sectoral programmes with a view to integrating gender equality across all aspects of the country programme.

Key Expected Results

1. Data-driven and results-based management

• Lead timely, regular data-driven situational analyses (including epidemiological, gender equality and emergency assessments)
• Provide in-country leadership in data-driven prioritization and implementation of Health strategies and interventions;
• Provide technical and operational guidance and support to government and non-government partners;
• Champion results-based management;
• Monitor developments at the international, regional and decentralized levels;
• Understand Health needs of vulnerable or marginalized groups.

2. Upstream activities

• Provide in-country leadership on Health policies, including advocacy in gender equality, emergency preparedness and response, with a particular focus on maternal, neonatal and child Survival;
• Play an active role in broader Health sector discussions such as Sector-wide Approaches (Swaps), Poverty Reduction Strategies etc;
• Advocate for and leverage resources for scaling-up and replication of effective maternal, neonatal and child Survival interventions;
• Provide technical leadership in the Health sector components of UNDAF and other UN harmonisation processes;
• In line with Paris Declaration commitments and the new aid modalities, ensure that the Health sector component of the country programme is fully aligned with national priorities and plans.

3. Downstream activities

• Provide in-country technical and operational leadership and guidance on scaling-up key maternal, neonatal and child Survival interventions;
• Support the development, implementation and financing of detailed sectoral work-plans and budgets for scaling-up of maternal, neonatal and child Survival interventions;
• Ensure UNICEF country office’s readiness to deliver on the Health-related CCCs;
• Collaborate with Programme Communication Officer to ensure development of effective communication strategies to support community-based approaches and social mobilization efforts;
• Conduct field visits to monitor programmes and conduct periodic programme reviews with Government counterparts and other partners with particular emphasis on under-served populations;
• Document and disseminate lessons learned of scaling-up maternal, neonatal and child Survival interventions.
• Share good practices in gender equality programming, scaling up good practices at the national level.

4. Monitoring, evaluation and reporting

• Collaborate with Monitoring and Evaluation officer to timely, efficiently, rigorously and transparently monitor, evaluate and report on Health program effectiveness and impact;
• Ensure programme, sectoral and/or inter-sectoral efficiency and delivery through a rigorous and transparent approach to evaluation;
• Participate in major evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sector review meetings with government and other counterparts;
• Provide support to, and participate in, national, participatory monitoring and evaluation activities in the Health sector, including for PRS, UNDAF, SWAp, etc;
• Support the preparation of the annual Health sector status reports;
• Ensure corrective action is undertaken to address bottlenecks identified during evaluation exercises;
• Submit transparent and timely reporting to donors and other partners.

5. Accountability

• Ensure UNICEF, government and non-government staff understand and comply with UNICEF’s financial rules including emergency fast-track procedures;
• In close collaboration with Operations and Supply staff, regularly monitor and report on use of supplies and other resources donated to the government and non-government partners;
• Certify disbursements of funds;
• Collaborate with the Operations Section and Government authorities to establish and maintain sound internal controls supportive of Health programme or sectoral planning and implementation, to coordinate financial and supply management requirements as well as to ensure accountability;
• Monitor and submit financial status reports to management in compliance with the regulations and guidelines;
• Ensure corrective action is undertaken to address bottlenecks identified during the above monitoring.

6. Knowledge management

• Document and disseminate lessons learned;
• Develop and implement country-specific national capacity building strategies;
• Explore areas and opportunities for staff development, including training and opportunities for cross fertilization with UNICEF staff from other country programmes;
• Provide technical leadership and coordination of relevant operational research, thus contributing to the knowledge base in MNCH.

7. Rights-based programmes through Results-Based Approach

• Ensure UNICEF, government and non-government staff understand and apply right-based approaches to programming and humanitarian principles;
• Promote the quality of rights-based Health programmes through the formulation of programme goals and strategies and approaches, using results-based planning methodology and terminology.
• Bring coherence, synergy and added value to sectoral or programme management processes using a results-based management approach to planning and design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

8. Promotion of UNICEF’s global goals

• Coordinate with UNICEF Regional Advisers and HQ Officers to ensure country office strategies are aligned with global and regional strategies;
• Actively engage in national and international policy dialogue in the Health sector.
• Effectively communicate on and advocate for the promotion of UNICEF’s global goals;
• Collaborate with Communication Officer to ensure development of effective communication materials and strategies to support advocacy and fundraising efforts;
• Leverage the strength of UNICEF mission, goals and programmes;
• Reinforce partnerships to further UNICEF global goals;

9. Partnerships and leveraging resources

• Maintain close working relationships with other UNICEF sectors, particularly nutrition, HIV and WASH, and programme communication to ensure integration of the Health programme with other sectors;
• Establish active and participatory partnerships with key Health sector stakeholders (Government, WHO, other UN agencies, NGOs, bilateral agencies, donors and national and international academic institutions) and interact with them at different stages of Health programme design and implementation;
• Liaise with UNICEF NatComs and other donors as appropriate, to secure programme funding;
• Provide technical support and guidance on appropriate technical, financial and institutional capacity building capacities to achieve Health programme goals;
• Utilise the partnerships with stakeholders to leverage resources for Health, particularly Child Survival.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

Education

Advanced degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Medicine, Public Health, Pediatrics Health, Health Research, International Health, Health Policy and Management, Environmental Health Sciences, Family Health, Biostatistics, Socio-medical Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Education, or a field relevant to international development assistance in Health.

Work Experience

• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional work experience. Field work experience. Experience in facilitating technical support in health related emergency and humanitarian preparedness. Experience in programme/project management, and UNICEF policies and strategy to address conflicts, natural disasters, and recovery.
• Experience working in the UN or other international development organization an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in newborn care programming an asset.
• Background/familiarity with Emergency and gender mainstreaming.

Language

Fluency in English and a second UN working language. A good knowledge of local working language of the duty station an asset.         

Competencies of Successful Candidate

Core Values

• Commitment
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Integrity

Core Competencies

• Communication  [ II ] 
• Working with People   [ II ]      
• Drive for Results   [ II ]  

Functional Competencies

• Leading and Supervising    [ I ]                      
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts [ II ]
• Analyzing   [ III] 
• Relating and Networking [ II ]
• Deciding and Initiating Action [ II ]
• Applying Technical Expertise [ III ]

Technical Knowledge  [ III ]

1. a) Specific Technical Knowledge Required [ I ]

• Child, neonatal or maternal health care •  Health system planning and management
• Health Economics and Financing
• Public Health training material development and conduct of training programme
• Public Health, International Health, Health Policy and Management, Environmental Health Sciences, Family Health
• Health Research, Biostatistics, Socio-medical Sciences, Epidemiology
• Health Education, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Educational Interventions in Health Care
• Knowledge Management
• Inter-sectoral programme linkage and coordination
• Rights-based and Results-based approach and programming in UNICEF.
• UNICEF programme policy, procedures and guidelines.
• Mid-Term Strategic Plan.

 b) Common Technical Knowledge Required  [ II ]

• Child and Maternal Health •  Health Promotion and Disease Prevention                   
• Public Health •  Educational Interventions in Health Care
• Health Financing •  Knowledge Management
• Environmental Health •  Health Education                                          
• Computer software application, including word processing, spreadsheet and corporate software packages

General knowledge of:

• Methodology of programme/project management
• Programmatic goals, visions, positions, policies and strategies in Health
• Knowledge of global health issues, specifically relating to children and women, and the current trends, methods and approaches.
• Policies and strategy to address national and global health issues, particularly relating to conflicts, natural disasters, and recovery.
• Emergency programme policies, goals, strategies and approaches.
• Gender equality and diversity awareness.

c) Technical Knowledge to be Acquired/Enhanced (for the Job) [ II ]

• UN policies and strategy to address international humanitarian issues and the responses
• UN common approaches to programmatic issues and UNICEF positions
• UN Reform processes and outcomes and implications of the Paris Declaration
• UN security operations and guidelines
• UNSECORD training for members of Security Management Team
• UNICEF policies, strategies promoting and supporting gender equality and diversity