Senior HIV and Reproductive Health Officer

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.

Senior HIV and Reproductive Health Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The incumbent provides technical support to the bureau, regional and country programmes. S/He advocates for HIV and Reproductive Health (RH) issues within and outside of UNHCR. The incumbent must ensure that UNHCR's HIV policies and programmes meet minimum UNHCR and international standards in order to reduce stigma and discrimination as well as to prevent infection and minimise mortality and morbidity among populations of concern. The incumbent plays a major role in UNHCR by supporting all issues related to HIV and Reproductive Health, including Protection issues (e.g. HIV discrimination, stigma, mandatory testing, HIV testing for resettlement), Programme issues (e.g. HIV programme funds come from country as well as headquarter budgets), and technical support sectors (e.g. HIV is a cross-cutting issue that deals with protection, nutrition, food security, community services, gender and age, public health, water and sanitation, shelter, and the environment).

UNHCR became a UNAIDS cosponsor in June 2004. Together with this major opportunity for including refugees in global, regional and country policies and programmes, come obligations and responsibilities. The incumbent supports the Senior Advisor for HIV/AIDS and the Liaison Officer to UNAIDS in the fulfilment of the responsibilities.

The incumbent is ultimately responsible for providing technical support, coordination, policy and planning, advocacy and evaluation on HIV/AIDS for Displaced Persons in the region. The post  will be supervised by the Chief of Section (Public Health & HIV).

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
- UNHCR is a viable co-sponsor to UNAIDS and an active co-chair of the IATT on HIV and emergencies Technical support is provided.
- UNHCR is active in the field of Reproductive Health.

Responsibility
- Work in a multi-sectoral and co-ordinated approach in co-operation with UN agencies, donors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other humanitarian partners, including relevant IASC mechanisms.
- Develop and ensure implementation of UNHCR¿s Strategic Plan for HIV and RH.
- Develop and ensure new policies and strategies for UNHCR in key aspects of HIV and RH.
- Develop, review, update and ensure dissemination of internationally accepted standards, policies, and guidelines within UNHCR and among partners; adapt accordingly to the unique situation of UNHCR¿s people of concern.
- Coordinate with other technical sectors as well as Division of International Protection Services (DIP) and Bureaux.
- Provide leadership and advocate on all issues relating to HIV and RH and refugees/International Displaced persons (IDPs) and other persons of concern to UNHCR both within and outside of UNHCR.
- Work with others in UNHCR to advocate for access to refugees, IDPs, returnees and other persons of concern to UNHCR to public health services, including support for inclusion of refugees, returnees and other persons of concern in national and international fora and funding sources.
- Ensure regular updates and share information within UNHCR as well as with relevant government, UN and NGO counterparts, Governments and the donor community.
- Work with partners to develop, maintain and activate standby arrangements for field based support in the health sector.
- Provide technical assistance to UNHCR's regional and national officers, the Bureaux, DIPS and direct requests from the field as required.
- Conduct technical support field missions, including to emergency operations, on short notice.
- Review and provide technical inputs on reports and programme proposals from the field with the view to verify compliance with UNHCR policy priorities refugee women and children, gender, adolescents and other related topics.
- Lead the design and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation system for health programmes for refugees, returnees, and other persons of concern to UNHCR.
- Facilitate the inclusion of UNHCR programmes in inter-agency assessment and evaluation efforts.
- Undertake programmatic research with relevant organisations as needed to improve programmatic response.
- Assimilate and produce better practice/lessons learnt/academic articles for dissemination.

Authority
- Provide guidance and make recommendations on the overall strategy and focus of HIV and RH programmes.
- Represent UNHCR in HIV and RH meetings.
- Represent UNHCR as UNAIDS cosponsor.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Clinical degree (midwife, nursing or medical doctor) with a master degree in public health or related social science.
- Minimum 10 years of working experience at professional level in public health; at least 5 years in an international capacity; at least 3 years working with refugees/IDPs or in emergency/post-emergency situation.
- Proven technical competence in international health programming with emphasis on refugees/IDPs, emergencies or post-emergencies.
- Proven managerial competence in international health programming issues with emphasis on refugees/IDPs/emergencies or post-emergencies.
- Practical knowledge of planning, monitoring and implementation of health-related services in refugee or refugee-like situations.
- Practical experience in various refugee / internally displaced persons situations ranging from emergency to reconstruction/rehabilitation.
- Computer skills in word processing, spread sheets and PowerPoint.
- Excellent oral and written English; working knowledge of another UN language, preferably French.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Previous professional work with NGOs and/ or UN agencies.
- Strong analytical skills.
- Strong communication and presentation skills (oral and written).
- Statistical programming skills an asset. C001L3 - Accountability Level 3
C002L3 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C003L3 - Communication Level 3
C004L3 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C005L3 - Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 - Organizational Awareness Level 3
M001L3 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 3
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
M006L3 - Managing Resources Level 3
M005L3 - Leadership Level 3
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
M004L3 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3
X005L3 - Planning and Organizing Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X006L3 - Policy Development & Research Level 3 <p>The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.</p>
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
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For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage them – before deciding to apply- to read the country specific security and welfare country profiles which can be found on the Intranet under Support Services - Duty of Care (https://intranet.unhcr.org/en/support-services/duty-of-care.html). Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care.

Staff after having applied to High Risk Duty Stations will have access to country specific information webinars with Field Safety Section (FSS) and Staff Welfare Section (SWS) colleagues and provided with a tool to test their psychological preparedness for serving in High Risk Duty Stations. Applicants who applied for a position in a High Risk country will receive, after the deadline for applications has expired, a joint invitation from the Staff Welfare Section (SWS) and the Field Safety Section (FSS) to participate in these webinars. During the Webinars, latest updates on security and well-being will be provided, and FSS and SWS will address questions raised by participants. Applicants are highly encouraged to benefit, when applicable, from all measures as they provide most up-to-date security and well-being information helpful to assess staff’s readiness to serve in a High Risk Duty Station. A Staff Welfare Officer will also be available, if and when required, to discuss with interested applicants the results of the psychological preparedness tool as well as readiness for assignment in High Risk Duty Stations.

The Senior HIV and Reproductive Health officer provides technical support and guidance on Reproductive Health including HIV to regional bureaux, regional Public Health Officers and country operations.
The incumbent plays a critical role in representing UNHCR on the Interagency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crisis of which UNHCR is a founding and steering committee member.  The incumbent will be from time to time be required to support UNHCR's work as a cosponsor of UNAIDS and including  the Interagency Task Team on HIV in emergencies.  The focus of the position will be on strengthening UNHCR's work at country level in maternal health, neonatal health, family planning, HIV and other aspects of reproductive health including cervical cancer and obstetric fistula and adolescent reproductive health.


The incumbent will need to be a fast learner, and be able to rapidly make a quick analysis of the  Reproductive Health situation in a country and be able to inform the bureau external partners and donors on the HIV and RH programmes and situation in the country.  A solid understanding of UNHCR's mandate, principles and priorities s will be required as well as how reproductive health  relates to this.   A focus of the position will be increased integration of HIV into reproductive health programming as well as other health interventions  such as TB and hepatitis  B and C in line with the evolution  HIV into broader global health responses. The incumbent will need to represent UNHCR's reproductive and HIV activities on internal and external fora and be able to contribute to documents with relevant inputs.  
The incumbent will be working under the direct supervision of the Chief of Public Health Section and will work closely with the HIV focal point.  He/she will be a member of the Public Health Section which consists of reproductive health, public health, health information systems, mental health, nutrition and food security and WASH. The incumbent should be able to provide strong and quality technical guidance and support on  Reproductive Health including HIV.  The incumbent will need to a good collaborator and being able to establish close working relations with the bureau, regional and country public health officers and support and facilitate their efforts to have strong coordinated refugee public health response.
The incumbent will have to understand the complexities of UNHCR's approach to refugees and the cluster approach. S/he will have to be politically savvy, and have strong negotiation and coordination skills.

At the global level, the incumbent will represent UNHCR in fora, on Reproductive Health. This participation will not be limited to clinical discussions, but in line with the multi-sectoral nature of HIV and Reproductive Health Programming, including protection. The incumbent will have a key role in facilitating and drafting global HIV and RH guidance and strategy.

The incumbent should have a very strong background and knowledge on Reproductive Health, to be able to represent UNHCR as a strong technical member of the Interagency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crisis.

This position requires a high level of technical expertise and practical experience in the field of Reproductive Health and HIV in a diverse set of settings (rural, camp, urban, low and middle income).

The incumbent must have the ability to work collaboratively have inter-agency coordination skills, and have data management expertise. Innovation to continue to ensure that UNHCR remains a leader in RH and HIV policies, strategies and practices for refugee and other persons of concern to UNHCR is a necessity. This is HQ Geneva duty station.

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the September 2018 Compendium is Thursday 18 October  2018 (midnight Geneva time).