Senior HIV/AIDS Specialist - PMTCT (P5), FT, PG - Health (HIV/AIDS), New York HQ # 00086253

Under the overall guidance of the Associate Director, HIV, Health Programme Group (IMIS 18699), the incumbent will lead and coordinate UNICEF’s global response as the team leader. The incumbent will provide policy, technical and programming guidance for the scaling up and quality assurance of UNICEF’s global, regional and country work.

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.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favouritism. The focus on equity accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Ending AIDS among children is vital to ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. This is a priority in UNICEF’s global HIV programme.

For every child, good health….

Under the overall guidance of the Associate Director, HIV, Health Programme Group (IMIS 18699), the incumbent will lead and coordinate UNICEF’s global response as the team leader. The incumbent will provide policy, technical and programming guidance for the scaling up and quality assurance of UNICEF’s global, regional and country work. The incumbent will coordinate the work of different staff members within the Health Program Group and across other relevant sectors such as ECD and Nutrition to promote the delivery of comprehensive and quality programmes. The staff member will also represent UNICEF in the key Global working groups including the Global Validation Advisory Committee and The Global Alliance to end AIDS in children.

How can you make a difference?

Managerial leadership

• Establishes the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (EMTCT) and paediatric and adolescent treatment care and support work plan priorities and performance measurements within the relevant units in the Health Program Group including Adolescents, Nutrition and ECD teams and monitors and reports on progress.
• Identifies new areas of work including innovations and integration opportunities in Health, e.g., integration into primary healthcare platforms and packages, to catalyse achievements of results
• Represents UNICEF in relevant key donor and partner meetings focusing on HIV in children and adolescents
• Supports the Associate Director (HIV) in policy and partnership work.

Regional / Country Technical Support:

• Leads and provides technical support to scale up of PMTCT/Paediatric HIV interventions within MNCAH programmes, including primary healthcare, and across other relevant sections.
• Provides technical leadership and oversight to advance treatment access in children and adolescents and close the gap in HIV treatment access between adults (76%) and children (52%).
• Provides oversight support to regions and countries to review and to reshape national and subnational strategies and plans for PMTCT and paediatric AIDS.
• In collaboration with the Division of Data, Analytics Planning and Monitoring (DAPM), staff member supports the development and operationalization of in-country, regional and global tracking mechanisms to report on progress, and support countries to use programme data to enhance programme performance.
• Supports countries on retention and transition programming, including establishment of effective community facility and workforce linkages and retention monitoring systems.
• Supports countries to integrate interventions to reduce new infections in pregnant and lactating women/adolescents, including PreP for sero-discordant couples.

Policies and Strategies:

• Stays abreast of and advises on technical development and international best practices in programming in the area of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) and paediatric care and treatment.
• Directs the development of UNICEF’s policies, strategies, and guidelines to fast-track results in PMTCT and paediatric care and treatment.
• Works with the Immunization, MNCAH, Nutrition and community health and Health Systems Strengthening teams to ensure that PMTCT and paediatric and adolescent HIV care and treatment elements are integrated within comprehensive packages of maternal and child survival as well as nutrition interventions.
• Coordinates with Supply Division on supply and non-supply assistance activities including adoption of new formulations. Liaises with Supply Division in the definition of UNICEF’s role in procurement as well as in supporting countries to strengthen supply management systems.

Advocacy, networking and partnership building:

• Builds and strengthens strategic partnerships with key stakeholders and relevant government and other national counterparts, national stakeholders, and global partners/allies/donors/academia through active networking to achieve results in the first decade of life.
• Supports the Associate Director, of the HIV Section in key partner and donor meetings and in fundraising efforts.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in in public health, health policy and/or management, or other relevant health sciences or other health related sciences is required.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of professional experience in HIV and/or health programming, planning, management, policy development, and representation, including at least 5 years in the field of elimination of mother-to-child transmission and paediatric AIDS is required.
• Experience working at an international level with the UN or key international partners, advocating with governments is required, including experience in a developing country.
• Experience in supervising teams 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 Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others (8)  Nurtures, Leads and Manages People

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

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