Senior Public 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 Public Health Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
This incumbent is responsible for the public health and nutrition programmes in Chad. The Senior Public Health Officer is a member of the senior management team in his/her duty station and region, will coordinate and provide technical support to a  network of country-level Public Health and HIV focal points as well as Protection and Programme Officers based in the offices in the country. The Senior Public Health Officer plays a major role among the senior management team supporting all issues related to Public Health, HIV and Reproductive Health, Nutrition, including Protection issues, Programme issues as well as community services, gender and age, education and sexual and gender based violence.  The incumbent will need to travel within the country on a minimum of a monthly basis to ensure monitoring and support to the field operations.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
- There is a viable standard Health Information System in place for data collection, analysis and interpretation to serve as evidence base for planning and interventions.
- Nutritional survey and other assessments for food and nutrition are adequately conducted and implemented.
- Health integration strategy is developed in collaboration with the Ministry
- Technical support missions are conducted on regular basis in the country.
- Immediate respond is provided to refugee emergencies.
- UNHCR is an active member of UNAIDS as a cosponsor and respond to HIV needs.

Responsibility
Coordination and Strategy:
- Coordinate Public Health, Nutrition, Reproductive Health, HIV activities for refugees, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, other UN agencies, NGOs and other actors to make sure that refugee health and nutrition needs are addressed, particularly in the CAR emergency;
- Reinforce the overall country operational capacity in emergency response in the fields of public health, reproductive health and nutrition;
- Establish or adapt UNHCR Public Health and nutrition guidelines and procedures to respond to health needs of refugees and the host community in collaboration with the local health districts involved in the management of the CAR emergency in Chad.
- Ensure that UNHCR Public Health and Nutrition standards and other internationally recognised standards are met in the CAR emergency response and within all the country operation.
- Collaborate with WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAIDS for the implementation, the monitoring and the evaluation of UNDAF Chad more importantly its Effect 2 concerning refugee response.
- Work closely with UNHCR programme, field and protection staff to identify priority health issues and key data requirements for programme planning and monitoring to ensure that minimum UNHCR and international standards are being met. 
- Develop and supervise the implementation of the strategy of integration of refugees in the national  health system in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, local health authorities and the livelihood section in UNCHR;
- Update and disseminate standard practices on public health, nutrition, HIV and reproductive health among partners.
- Support the prioritization of the Primary Health strategy focusing on preventive and basic curative health, including mental health, reproductive health, HIV and nutritional components.
- Support in the programming exercise in developing sub-agreements, monitoring of the health partners  and draw proposals and budgets related to public health, HIV, RH and nutrition.

Technical Assistance:
- Provide technical assistance in development, integration and mainstreaming of appropriate and cost-effective public health, reproductive health and HIV prevention, treatment and care, and monitoring and evaluation programmes for refugees, including local integration and where applicable for returning refugees.
- Prioritise HIV prevention and education activities, including provision of voluntary testing and counselling and prevention of mother-to-child transmission, as well as behavioural surveillance surveys and HIV sentinel surveillance.
- Emphasise prevention and treatment of diseases with heaviest burden and promotion of comprehensive reproductive health programmes
- Provide technical assistance and support to urban programmes, as well as health insurance/mutuelle in the country

Monitoring and Evaluation:
- Ensure implementation of UNHCR health information systems and support analysis of public health data.
- Support the implementation and analysis of nutritional surveys.
- Actively involved in all aspects of programme monitoring and evaluation with a main emphasis on checking levels of implementation and impact vis-à-vis resource inputs to measure cost-effectiveness and re-orient the programme as appropriate.

Capacity Building:
- Ensure the capacity of UNHCR staff and its implementing partners to address public health, nutrition, reproductive health and HIV programming in a co-ordinated, multi-sectoral way by:

* Supporting the development of a training plan, organising and acting as resource person in workshops and training both in-service (formal) and on the job (coaching).

*Sharing with local and international partners on the ground relevant guidelines and information materials on refugee HIV, reproductive health, general health and nutrition.

*Supporting country-level health focal points to promote the establishment of Refugee Committees to enable their active participation in the process of health planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Advocacy:
- Work with others in UNHCR to advocate for access to refugees, returnees and other persons of concern to local public health, reproductive health (RH) and HIV/AIDS services and lobby for inclusion of refugees, returnees and other persons of concern as a specific group in government policies related to health, RH and HIV/AIDS.
- Promote information sharing on all aspects related to HIV and persons of concern to UNHCR and the UNHCR role in the UNAIDS division of labour.
- Ensure regular update and share information within UNHCR as well as with relevant government, UN and NGO counterparts and donor communities in the host country on the health status and needs of the refugees.

Authority
- Enforce country compliance with UNCHR Global Public Health Strategies, protocols and guidelines
- Provide guidance and make recommendations on the overall strategy and focus of Public Health programmes.
- Represent UNHCR in Health Coordination meetings.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- A Clinical background (nurse or Medical Doctor with Master¿s level qualifications) with postgraduate training in Public Health, option health systems management plus minimum 8 years of previous job experience relevant to the function and in national/multinational organizations.
- Knowledge of public health, nutrition and HIV in humanitarian emergencies.
- Very good communication and computer skills.
- Proficiency in basic computer software such as MS Words, Excel, PowerPoint and EpiInfo.
- Excellent knowledge of French and English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Experience working with progressively higher levels of responsibility with international organisations, (including NGO¿s and UN), in the field of health, HIV and nutrition.
- Practical working experience in refugee settings in preferably more than one setting in the region;
- Good knowledge in Nutrition: prevention and management of acute malnutrition;
- Applied knowledge in UNHCR programme management, project formulation, its programme cycles and reporting standards. 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
X008L3 - Stakeholder Management Level 3

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.

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.

Please note that the closing date for vancancies in the Addendum 2 is Sunday 16 December 2018 (midnight Geneva time)