Health Specialist - Immunization (P-4), # 00117721, Health Section, PG - New York HQ (Temporary Appointment 364days)

You will be responsible for implementing and monitoring the CDS grant to the 30 non-Gavi AMC countries and undertake strategic actions for enhancing UNICEF’s work on immunization in middle-income countries. The overall aim is to leverage the CDS support for childhood vaccine delivery in the longer term.

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.

UNICEF Program Group is currently undergoing organizational changes; therefore, the exact location of the post has yet to be determined. Selected candidates may be required to commence duties remotely until the location is confirmed. If reassigned or relocated to New York, candidates may be expected to relocate to a new location again during the initial contract or assignment period. When working remotely, candidate will be expecting to fulfill their functions during NYHQ core working hours (10AM-4PM) unless agreed otherwise by Hiring Office

UNICEF is a key implementing partner of COVAX, the Vaccines Pillar within The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A). ACT-A was launched in April 2020 at an event co-hosted by the Director-General of the World Health Organization, the President of France, the President of the European Commission, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. ACT-A brings together governments, scientists, businesses, civil society, philanthropists and global health organizations with the aim of accelerating development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines. UNICEF is a delivery partner for COVAX, procuring and supplying COVID-19 vaccines, and is using its existing infrastructure to help facilitate the logistically demanding delivery. Some of the most important support provided by UNICEF relates to cold chain expansion, supply chain management, social mobilization and implementing digital innovations for COVID-19 vaccine monitoring.

For every child, good health….

UNICEF is managing a grant of $44 million for COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Support (CDS) to 30 non-Gavi eligible Advanced Market Commitment (AMC) countries. This US$ 44 million grant is part of a larger investment from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ, to support in-country COVID-19 vaccine delivery and is being carried out in partnership with Gavi. The 30 countries are middle-income countries that are not receiving Gavi financial support, but are now eligible for external support through the COVAX mechanism. As part of the CDS support, UNICEF aims to increase its capacity on immunization in middle-income countries.

You will be responsible for implementing and monitoring the CDS grant to the 30 non-Gavi AMC countries and undertake strategic actions for enhancing UNICEF’s work on immunization in middle-income countries. The overall aim is to leverage the CDS support for childhood vaccine delivery in the longer term.

How can you make a difference?

Project and process management – UNICEF-managed review of COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Support (CDS) proposals

• Facilitate the preparation of proposals from Country Office and Regional Office (COs and ROs), ensuring compliance with agreed format (narrative and budget)
• Co-ordinate internally and externally with other financial support and technical assistance for COVID-19 vaccine delivery to ensure complementarity and alignment between CDS and other initiatives
• Manage review of submissions and provide quality assurance to ensure that proposals meet defined eligibility criteria before sharing with review committee
• Coordinate the review process to ensure the timely review of submissions, feedback, and follow-up on agreements and decisions
• Develop knowledge management systems to make relevant information and documents available

Grant management - COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Support (CDS)

• Coordinate between multiple internal and external stakeholders at global, regional and country-level to facilitate grant administration
• Oversee and coordinate technical narrative reporting and tracking of progress towards programmatic milestones.
• Provide inputs to requests from senior management and others on grant implementation, e.g. powerpoint slides, briefing notes etc.
• Have oversight over financial utilization and flag issues as appropriate, and support efforts to fill financial gaps related to vaccine delivery. Work proactively with other team members to upload all relevant documents to a SharePoint site within the Grants Management system.

Technical assistance to regions and countries during CDS implementation

• Proactively follow up with regions and countries on activity implementation and provide  technical assistance if needed
• Assess potentials for evaluation studies alongside CDS activity implementation
• Design and manage implementation research/evaluation studies of CDS funded activities
• Ensure CDS funded activities are well aligned with other initiatives on COVID-19 vaccine delivery

Develop and implement strategy for expanding UNICEF’s engagement on immunization in middle-income countries

• Building on the recently completed Concept Note on UNICEF’s role on immunization in MICs and in consultation with health and immunization teams at global and regional level develop an implementation workplan, a funding and advocacy strategy.
• Disseminate, coordinate and monitor the implementation of the MIC strategy, including advocacy and resource mobilization, for increasing UNICEF’s capacity on health and immunization in MICs.

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

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in public health, international health, health management, social sciences and/or in relevant field is required.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of solid professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme management, planning, monitoring and evaluation within the health sector is required.
• Excellent communication skills, results orientation and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Experience working in low and middle income countries is considered as an asset.
• Developing country work experience or field work experience is desired.
• Background/familiarity with Emergency is an asset.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) 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.

To view our competency framework, please visit here and Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

• 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.
• For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEF’s Entitlements’ page.  If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online Salary Estimate Calculator
• “UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.