Health & Nutrition Officer, NO-2, San Jose, Costa Rica *Open to Costa Rican Nationals only*

Contract

This is a NO-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-2 contracts.

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, their rights

UNICEF Costa Rica is looking for a Health & Nutrition Officer to offer professional technical assistance and support for program design, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration of activities. This includes data analysis, progress reporting, knowledge sharing, networking, and capacity building to help achieve the planned objectives of the work plan, aligned with Health & Nutrition programme goals and strategy.

How can you make a difference?

1. You ensure that accurate information, data analysis, and documentation are timely made available to support situation analysis, sectoral input, and reporting.
2. You provide technical assistance to the development and implementation of integrated Health & Nutrition strategies and approaches through your active participation and collaboration with internal and external partners.
3. You effectively establish work plans and objectives, ensuring that planned results are timely delivered through technical support and coordination in consultation with all relevant partners.
4. You enhance project efficiency and effectiveness through effective implementation follow-up.
5. You monitor the progress of project implementation to make necessary adjustments and improvements in program delivery and sustainability.
6. You ensure transparency in the supply and non-supply assistance and disbursement of program funds for Health & Nutrition.
7. You maintain effective partnership and working relationships for advocacy, technical coordination, information sharing, and knowledge networking.
8. You keep up-to-date program information and prepare reports, sharing them with relevant stakeholders as required to support the Health & Nutrition program through the effective implementation of an integrated monitoring system.
9. You maintain emergency preparedness and provide coordinated emergency responses, in line with the Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) in Humanitarian Action. You strengthen partnerships with Health and Nutrition humanitarian actors within the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC).
10. You contribute to the development, implementation, and monitoring of the Country Office's WASH-related outcome and output results, as well as related strategies, through the analysis of WASH sector needs and priorities, including in emergency and humanitarian settings.
11. You provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners, and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes, and best practices in WASH, supporting program implementation.
12. You draft communication and information materials for WASH program advocacy, promoting awareness, establishing partnerships/alliances, and supporting fundraising efforts for WASH.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Medicine, Public Health, Nutrition, Epidemiology, Public Administration, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or other relevant disciplines.
• A minimum of two years of relevant professional experience in planning, programming, implementation monitoring and evaluation of health and nutrition programmes. Professional work experience in a programme management function or a technical expert capacity in child survival & health care. Field work experience. Background/familiarity with Emergency.
• Fluency in English and Spanish is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

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.

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, 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:

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) applies.

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable male candidates are encouraged to apply.

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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.