Health & Nutrition Officer, TA, NOB, 9 months, Belém, Brazil

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, health

Since 1950, UNICEF has supported the most important transformation for children and adolescents in Brazil. Currently, UNICEF Brazil is implementing its 2017-2022 Country Programme, which concentrates efforts towards boys and girls most excluded, vulnerable and exposed to extreme forms of violence, mainly in the Amazon and Semiarid regions and the peripheral areas of large cities, through the Municipal Seal of Approval and Platform of Urban Centers initiatives. In most recent years, UNICEF programming has included two emergency response: one in the context of the Venezuelan Migration Crisis in the North of the country and one to address and mitigate the impact of the COVID pandemic on the most vulnerable children and adolescents. For information of the work of our organization in Brazil, please visit our website: UNICEF Brazil

Job Context

The Health Officer for the Amazon Territory is based in Belém, Pará and leads and coordinates on the implementation of Health, Nutrition and HIV work programme design and delivery in the Amazon context, covering both regular programme activities and humanitarian interventions in the North of the Country.

How can you make a difference?

The Health Officer reports to the Coordinator Amazon Territory and works closely with Chief of Health based in Brasilia. The Health Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for the health area in the Amazon territory, from development planning to delivery of results, by preparing, executing, managing, and implementing a variety of technical and administrative programme tasks to facilitate programme development, implementation, programme progress monitoring, and evaluating and reporting of results.

Key accountabilities, Duties and Tasks

Support to programme development and planning

• Conduct and update the situation analysis for the development, design and management of health-related programmes. Research and report on development trends in health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS for higher management use to enhance programme management, efficiency and delivery of results.
• Contribute to the development and implementations of sectoral programme goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning through the analysis of health needs in the Amazon region and areas for intervention and submission of recommendations for priority and goal setting, including humanitarian and health emergencies.
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing and administering a variety of technical programme transactions, preparing materials and documentations, and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support programme planning, results-based planning (RBM), and monitoring and evaluation of results.
• Prepare required documentations and materials to facilitate the programme review and approval process.

Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results

• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to implement health interventions related as part of the SELO and Agenda Cidade initiative in Belém, Manaus and São Luis, and provide solutions, recommendations, and/or to alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and decisions. Keep record of reports and assessments for easy reference and to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts to assess programmes and to report on required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), and verify compliance with approved allocation and goals, organizational rules, regulations, procedures, as well as donor commitments, standards of accountability, and integrity. Report on issues identified to ensure timely resolution by management and stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
• Prepare regular and mandated sectoral programme/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.

Programme implementation with technical and operational quality provided

• Conduct regular programme field visits and surveys and share information with partners and stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution. Report on critical issues, bottlenecks, and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.

• 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 on health-related issues to support programme implementation, operations, and delivery of results

  Internal and external networking and partnerships supported.

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with health sector government counterparts and TAM regional stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to enhance programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to deliver concrete and sustainable results.

• Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances, and support fund raising for health programmes.
• Research information on potential donors and prepare resource mobilization materials and briefs for fund raising and partnership development purposes.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Identify, capture, synthesize, and share lessons learned for knowledge development and to build the capacity of stakeholders.
• Apply innovative approaches and promote good practices to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Assist with oversight of research and ensure results are available for use in knowledge products.
• Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of partners and stakeholders.

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

Education

• University Degree in health, nutrition, nursing, psychology, or other health related areas is required. Specialization in public health, family health, health policy and/or management, environment health sciences, epidemiology, and/or other health related areas is an asset.

Experience

• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in public health/nutrition planning and management and/or in relevant areas of maternal and neonatal health care, health emergency/humanitarian preparedness, at the international level and/or in a developing country is required. Additional years of experience are considered an asset.
• Experience with Nutrition Programmes is considered an asset.
• Experience in management teams and multipartners program.
• Relevant experience in programme development in human rights and particularly in health/nutrition related areas in a UN system agency or non-governmental organization is considered as an asset.
• Very good knowledge of the Brazilian Health Unique System (Sistema Unico de Saude – SUS).
• Ability to conduct research and analyze results, identify issues, formulate opinions, make conclusions and recommendations for strengthening health care systems.
• Ability to review and revise policies and objectives of assigned program and activities.

Language

• Fluency in English and Portuguese required.
• Knowledge of Spanish will be considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS).

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)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies. During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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.

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

Remarks:

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments may also be 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 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.

This position is for Brazilian citizens only.