Health Specialist, P-4 (Fixed Term), New Delhi, India, South Asia Regional (SAR), Post No. 10465 (this position is for non-Indian nationals)

Contract

This is a P-4 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 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 90,970 USD and 117,287 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.

Health Specialist, P-4 (Fixed Term) New Delhi, India

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. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

And we never give up.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF: https://youtu.be/43aiG4w2q_M

For Every Child, AN ADVOCATE:

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, nutrition, 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.

How can you make a difference?

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

Purpose of the Position

The purpose of the assignment is to provide technical assistance to the acceleration and upscaling of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and contribute to reach results for women and children to reach all health–related MDGs and SDGs in India. The incumbent is responsible for supporting policy formulation, planning, and monitoring of Young Child Survival and Development (YCSD) and Maternal Care in a rights-based approach. S/he will enhance capacity of and technical backstopping to government counterparts and state offices in relation to high impact interventions to reduce mortality, morbidity and malnutrition. S/he will also contribute to oversight and awareness building, demand creation and system strengthening activities with reference to (YCSD) and maternal care.

Key Expected Results

1. Policy and Strategy Development Support

• Responsible for offering policy advice and technical support to MOHFW-GOI and state governments on maternal health and related adolescent young child survival and development (YCSD) issues in the framework of the NRHM flagship programmes.
• Recommend policy shifts, systems of management, risk allocation and coordination related to maternal and adolescent health, and related YCSD issues.
• Assist the design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of NRHM and flagship health programmes that will contribute to reach the SDGs targets established by GOI and the overall goal of the 2013-2017 GOI-UNICEF Country Programme of Cooperation which is "to advance the fulfillment of the rights of all women and children in India to survival, development, participation and protection by reducing social inequalities based on gender, caste, ethnicity or region".
• Identify specific opportunities to link monitoring and validation (M&V) to planning, management, quality control, use and feedback of data with state level Reproductive Child Health (RCH) decision-making.
• Update strategies to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity from direct and indirect causes with focus on access, equity and effectiveness of service delivery.
• Support the establishment of a sustained network for high quality comprehensive (basic and emergency) obstetric care and ensure improved coverage, quality and effectiveness of service delivery in disadvantaged/deprived areas. Identify and implement innovative methodologies for planning evaluation, designing interventions and convergence with the nutrition sector in support of the above.
• Provide technical assistance to other programme sectors, especially in HIV/AIDS and infant feeding, upon request.

2. Technical Assistance

• Provide technical assistance to strategic planning within the Health Section and India Country Office (ICO) on maternal and adolescent health and related YCSD policy/programme issues.
• Participate in the development of state-specific Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) at federal and states level.
• Responsible to offer cutting edge technical assistance to optimize health impact of planned maternal health interventions at state level and related YCSD issues.
• Contribute to the updating of strategies to reduce neonatal, infant and maternal mortality and morbidity effectively from direct and indirect causes by increasing household/community and facility-based service delivery. Recommend methods, materials and strategy development for efficient and effective high impact interventions.
• Provide quality assurance and supply system support to maternal and adolescent health and related YCSD interventions.
• Lead the development and refinement of Behavioral Change Communication (BCC) to decrease infant and maternal mortality and morbidity in collaboration with Programme Communication Section/Officers.

3. Knowledge Management and Monitoring

• Set up and implement, in coordination and collaboration with the States offices, an oversight plan to monitor progress on programme implementation, increased and more equitable coverage of maternal and adolescent care and related YCSD interventions and the utilization of funds within the state.
• Enhance the monitoring capacity for acceleration of interventions using evidence-based criteria and both quantitative-qualitative techniques at national, state and district level.
• Develop and refine tools for interpretation of difference in impact of supply and demand-focused maternal and adolescent health and related YCSD interventions.
• Contribute to the development of indicators' sets and maintain a system for regular monitoring of the maternal and adolescent health and related YCSD component of the Country Programme through monitoring and validation (M&V) and Marginal Budgeting for Bottlenecks (MBB).
• Coordinate with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) and state government officials in conducting coverage evaluation surveys, maternal and perinatal deaths reviews and expansion and quality improvement of health systems.
• Contribute to the implementation of Marginal Budgeting for Bottlenecks (MBB) process in select states and districts.
• Review all reports and state plans produced, enhance the collaborative capacity of UNICEF state offices with state governments;
• Contribute to operational research information aimed at publications.
• Prepare inputs for donor reports/proposals on maternal and adolescent health and related YCSD issues programme components;
• Review and provide inputs for the finalization of documents/tools jointly produced by partners in maternal and adolescent health and related YCSD (Government, WHO-SEARO, bilateral, NGO networks).
• Respond to maternal and adolescent health and YCSD related queries from state offices and distribute relevant materials.

4. Capacity-building for Maternal Care and related YCSD issues

• Facilitate capacity in results-based planning in maternal and adolescent care and related YCSD issues at central and state level, as a reference point for the MOHFW;
• Contribute and update guidelines and criteria for blood storage utilization at First Referral Units (FRU) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) accreditation in the context of NRHM/RCH2;
• Contribute to the national framework of standardized supervision for integrated child survival and Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) and referral at district and sub-district level;
• Within priority districts, support data analysis on process and coverage indicators by district and comparison to monitor the progress and inter district differences.

5. Strengthening networks and partnerships

• Coordinate and liaise with various partners, including GOI, state governments, WHO-SEARO, UNFPA, Donors, NGO networks and the private sector on maternal and adolescent care and related YCSD issues.
• Participate in the Development Partners' Sector Working Group with GOI and facilitate the interaction of donors.
• Participate in converging strategic planning, implementation and monitoring of UNICEF interventions among RCH, Child Development and Nutrition (CDN), Child Environment (CE), Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Child Protection (CP), BCC at ICO and state offices level.
• Provide technical inputs in the development of a National Communication Strategy for maternal and adolescent health and related YCSD issues.
• Facilitate institutional partnerships with academic and scientific institutions putting evidence into policy, and policy into action;
• Participate in fundraising strategy on maternal and adolescent health and related child survival issues.
• Prepare briefing material that supports liaison and partnership activities and meetings with international and national monitors/visitors.

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

Education:

• Advanced university degree in medicine and master's in public health, with preferred specialization in obstetrics, maternal and/or reproductive health. Background in adolescent health, HIV/AIDS, epidemiology, health economics, quality assurance methodologies will be considered an additional asset.

Experience:

• Minimum eight years of experience in maternal, neonatal, reproductive/ sexual and child health and public health programmes. Senior level experience in planning and management of health sector programmes, with consolidated experience in health sector policy development and, possibly health sector reform. Relevant background in operational research or action research, a plus.
• Proven experience in negotiating and working collaboratively with diverse partners.
• Sound experience in program monitoring and evaluation.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Core Values (Required)

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability

Competencies Areas (level 2)

• Builds and Maintains Partnerships
• Demonstrates Self and Ethical Awareness
• Drive to Achieve Impactful Results
• Innovates and Embraces Changes
• Works Collaboratively with Others
• Thinks and Acts Strategically
• Manages Ambiguity and Complexity

View our competency framework here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. 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 is based in New Delhi, India.
• Selected applicant will have an initial two (2) year fixed-term contract, with possibility of extension, subject to satisfactory performance.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.