Associate Director, Health (Planning and Partnerships), P-6, NYHQ (Out posted to Geneva)

Contract

This is a D-1 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 15 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 242,484 USD and 305,990 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

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.

And we never give up.

For every child,

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Aligned to the SDGs and UNICEF’s strategy for Health 2016-30, the 2022-25 Strategic Plan outlines five results for the Health Programme under Goal Area 1. The Theory of Change is that ensuring definitive progress on ending preventable maternal, neonatal, child deaths and still births particularly in high-burden countries and humanitarian contexts is central to the success of the 2022-25 Strategic Plan. For this, the scaling-up of essential quality maternal, newborn and child health, immunization and nutrition services and behaviours in zero-dose communities is critical.

Equally so, is the strengthening of Primary Health Care to ensure lasting gains in child survival, fast-tracking the end of HIV/AIDS and ensuring that children benefit from multi-sectoral programmes, behaviours and environments that improve their health, development and well-being. This includes programmes for early stimulation and responsive caregiving, early identification of children with delays and disabilities and well child. Additionally, responsive to the evolving burden of disease UNICEF will support policies and programmes to address non-communicable diseases, mental health, sexual and reproductive health in adolescents, injury prevention and environmental health. Primary Health Care is the platform for realizing the right to child health and well-being and working across sectors to ensure that all child rights are respected, protected and fulfilled.

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall guidance of the Director of the Health Programme, the incumbent is responsible for strategic planning and partnerships for the Health programme, leading and coordinating the UNICEF’s engagement with Geneva-based partners and the management of cross-cutting health programmes.

Strategic relationships with Geneva-based health partners: *In coordination with Health Programme Management Team, maintain strategic relationships with Geneva-based partners, including WHO, Global Fund and Gavi***:-**

• Represent, as appropriate, UNICEF in global meetings and events to discuss programming issues, participate in policy dialogue, discuss initiatives, report on progress achieved, present papers/ideas and/or advocate UNICEF’s Strategy for Health and Strategic Plan results.
• Participate in critical meetings and events to evaluate the impact and efficacy of global health programmes and provide input on strategic discussions on policies and programmes.
• Coordinate external engagement across Geneva-based Health programme partnerships to promote horizontal sharing and for improved effectiveness and efficiency in external engagement.
• Position UNICEF within the global health architecture with a view to leveraging global health partners in support of UNICEF’s Strategic Plan and UNICEF’s strategy for Health.

Strategic Planning and Partnerships: In consultation with Health Programme Sections and Units, and collaborating programmes and divisions:-

• Provide overall leadership to the preparation and review processes for UNICEF’s strategy for Health and Health results in the corporate strategic plan;
• Develop the theory of change for the health programme, in collaboration with Goal Area 1 partners, and provide guidance to improve linkages between global, regional and country programmes.
• Provide oversight on Health programme monitoring indicators – development and humanitarian, and on year-end monitoring and reporting processes and reporting on the Strategic Plan to planning and monitoring leads in Immunization, MNCAH and HIV and in collaboration with DAPM.
• Provide overall strategy support and oversight on UNICEF’s engagement with public and private sector donors, including engagement with specific industries in collaboration with PFP to advance Health results.
• Support the deepening of business for results and child rights and business approaches in Health programmes.
• Manage the Health Programme Planning and Partnerships team and provide leadership to the planning and partnerships functions across the Health Programme.

Management of cross-cutting programmes: Provide guidance and leadership to the development and rollout of cross-cutting programmes, including forging of strategic alliances and partnerships:-

• Lead the rollout of the Healthy Environments for Healthy Children programme and other cross-cutting programmes
• Forge strategic alliances, including with the UN system and civil society, and mobilize resources with donor governments and private sector
• Provide oversight to the rollout of guidance and tools
• Manage the global programme and improve linkages with country programmes in collaboration with WASH and CEED

Programme Management: Support Health programme management in support of planned results for the Health programme:-

• In collaboration with DHR, assess gaps and identify priorities for UNICEF health workforce development, including recruitment priorities for humanitarian and development contexts, skills and career development to address strategic gaps
• Provide oversight to the development and rollout of the health programme knowledge management plan to promote critical thinking, innovative approaches and good practices, improved CO-RO-HQ engagement and skills development
• Provide guidance and oversight to management functions for health programme, including coordination, key performance indicators, standard operating procedures and multi-country grant management

The incumbent takes managerial decisions covering programme design, management and monitoring that directly affect achievement of planned outputs and activities. Administrative decisions taken on management of teams, affect the efficiency and efficacy of teams, directly impacting the over-all efficiency and effectiveness of the Health Programme, with indirect impacts on regional and country office teams and on partnerships, particularly with other UN agencies, Governments, and bilateral.

Recommendations on programme planning, financial and human resources management impact achievement of the per­formance objectives attributed to the Section are met, and support monitoring and reporting of progress. Errors of bad judgement and incorrect strategic analysis could negatively impact planning and monitoring of programme input and resources. Poor communication within the section and externally could lead to setting of unrealistic targets, loss of credibility with donors and partners, and/or loss of financial resources.

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

• Advanced University Degree in relevant field, e.g. Public Health, Social Sciences, International Development, or related degree.
• A minimum of thirteen years of relevant professional work that combines intellectual and managerial leadership in development cooperation at the international level, some of which served in developing countries is required. Experience in public health or health management, with emphasis on strategic planning, preferably related to MNCAH and Immunization programmes.
• Relevant professional experience in any UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Oral and written proficiency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability(CRITA)underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter:https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are... (1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3)Drive to achieve results for impact(4)Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6)Thinks and acts strategically

(7)Works collaboratively with others.

(8)Nurtures, leads and manages people

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. 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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

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.