Early Childhood Development Officer (Health & Nutrition), NO-B, Temporary Appointment, UNICEF Thailand Country Office, Bangkok, Thailand (Thai Nationals Only), Job No.560323

UNICEF Thailand Country Office is looking for a qualified candidate to provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for ECD programmes/projects related to health and nutrition within the Country Programme from development planning to delivery of results, preparing, executing, managing and implementing a variety of technical and administrative program tasks.

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, better future.

 

Learn about what we do to create a fair chance for every child in Thailand, click here.

 

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Thailand Country Office is looking for a qualified candidate to provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for ECD programmes/projects related to health and nutrition within the Country Programme from development planning to delivery of results, preparing, executing, managing and implementing a variety of technical and administrative program tasks.

Major Responsibilities

The ECD officer (Health & Nutrition) will focus on providing technical, operational, and management support to the projects by the government, academic, and NGO partners that aim to integrate the Nurturing Care Framework into the current health, nutrition, and other child-focused services. The Officer will support the implementation of the capacity-building strategy to strengthen the quality of health and nutrition services, as well as the development and implementation of initiatives and projects that aim to improve parenting practices.

1. Support to ECD programme development and planning

• Conduct, update, or manage the situation analysis, studies, or assessments on health and nutrition issues that are related to early childhood development to establish evidence-based data to support holistic policy and programme development, as well as coordinated planning, implementation, and monitoring of ECD related programmes/projects.

• Contribute to the development and establishment of ECD programme goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning through research, collection, analysis and reporting of information and data related to health and nutrition for ECD for development planning and goal setting.

• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing/
administering a variety of technical, programme, operational and administrative transactions, preparing related materials/documentations and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support programme planning, results-based management (RBM) and monitoring and evaluating results.

• Prepare required programme documentations/materials/data to facilitate the program review and approval process.

2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results.

• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss operational and implementation issues of the health and nutrition projects under the ECD programme, provide solutions, recommendations and/or alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level intervention and/or decisions. Keep record of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.

• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual reviews with governments and other counterparts to assess ECD health and nutrition programmes/projects and to report on required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.

• Monitor and report on the use of ECD health and nutrition programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verify compliance with approved allocation/goals, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on critical issues/findings to ensure timely resolution by management/stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.

• Prepare regular/mandated ECD health and nutrition programme/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.

3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation

• Conduct regular programme field visits and/or exchange information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support, take appropriate action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution. Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.

• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices on ECD related issues to support programme implementation, operations and delivery of results.

4. Networking and partnership building

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders across relevant sectors through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve and sustain results on ECD programmes.

• Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support resource mobilization for ECD programmes.

• Participate in appropriate inter-agency (UNCT) meetings/events on programming to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNDAF operational planning and preparation of ECD programmes/projects and to integrate and harmonize UNICEF’s position and strategies with the UNDAF development and planning process.

• Prepare information and materials to support any request for fund raising and partnership development purposes.

5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Identify, capture, synthesize and share lessons learned for knowledge development and to build the capacity of stakeholders.

• Apply innovative approaches and promote good practice to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.

• Research and report on best and cutting-edge practices for development planning of knowledge products and systems.

• Participate as resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders.

 

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

Education:

• Advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public administration, public health, nutrition, child development, family studies, economics education, psychology, sociology, human development, or another relevant technical field

Work Experience:

• A minimum of two years of professional experience in social development, planning, and management in early childhood development, health, or nutrition related areas is required.

• Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.

• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.

Language and Computer literacy:

• Fluency in English and Thai is required. Valid TOEIC score of at least 855: Listening and Reading section, 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, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) and Core Competencies required for this post are:

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)

• Works Collaboratively with others (1)

• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)

• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)

• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)

• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)

• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

Technical competencies/ Skills

• Good understanding of ECD, and issues affecting maternal and child health and nutrition issues.

• Familiarity with Thai public health system, and national maternal and child health and nutrition programme in Thailand.

• Experience in programme/ project management. Understanding of result-based management is an asset.

• More than 5 years of working experience related to ECD, health, and/or nutrition is desirable

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

 

Successful candidate will be offered an attractive remuneration package under the UN system.

 

Only shortlisted candidates with pre-screening according to child safeguarding will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

 

Please send application and Performance Evaluation Reports (PERs) of the last two years no later than 10 April 2023.

 

 

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.

 

UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

 

For gender balance in the workforce, Thai National male qualified candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

 

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.