Immunization Specialist (Supply Chain), P4, Duration:4 months, Kathmandu, Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA), Nepal

Overview

Lead technical assistance for immunization supply chain in South Asia.

You have:

• Advanced University degree (Masters) in business administration, logistics management, supply chain, or in a closely related area is required.
• A minimum of 8 years’ experience in health programming, with extensive experience in immunization supply chain, vaccine, and cold chain management at national and international level is required.
• Familiarity with Effective Vaccine Management, eLMIS, IGA tools and UNICEF vaccine / equipment procurement modalities is highly desirable.
• Be proficient in computer applications, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint software. Expertise in cold chain equipment inventory, VLMIS and RTMDS is required.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of the local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

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 109,619 USD and 141,331 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 over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Health

UNICEF is the lead technical agency to provide technical support to countries in strengthening immunization Supply Chain Systems (iSCS) and therefore, it directly contributes to the Strategic Priority #6 of IA2030 and Gavi 6.0, that will ensure that a) high-quality vaccines are always available in the right quantity and form at the right time, in the right place and stored and distributed under the right conditions; b) will help promote integration with other supply chains for more effective delivery of primary health care, and c) invest in systems and infrastructure to safely manage, treat, and dispose of vaccine waste to help reduce their environmental footprint.

Previously UNICEF’s Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) and now the CoE Bangkok works closely with the health and supply sections of south-Asian (SA) country offices to plan and coordinate technical support to the national Ministries of Health (MoH) for addressing gaps in technical, managerial, logistics and financial EVM issues; and rolling-out global initiatives and innovations for iSCS strengthening.

Purpose of the job:

The incumbent of this short-term temporary appointment position will be leading technical assistance to the countries in south asia for strengthening iSCS that will help planning, storage, distribution, temperature tracking, monitoring, accountability and waste management of vaccines and relevant commodities. He/She will be instrumental in scaling-up eLMIS, IGA, and HFSE rollouts and expanding collaborations with the global and regional counterpart and partners.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

The Immunization Specialist (Supply Chain), P-4, will work under the direct supervision of the Immunization Specialist at the Center of Excellence (CoE), Bangkok, and in close collaboration with the Programme Group (PG) and Immunization Supply Chain Teams, will provide technical advice to regional team and target countries for:

1). Undertaking regional immunization supply chain reviews, periodic EVM assessments and capacity building of cold chain technicians,

2). Scaling up HFSE initiatives including feasibility assessments and scale-up in the priority countries.

3). Scaling-up innovations such as new real time temperature monitoring devices (RTMD), introducing eLMIS, cold chain inventory and temperature monitoring studies, vaccine wastage assessments.

4). Developing country specific immunization waste disposal system

5). Strengthening regional collaborations with WHO SEARO and EMRO, and academic for immunization waste management policy mapping and assisting regional countries with the development of immunization waste management national guidelines

6). Carrying out annualized projections of cold chain equipment requirements covering the next 10 years (All), and mapping of cold and freezer rooms [target countries; India, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh]; and piloting of GIS mapping of cold chain and immunization session sites [target country; TBD].

7). Scaling-up the capacity building of cold chain technicians on ‘Repair & Maintenance of Cold Chain Equipment’ to increase the serviceable life of cold chain equipment,

8). Scaling-up the inventory gap analysis (IGA) tool in the region,

9). Development of EVM SoPs, Job Aids, policy and guidelines

10). Assist countries for establishing the system of decommissioning of obsolete and non-functional cold chain equipment with public and private partnership.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: [Job Description Immunization Specialist (Supply Chain) P4, UNICEF ROSA]

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

Advanced University degree (Masters) in business administration, logistics management, supply chain or in a closely related area is required.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years’ experience in health programming; with an extensive experience in the immunization supply chain, vaccine, and cold chain management at national and international level is required.
• Familiarity with Effective Vaccine Management, eLMIS, IGA tools and UNICEF vaccine / equipment procurement modalities is highly desirable.
• Be proficient in computer applications, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint software. Expertise in cold chain equipment inventory, VLMIS and RTMDS
• Experience of working with national governments, partners, and UNICEF will be an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of the local language of the duty station is considered as 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

The 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

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Potential interview questions