Senior Adviser (Diagnostic & Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Coordinator, P-5, Health Section, FT, NYHQ

Contract

This is a P-5 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 10 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 208,877 USD and 261,770 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, good health

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does – in programmes, 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, 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?

The incumbent will work under the supervision of the Associate Director, HIV/AIDS and in collaboration with the Associate Director, Health. Following a matrix management structure, the incumbent will receive direct guidance from the Director, Health Group who is responsible for overall leadership of UNICEF's intersectoral work on In Vitro Diagnostics and AMR.

The position requires regular internal coordination with regional and country offices; Supply Division (SD); Division of Communication (DOC); Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM) Division; Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS); and Programme Division (PD) in New York Headquarters, particularly Health, Immunization, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Public Health Emergencies, and Communication for Development (C4D) teams. Externally, the position requires development, nurturing and coordination of partnerships with a range of global partners working on in vitro diagnostics, COVID-19 pandemic response, and AMR.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Strategic guidance and technical support

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to key divisions and sections in HQ, regional and country offices on in vitro diagnostic technologies and UNICEF's response to AMR according to UNICEF’s strategy, priority activities and opportunities.
• Integrate evidence-based strategies, methods, best practices, and international standards into recommendations to support new interventions or optimization of existing programmatic interventions targeting AMR and in vitro diagnostic capacities, and ensure that recommendations are tailored to priority gaps in different settings.
• Provide remote and on-site technical assistance to regional and country offices and supervise staff and consultants on prioritization and implementation of interventions to combat AMR and strengthen in vitro diagnostics through a ‘One Health’ approach.
• Contribute to organizational planning, monitoring and timely reporting on key performance indicators.
• Provide strategic guidance to Programme Division, regional and country offices on in vitro diagnostic technologies, policies, strategies and implementation frameworks to introduce and scale up new in vitro diagnostic technologies, strengthen national diagnostic capacities and services, optimize diagnostic networks, and strengthen diagnostic systems to detect and respond to disease outbreaks as part of improved pandemic preparedness.

• Lead project strategy development, planning and management in close collaboration with Programme Division, Supply Division, and regional offices for introduction and scale up of in vitro diagnostic technologies in project countries – including COVID-19 testing technologies such Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Tests, self-testing and genomic sequencing as well as HIV POC, self-testing, index family testing, and resistance testing.

  2. Partnerships and coordination

• Establish, coordinate and leverage partnerships with key global AMR and in vitro diagnostics stakeholders – including donors, bilateral agencies, governments, non-government organizations, professional associations, private sector, implementing partners, civil society, and other UN agencies – to support a coordinated response to AMR, strengthen in vitro diagnostic capacities, and seek multi-sectoral collaborations using a ‘One Health’ approach.

• Maintain close working relationships with other UNICEF divisions (SD, DOC, and DAPM) and Programme Division (PD) sections in New York Headquarters – particularly Health, Immunization, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition, WASH, Public Health Emergencies, and C4D teams – to ensure a coordinated and integrated response to AMR and COVID-19.
• In close collaboration with SD, represent UNICEF in the Diagnostics pillar of the Access to COVID-19 tools Accelerator (ACT-A) partnership, contribute to UNICEF’s response to COVID-19 through internal coordination with relevant divisions and offices, and coordinate with regional and country offices to support the scale up COVID-19 diagnostics as part of an integrated (diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines) COVID-19 response.
• Coordinate UNICEF's multi-sectoral response to AMR with internal AMR focal points across the organization and seek synergies with external partners to strengthen collaborations across sectors.
• Explore strategies to keep AMR on top of the UN agenda, leveraging partnerships with other UN agencies to advocate for the AMR agenda globally.

• Contribute to the knowledge base and share new evidence and best practices with UNICEF divisions and offices, external partners and host countries using various channels and through participation in technical conferences and networks.

  3. Resource mobilization

• Liaise with UNICEF Divisions and PD sections (see partnerships and coordination above), PPD, PFP and UNICEF NatComs to secure programme funding.

• Liaise with potential donors and bilateral agencies to identify funding opportunities, and coordinate the development of proposals to mobilize funding to support AMR interventions and scaling up of in vitro diagnostics for HIV and COVID-19.
• Provide guidance and technical support to regional and country offices on mobilization of financial resources to support in vitro diagnostics and AMR activities.
• Approve and monitor the overall allocation and disbursement of funds in coordination with relevant divisions, sections and offices, making sure that funds are properly utilized, monitored and liquidated.

• Take appropriate actions to optimize use of programme funds

  4. Knowledge management and capacity building

• Ensure that programmatic interventions are supported by knowledge management through data collection and analysis, dissemination of lessons learned, and knowledge sharing with key stakeholders.

• Coordinate the collection, analysis and dissemination of information on COVID-19 diagnostics and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) through surveys, consultations, webinars, social networks and other relevant mechanisms.
• Identify capacity needs for staff engaged in AMR and in vitro diagnostic interventions, lead the development of interdisciplinary training and orientation materials in collaboration with external partners and UNICEF divisions and sections, and organize and support capacity building activities.
• Coordinate the development of online SharePoint platforms on diagnostics (HIV/AIDS and COVID-19) and AMR to optimize knowledge management, increase internal and external visibility and transparency, and facilitate coordination and collaboration among stakeholders.

• Contribute to the global knowledge base on drug resistance to inform the introduction and use of better products for children.

  5. Communications and advocacy

• Represent UNICEF in national and international policy dialogues to integrate children's priorities in the AMR response and in vitro diagnostic interventions.

• Coordinate and collaborate with DOC and other key stakeholders to develop and roll out global advocacy and communications materials to increase awareness, educate and advocate, and support fundraising efforts around AMR and COVID-19 and HIV diagnostics.
• Collaborate with DOC and C4D to support development of national AMR advocacy strategies, integration of AMR into existing advocacy campaigns, and promote their inclusion into national action plans on AMR.
• Engage AMR advocacy coalitions and partners to drive media and public action at global, regional and national levels.

• Support the development of case studies, human interest stories, webinars, workshops and satellite sessions at international conferences focused on AMR, HIV POC diagnostics and COVID-19 diagnostics.

  6. Monitoring, evaluation and reporting

• Participate in major evaluation exercises, programme reviews and review meetings involving AMR and in vitro diagnostics.

• Carry out rigorous and transparent programme evaluations in collaboration with focal points in HQ, ROs and COs to improve efficiency and quality of programme delivery.
• Ensure timely preparation of multi-sectoral annual programme status reports in consultation with relevant divisions, sections and offices and submit timely reports to donors and other partners.
• Support corrective actions to address bottlenecks identified during evaluation exercises.

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

EDUCATION

• Minimum PhD, MD or DrPH in public health, infectious diseases epidemiology, clinical diagnostics, health laboratory sciences, microbiology, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) or a related sciences field is required

  Experience (required)

• At least 15 years of relevant international experience, including strengthening national diagnostic capacities through a health systems strengthening approach; development of diagnostic policies, strategies and guidelines; strengthening of laboratory biosafety, quality management, data management, and specimen referral and transportation systems; training and supervision on diagnostics; optimization of diagnostic networks; and development of advocacy and communication materials to support resource mobilization and demand creation through community engagement.

• At least 10 years of experience working on interventions to contain AMR, including development of multi-sectoral strategies, national plans and programmes; technical guidance documents; laboratory surveillance systems to detect AMR; and advocacy/communication campaigns to raise awareness of AMR.
• Experience working at both national and regional/global levels in the design and implementation of diagnostic strengthening projects and programmatic interventions to combat AMR.
• Excellent knowledge and experience with the latest in vitro diagnostic technologies, tools and approaches, particularly point-of-care technologies for HIV and COVID-19 diagnostics.
• Successful track record on proposal development and fundraising to support in vitro diagnostics and AMR projects.
• Proven ability to create and maintain effective working relationships with divisions/sections across an organization, and with international organizations, funding agencies, implementing partners, and host country governments.
• Demonstrated ability to foster collaborative environments that create synergistic relationships among stakeholders and to effectively work with multiple partners on interdisciplinary projects.
• Ability to work in complex environments, set realistic priorities, and plan and coordinate implementation of activities based on agreed upon priorities.

EXPERIENCE (desirable)

• Knowledge and experience coordinating research projects (e.g., behavioral, operational) to inform programmatic interventions.
• Experience developing interventions to promote behavioral change (e.g., rational use of antibiotics, adoption of diagnostic tests).
• Experience working on pandemic preparedness and response, particularly recent experience in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic

LANGUAGE Requirements

Oral and written proficiency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here and Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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:

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

UNICEF Program Group is currently undergoing organizational changes; therefore, the exact location of the post has yet to be determined. Selected candidates may be required to commence duties remotely until the location is confirmed. If reassigned or relocated to New York, candidates may be expected to relocate to a new location again during the initial contract or assignment period. When working remotely, candidate will be expecting to fulfill their functions during NYHQ core working hours (10AM-4PM) unless agreed otherwise by Hiring Office.

For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEF’s Entitlements’ page. If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online Salary Estimate Calculator

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

“UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”