Programme Research Associate, G-6, UNICEF ROSA, Kathmandu, Nepal #00126467 (Open for Nepali Nationals only)

Contract

This is a G-6 contract. This kind of contract is known as General Service and related categories. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 6 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be more than 1,174 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, a future

Over the last two decades, countries in the South Asia region have made notable strides in improving child health and nutrition outcomes. Despite this progress, the region continues to account for a large share of the global child health and nutrition deprivations. Progress on child survival and development is under threat of stagnation and even reversal because of compounding impacts of global and local crises which are disproportionally felt by the poorest and most marginalized children. Progress on child immunization is also under threat in countries with the most zero-dose immunization children. There is a need to keep the momentum going, to reach the most vulnerable children with the vaccination and health and nutrition services they need.

UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) seeks to ensure that all children – including adolescents – have an equitable chance to survive, be healthy, well-nourished, and stimulated as they grow, and benefit from the diets, services, practices and enable environments they need to thrive through adolescence. To achieve this, ROSA has developed a twin-track strategy that will continue to address unfinished health and nutrition challenges faced by children while enabling the region to innovate, adapt, and leverage new and existing opportunities to achieve results at scale while responding to emerging health and nutrition challenges.

How can you make a difference?

The Programme Research Associate supports the Health and Nutrition Sections in regional efforts to improve health and nutrition outcomes of children in the South Asia region. S/He will perform a variety of research and knowledge management, networking, coordination, and partnerships management, and administrative, and operational support tasks, to help develop, implement, and monitor the Nutrition Section and Health Section (Immunization Unit) programmes, ensuring timely and effective delivery that is consistent with UNICEF rules and regulations.

For the Nutrition Section, operational support will be provided across the maternal, adolescent, and early childhood nutrition portfolios. For the Health section, the operational support will be focused on advancing the Zero-Dose Immunization Agenda/missed communities, COVID-19 vaccination, polio, and integration agendas.

Key Functions, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks:

Under the supervision and guidance of the Regional Advisor Nutrition and Senior Health Specialist, the Programme Research Associate will be responsible for providing day-to-day support to the Nutrition and Health ( Immunisation Unit) Sections, and perform a variety of technical and administrative responsibilities related to research and knowledge management, networking, coordination, and partnerships management and support to programme planning, management, monitoring and reporting of results as detailed below:

1. Research and Knowledge Management:

• Assists health and nutrition sections with basic research, literature and documentation searches, data analysis, and collation of information, and data, from a variety of sources on subject matters relevant to the work on maternal, adolescent, and child nutrition and immunization to facilitate programme delivery and knowledge exchange.
• Supports organizing of key reference materials and research/other documents both electronically and physically for easy reference, and maintenance of health (immunization unit) and nutrition sections SharePoint knowledge management platforms, regular updating of materials, records, and files including the regional immunization and health systems strengthening (HSS) activity planner.
• Supports in maintaining programme databases and dashboards for monitoring and tracking activities and progress being made by countries on nutrition and health with a focus on the zero-dose immunization agenda/missed children and ensuring comprehensive data is available to guide UNICEF ROSA strategic policy and programme efforts on nutrition and immunization programmes.
• Supports preparation and dissemination of ROSA e-newsletters covering progress against nutrition and immunization priorities (including zero-dose agenda), regional events, country office, and regional office, web articles, and publications.

• Participate and contribute to the exchange of data, analyses, lessons learned, better practices, innovations, and information on nutrition, immunization, and HSS with UNICEF country offices (COs), and strategic regional knowledge networks, including through social networks and communities of practice.

  2. Networking, Coordination and Partnership Management:

• Provides administrative support to nutrition and health (immunization unit) sections in convening and maintenance of strategic regional health and nutrition partnerships with public, private, and civil society stakeholders including regional networks, working groups, and taskforces.

• Provides support to the Regional Working Group (RWG) on immunization and COVID-19-related activities with World Health Organisation (WHO) and partners including meeting preparation, record-keeping, electronic organization and filing, and dissemination of meeting records.
• Supports development and maintenance of ROSA-led regional nutrition networks, working groups, and taskforces to enhance communication, coordination, and collaboration amongst regional development partners.
• Supports health and nutrition sections in organizing regional events, including coordination meetings, and workshops, prepares meeting minutes, and circulates meeting outputs, presentations, reference materials, and minutes.
• Provides support for the development and management of programme cooperation agreements (PCAs), and institutional contracts by providing information and drafting selected sections of it.

3. Programme Planning, Management, Monitoring and Reporting of Results:

• Provides programme and administrative support for preparation and updating of work plans for the Nutrition and Health (immunization unit) programmes and ensures programme results, activities, and coding are appropriately entered and monitored in the VISION programme management platform.
• Supports with regular monitoring and preparation of monitoring and reporting information for supervisor and team on agreed performance indicators to drive more efficient management and accountability for results.
• Supports with the preparation of donor proposals, monitoring donor reporting schedule, tracking expiring programme grants, and preparing financial utilization reports for donor reporting for the nutrition section and health section (immunization unit).
• Provides administrative support for management of PCAs, individual and institutional contracts
• Manage travel arrangements for Nutrition section staff, contractors, and consultants, and coordinate with the operation section for timely processing.

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

• Completion of secondary education. A university degree with training in public health, nutrition, global/international health and nutrition, health/nutrition research, policy and/or management, health sciences, and biostatistics is preferred. Academic qualifications acquired through research/thesis desirable.
• Six years of programme, research knowledge management, and partnership management work or work in the context of public health research organizations. Required years of work experience may be replaced by additional studies. Experience in UN, NGOs, multi-or bilateral and research organizations would be an asset.
• For this position, a bachelor’s degree from a recognized academic institution in a relevant field may replace three years of related work experience. A master’s degree may replace an additional two years.
• Basic research (i.e., qualitative, and quantitative research methods), statistical analysis, and knowledge management experience
• Excellent communication, verbal, writing, and presentation skills
• Strong interpersonal skills to work with collaborators, stakeholders, and team members.
• Strong attention to detail, excellent time management and organizational skills, experience prioritizing multiple tasks, goal, and detail-oriented work style, and follow through on projects
• Commitment to maternal, new-born, and child health and nutrition
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language 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, 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. For this position, eligible and suitable female 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.