Chief Health and Nutrition, P-4, Nouakchott, Mauritanie, #47100

UNICEF Mauritania is looking for a champion as Chief Health and Nutrition to lead, manage, develop and enable a competent team of professional and support staff to achieve the strategic goals and objectives of the Health & Nutrition programme in Mauritania.

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, [insert tagline]

[Include information about the country/specific programme. Ideally include a link to a video]

How can you make a difference?

The incumbent is responsible for the overall management and administration in the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Health & Nutrition programme in the context of child survival and development within the country programme. Accountable for effective technical leadership, management guidance and programme support to facilitate the application and adaptation of UNICEF policies and strategies to achieve programme goals and expansion of UNICEF assisted Health & Nutrition  interventions, including the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

As the Chief Health and Nutrition, the incumbent will have the following responsibilities:

• Engage in strategic policy dialogue to contribute to the development and implementation of sector plans.
• Take a pro-active role in sector coordination.
• Ensure quality assurance for all section's documents (strategic notes, funding proposal, annual and donor reports, briefing and advocacy notes).
• Timely and quality sectoral analysis, input, support and coordination contribute to the Situation Analysis, its periodic update, and all programme documents to formulate effective Health and Nutrition goals, strategy, and project planning and development to contribute to the realization of key results for children.
• Integrated Health and Nutrition strategies, methodologies and new approaches are developed and implemented based on results-based approach within Human Rights framework by broad participation and collaboration with internal and external partnership.
• Technical support is provided to government and non-government organizations at all stages of the programme cooperation, including capacity building of government personnel and beneficiaries.
• Monitoring and evaluation of programme performance is properly undertaken for adjustment, acceleration and improvement of program delivery. Gender/sex disaggregated data and inputs relevant to the Health and Nutrition programme provided.
• Establish the Section's annual work plan with the education team; set priorities/targets and performance measurement. Monitor work progress and ensure results are achieved according to schedule and performance standards.
• Establish clear individual performance objectives, goals and timelines; and provide timely guidance to enable the team to perform their duties responsibly and efficiently. Plan and ensure timely performance management and assessment of the Team.
• UNICEF and Government accountability is ensured for supply and non-supply assistance and disbursement of programme funds for the sector.
• Effective partnership and collaboration are achieved and maintained for advocacy, technical cooperation, programme coordination, information sharing and knowledge networking.
• All required programme reports are timely prepared in compliance with the established guidelines and procedures.
• Emergency preparedness is maintained, and in emergencies, emergency responses with effective coordination are provided.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Public Health and Nutrition (preferably with specialized training in public health and nutrition planning, health and nutrition education, health care system management, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunization, or epidemiology), Child Development, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or other relevant disciplines 
• A minimum of height years of relevant professional experience at the national and international levels in planning, programming, implementation monitoring and evaluation of health and nutrition programmes relevant to child survival, health & nutrition care. Professional work experience in a managerial position, or a technical expert position in health, nutrition, and child survival & health care.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.

• Fluency in French and English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) 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.

The functional competencies required for this post are...

[insert functional competencies]

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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:

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

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