Job description

The Position:

This position acts as the UNFPA regional Principal Lead Adviser for integrated technical and programmatic support on issues pertaining to maternal and newborn health, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and health systems strengthening in West and Central Africa (WCA). The Regional Adviser works in an integrated manner with the technical and programme staff in the WCA Regional Office and Country Offices covered by the WCA region and reports directly to the Deputy Regional Director under the overall guidance and leadership of the Regional Director.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s Strategic Plan (2026-2029) focuses on four interconnected outcomes: (a) Accelerating progress on meeting the unmet need for family planning; (b) Accelerating progress on ending preventable maternal deaths; (c) Accelerating progress on ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and, (d) Adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD Programme of Action and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. UNFPA works with partners across sectors to protect the gains made in recent decades and to use every opportunity to make advances and accelerate progress. Through country-led nationally owned strategies and programmes, an increased focus on leveraging sustainable financing and investment at scale and inclusive, evidence-based policy advocacy, UNFPA continues to help governments fulfill their commitments to achieving development and dignity for all. 

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

In the West and Central Africa Region, the Regional Maternal Health and Health Systems Strengthening Adviser will provide strategic technical and programmatic leadership to ensure that the UNFPA West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) in Dakar and Country Offices (COs) are well-equipped to provide evidence-based policy and programme advice for improving maternal and newborn health to accelerate progress towards the outcomes of the UNFPA’s Strategic Plan, the Sustainable Development Goals, the ICPD Programme of Action and Africa Union’s Agenda 2063.

The regional advisor will lead efforts to accelerate progress to accelerate progress towards ending preventable maternal deaths in the region. S/he will be primarily responsible for leading and managing the provision of high quality technical assistance and programme support to the countries of the region with a focus on  strengthening health, financing, governance and accountability systems. S/he will lead efforts to implement the regional road map on reducing maternal mortality, strengthen the multisectoral approach and positioning maternal and newborn health as a strategic and political priority at continental, regional and national levels.

S/he will lead on undertaking analyses of continental, regional, and country level trends pertaining to maternal and newborn health and the effectiveness of the health and health related delivery systems especially at the primary and secondary health care levels within the broader framework of  universal health coverage (UHC).

S/he will identify strategic actions, high impact practices, and will broker and leverage effective partnerships for accelerating progress towards improving  maternal and women’s health, by firmly placing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) within continental, regional and national development frameworks and programmes.

The regional adviser will work within an interdisciplinary team providing programme and technical support to the countries and institutions in the region. S/he works in an integrated manner with the technical, operations, programme and communications staff in the WCARO.

The adviser will also liaise with other UNFPA units (regional and HQ) and the UNFPA Technical Network, ensuring the timeliness, relevance, and quality of technical support in maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health system strengthening for UNFPA. 

The main tasks and responsibility of the regional adviser will include:

  1. Strategic technical leadership, monitoring and oversight
    • Provide technical, policy and programmatic leadership, management advice and strategic support and guidance to the regional office and the West and Central African countries supported by regional office on issues pertaining to maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health systems strengthening in development and humanitarian settings recognizing the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) continuum;
    • Strengthen UNFPA’s thought leadership and technical excellence by identifying and providing evidence-backed expert advice to scale up and improve effectiveness of proven maternal and newborn health interventions through  a multisectoral, whole-of-society,  human rights based approach across the life course by leaving no one behind.
    • Lead on policy and advocacy efforts for progressively situating comprehensive sexual, reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in country specific universal health coverage (UHC) and health system strengthening policies and programmes including in public-funded financial health protection schemes;
    • Lead the development and implementation of an integrated strategy for the delivery of technical assistance, policy and programme support in the region, including strategies for programming and sustainably financing efforts towards the attainment of ending preventable maternal deaths in all settings including in protracted humanitarian and transitional contexts;
    • Manage and oversee regional initiatives/programmes on maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health systems strengthening including the implementation of the regional such as the Muskoka Initiative and the H4+/H6 partnership. Further serve as the regional integrator, interlocutor and connector between the Global Thematic Trust Fund on Maternal Newborn Health, the regional road map to reduce maternal mortality, and/or other global Programmes and initiatives (end obstetric fistula, Global Midwifery Programme) and the Regional Programme/Initiatives in support of countries in the region;
    • Contribute to health system strengthening in countries in the region by supporting WCA country offices with high quality technical advice to:
      • Enhance access to respectful and quality SRH services, in particular maternal health services;
      • Improve health sector workforce planning, development, deployment and retention with a focus on scaling up midwifery models of care;
      • Improve readiness of health facility and community based health delivery systems;
      • Ensure access to critical emergency obstetric and newborn care services (EmONC);
      • Ensure the availability of essential maternal life-saving commodities;
      • Improve health information systems related to SRHR, in particular maternal health;
      • Strengthen maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response systems (MPDSRS);
      • Enhance governance and leadership for quality and equitable SRHR information and services;
      • Cost and track budgets and financial flows towards maternal health and sustainable innovative finance options;
    • Contribute to the development, implementation and monitoring of regional and national strategies to accelerate efforts to end maternal and newborn deaths and reduce morbidities including Obstetric Fistulae by enhancing midwifery education, association, regulation and practice; strengthening planning, assessment and implementation of emergency obstetric and newborn care; strengthening quality of SRHR care including deliveries by skilled birth attendance and facility-based deliveries; and developing supportive SRHR policies and financing in countries and in the region;
    • Identify and analyze trends, threats and risks to maternal health and SRHR delivery systems that may affect the ICPD agenda and UNFPA’s work within the region and ensure that they are appropriately addressed at the regional and/or sub-regional levels;
    • Identify requirements for and contribute to the development of new or updated policies, positioning, frameworks, guidance, standards, instruments and tools in maternal and newborn health and health systems strengthening;
    • Participate in the UNFPA technical network on maternal and newborn health and health systems strengthening at continental, regional and global levels, engaging in technical working groups as required by the UNFPA Headquarters (HQ/Sexual and Reproductive Health Branch in the Programme  Division (PD) maintaining communication and feedback loops on all substantive work affecting maternal health;
    • Supervise the Midwifery Specialist and other relevant technical staff,  coach and manage junior professional staff and associates, direct expert consultants and facilitate working groups and task teams;
    • Work as a collaborative member of the SRHR team and with other regional technical and programme advisers;

       
  2. Quality control of technical support and capacity development
    • Advise COs on the implementation and effective application of UNFPA policies, strategies, guidelines and tools in maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health systems strengthening in the region, ensuring consistency, alignment and coherence in addressing priorities for UNFPA;
    • Ensure that state-of-the-art thinking and research pertaining to maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health systems are integrated within the work of the region and sub-regional offices and partnership networks;
    • Analyze technical, programmatic and substantive reports from the field and recommend follow-up actions for improving access to comprehensive SRHR in particular maternal health services;
    • Organize and contribute to regional and country level capacity development activities in maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health systems strengthening;
    • Ensure the identification of relevant research, innovation and best practices and disseminate them appropriately and effectively for  regional adaptation including development and use of knowledge products (such as resource materials, manuals and tools) in maternal health, SRHR and health systems strengthening.;
    • Contribute to the development and implementation of a regional integrated technical delivery strategy to strengthen capacities in the region, and guide the implementation of this strategy for improving maternal and newborn health and health systems;
    • Provide strategic technical guidance to promote and deepen integration of all elements of the essential SRHR package and especially family planning and GBV services and information at every possible entry point  by following a life course including adolescent and youth friendly SRHR services;
    • Provide technical guidance for countries to advocate for full integration of sexual and reproductive health services into primary health care and UHC initiatives including public-funded financial health protection mechanisms;;
    • Monitor the quality of the technical support received at the country level, in the area of expertise pertaining to SRHR, maternal and newborn health and health systems strengthening, for effective policy dialogue and programming;
    • Engage actively in the development country programme development process contributing to the evaluation, assessment, prioritization, strategic dialogue and other aspects of the UNSCF, CPD process; 

       
  3. Evidence and knowledge development and dissemination
    • Play a key role in building up, coordinating and monitoring the regional knowledge platform in maternal and newborn health specifically, SRH and health systems strengthening and competency while ensuring high impact practices and innovative approaches are explored, evaluated and scaled up;
    • Contribute to developing a mechanism to share technical skills and knowledge within and among programme countries and/or other regions in maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health systems strengthening;
    • Initiate, develop, strengthen and monitor substantive and intellectual regional partnerships in maternal health, SRHR and health systems strengthening, including for South-South technical support to countries and for the implementation of the regional programme;
    • Coordinate development of accessible databases on innovation and high impact practices including those on maternal and newborn health programming in humanitarian and transitional settings;
    • Collect, analyze and synthesize information/data and experience on programme priorities to be used in regional and global advocacy including documentation of UNFPA’s work on EmONC, midwifery, MPDSR, adolescent and youth SRHR, quality of care and reaching the most marginalized, geographically isolated, conflict impacted and left behind populations;
    • Lead the analysis and synthesis of substantive trends, emerging needs and research findings in the region in order to produce new, cutting-edge technical knowledge and ideas for innovative service delivery models for maternal and new-born health;
    • Prepare white papers, briefing, talking points, statements and materials for evidence-based policy dialogues at regional level, provide similar support at the request of the WCA regional leadership and WCA country offices;
    • Disseminate and promote the use of state-of-the-art technical knowledge, evidence, lessons learned, and success stories and ensure their use to improve the effectiveness of UNFPA operations. Advise on application of innovative approaches to address reproductive health needs of population in crisis and recovery settings;
    • Collect, analyze and synthesize information/data and experience on maternal health to be used in regional and global advocacy and for resource mobilization;
    • Contribute to the advocacy efforts to end preventable maternal deaths and the attainment of relevant SDG targets and indicators at the regional level;

       
  4. Management and coordination of knowledge networks
    • Coordinate overall provision of technical support to the country offices in the region in maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health systems strengthening;
    • Develop and co-ordinate the substantive elements of partnerships and collaboration in maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health systems strengthening, with other UN agencies, including in the context of the Regional Collaboration Platform (RCP), UNDG, particularly with the regional technical arms of these agencies including the H4+/H6, as well as with regional institutions;
    • Identify sources of technical knowledge among institutions and consultants; and establish and maintain relationships with institutions and maintain a network of consultants in maternal and newborn health and health systems strengthening in the region;

       
  5. Technical representation
    • Represent UNFPA on forums and issues pertaining to maternal and newborn health and health systems strengthening in the region and elaborate UNFPA’s substantive regional and global perspectives in maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health systems strengthening;
    • Participate in policy dialogue, and advocate for maternal and newborn health and health systems strengthening in international, inter-governmental, U.N., and other regional and sub regional policy and technical meetings and fora such as WAHO, ECOWAS, ECAS, AU including for adequate funding and financing by national governments;
    • Collaborate on substantive issues with UN agencies, academia, research and training institutions, think tanks, centers of excellence, professional societies in the region for accelerating progress towards UNFPA’s Transformative Results; and;
    • Act as focal point for inter-agency working groups in maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health systems strengthening;

       
  6. Carry out any other duties as may be requested by the Office of the Regional Director.

     

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

Advanced degree in health, Medicine, Obstetric and Gynaecology and/or Public Health, or other fields directly related to maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health system strengthening.

Knowledge and Experience:

  • 10 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health system strengthening, of which seven years is at the international level;
  • Proven experience in a lead maternal health role, or SRHR including health sector reform, health systems strengthening;
  • Understanding of areas relevant to UNFPA's mandate such as family planning, contraceptive technology, sexual and reproductive health services, reproductive and/or gender-based violence, population dynamics, gender equality, social protection systems;
  • Demonstrated expertise in policy engagement within developing countries and Middle-Income Countries;
  • Established global and regional professional networks related to maternal and newborn health, SRHR and health systems strengthening;
  • Strong track record of producing demonstrable results;
  • Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with national counterparts, academia, civil society organizations, private sector, and development partners including with UN agencies from the H4+/H6 as well as donors;
  • Country and Regional experience is required, ideally within the West and Central Africa region;
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