Background Information:

The Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD) is a regional collaboration encompassing Cameroun, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Benin, and is funded by the World Bank’s regional IDA (International Development Association) resources. The Project acts on the UN-World Bank commitment and partnership to address the Demographic Dividend in the Sahel. The overall goal of the project is to accelerate the demographic transition, to spur the demographic dividend, and to reduce gender inequality in the participating countries.

The SWEDD Project interventions are structured around 3 primary components: (1) Generate demand for reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health, and nutrition (RMNCHN) services by promoting social and behavioral change and the empowerment of women and adolescent girls; (2) Reinforce the regional availability of RMNCHN commodities and qualified health workers; (3) Reinforce advocacy and dialogue at high levels and promote policy development and the project’s implementation.

Project governance is vested in a Regional Steering Committee, supported by the Regional Technical Secretariat (RTS) located at the UNFPA’s West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO). The RTS is responsible for strengthening project management capacities of implementing agencies at national and regional levels. It also oversees the programming and implementation of all funding channeled through UNFPA for the project activities directly executed by UNFPA or sub-contracted to other agencies and partners.

How You Can Make a Difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2018-2021), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.  In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in program results.

The Position:

The Reproductive Health Programme Specialist provides strategic, technical and programmatic support for the Sahel Women Empowerment and Demographic Dividend project (SWEDD) Regional Technical Secretariat (RTS) and the region in the area of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and nutritional health (RMNCNH), and the link with the Demographic Dividend Roadmap.  

You will work under the direct supervision of the SWEDD Regional Coordinator and in collaboration with the Reproductive Health Unit at the UNFPA West & Central Africa Regional Office.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education: 

• Advanced university degree in public health, medicine, pharmacy, or other related fields.
• Doctorate degree is preferred.

Qualifications and Experience:

• 5 years’ experience of increasing responsibility at the national and international level in health systems strengthening (specifically in the areas of family planning, midwifery and commodity security).
• Extensive knowledge of health systems strengthening in the SWEDD target countries and experience in the development and capacity building of health sector human resources, specifically in terms of midwifery and the rural pipeline.
• Familiarity with UN development programmes and working procedures, especially UNFPA policies and programming procedures, would be an asset.
• Professional certificates in logistics, procurement, essential drugs management, health system strengthening and/or financing would be an asset.
• Proficiency in the use of standard MS Office packages,  logistics information management systems, and e-learning/e-health tools.

Languages:

• Fluency in French and English is mandatory
• Knowledge of other official UN languages is an advantage.