Public Health Officer – Malaria

Background Information – Asia Regional Health Cluster

The Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC) was established in 2018 for efficient delivery of grants and funds management, and the provision of quality pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.  The ARHC aims to significantly impact the targets of UN Sustainable Development Goal #3 on good health and well being by expanding the population benefitting from UNOPS-managed health-related engagements across the Asia Region. The ARHC portfolio manages the Principal Recipient (PR) Programme of the Global Fund in Asia. The Global Fund, which has been providing financial support to the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) for malaria programs since 2003, has selected UNOPS as a PR, responsible for delivering the targets set out in the grant agreements, in collaboration with selected Sub-Recipients (SRs) from the National Programmes, international and local non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies. 

The Global Fund approved additional funding for 2018-2020 in the amount of USD243 million toward eliminating malaria by 2030 in GMS areas (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam), and maintain Malaria-free status and prevent reintroduction in areas where transmission has been interrupted. The financing is managed by UNOPS as the nominated regional PR. The Public Health Officer (PHO) has a senior role and will directly co-manage and coordinate the RAI2E grant. Under the overall supervision of the Programme Director and the direct supervision of the Head of Programme, the PHO – Malaria, will be responsible for overseeing the RAI2E grant from a management and coordination perspective.

• Assist in the design, implementation and coordination of Malaria projects and programmes in the GMS areas.
• Assist in drafting Terms of Reference (TORs) for Requests for Proposals (RFPs) launched on behalf of the fund or programme.
• Assist in the evaluation of proposals received to ensure compliance with the national programme, UNOPS and donor policies and strategies.
• Conduct needs and resource assessments as needed.
• Review work plans and reports submitted by beneficiaries to ensure they are sound and in line with the national programme, UNOPS and donor policies and strategies, and reflect gender issues as appropriate.
• Assist in routinely monitoring the programme’s progress, activities, results and implementation costs against planning and adjust as needed to reflect changes in the national programme, as agreeable to the fund board.
• Propose any interventions that may be necessary, including termination and adjustment actions to ensure compliance with the fund’s policies and strategies.
• Ensure UNOPS’ partner agencies and SRs adhere to donor protocols and standards.
• Coordinate and manage programme-related and management-related training activities for SRs as needed.
• Maintain strategic overview of Malaria in the GMS areas and be aware of state-of-the-art technical approach in Malaria control and elimination.
• Explore opportunities for improvement in Malaria control and elimination, including expansion of existing initiatives and other initiatives.
• Ensure high quality, accessible information about the thematic programme is available for internal and external audiences (including current donors, UNOPS’ managing and participating member organizations and potential donors).
• Work closely with the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer – Malaria to track and assess the progress and impact of the Malaria programme.
• Liaise with Ministries of Health, WHO and other UN agencies to present and discuss strategies and issues regarding the Malaria programme and Malaria-related initiatives.
• Participate in relevant technical meetings and maintain excellent contact with stakeholders in the GMS areas.
• Promote information sharing in all aspects related to Malaria in the GMS areas.

Impact of Results

• Successful performance management of the RAI2E grant, ensuring that the implementation of SRs is aligned with the regional goals and objectives, National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCP) strategic plans, and financing policies and strategies.
• Professional relationships with the Ministries of Health, NMCPs, WHO, SRs, other implementing partners and donors.
• Regular updates and coordination of review meetings and related capacity building activities of the SRs.
• Timely completion of the progress update and disbursement request to the Global Fund, including reviews of the overall performance of the RAI2E grant against each indicator to make recommendations to improve performance.

Education

• Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, health economics, health management, health social science, social science or other related discipline is required.
• Bachelor’s degree in the above listed subjects combined with additional two years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of a master’s degree.

Experience

• Minimum of five years of relevant and progressive experience in public health preferably related to Malaria control and elimination.
• Professional project or programme experience in finance or grant management is desirable.
• Professional experience working with Ministries of Health, local governments, local and international non-government organizations, private sector, development partners and/or donors would be an asset.
• Demonstrable experience in negotiations, facilitation and advocacy is preferred.
• Excellent writing and data analytical skills are required.
• Willingness and ability to undertake field visits under difficult and challenging conditions is required.
• Microsoft computing skills are required.
• Sound knowledge of UNOPS and the Global Fund rules and regulations is considered an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in both written and spoken English and Myanmar is required.
• Knowledge of another UN official language is an asset

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.