UNICEF Polio Outbreak Team – Open Call for Roster: Cold Chain Logistics and Vaccine Management (CCL&VM) Specialist, Polio Eradication

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children’s rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

UNICEF is seeking talented professionals Cold Chain Logistics and Vaccine Management (CCL&VM) professionals to join the Global UNICEF Polio Outbreak Response Team Roster. Be part of the final push to end polio forever!

A roster is defined as a list of pre-assessed and endorsed candidates that can be hired for similar positions without a new competitive process. While placement in the Roster does not guarantee a position, it is an important resource for filling vacancies for roles within The Polio Outbreak Response team at global, regional and country level. 

For Every Child, a Future

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) seeks to ensure that future generations of children will be free from the threat of polio paralysis. Achieving this goal depends on interrupting poliovirus transmission in the remaining endemic countries and on ensuring rapid and effective responses to poliovirus outbreaks occurring in polio-free countries.

While CCL&VM is an essential function for any polio supplementary immunization activity (SIA), it becomes particularly important when monovalent oral polio vaccine type 2 (mOPV-2) is deployed to respond to an outbreak or an event due to polio virus type 2 (PV2) after the completion of the global switch from trivalent to bivalent OPV

The CCL&VM Manager is responsible for assisting country programmes in proper planning, utilization, stock management, disposal (if necessary) and reporting of all vaccines used in polio SIA rounds.   

The CCL&VM manager may be deployed to countries/regions as part of the Rapid Response Team (A) or the Surge Team (B).  

How Can You Make a Difference?

• Collaborate with MOH/WHO/UNICEF/other GPEI partner teams and the Outbreak Technical Lead/Coordinator  to work on vaccine forecasting, develop cold chain and logistics aspects of the country outbreak response plan and adapt the outbreak SOP and the SOP for vaccine management to the country context. 
• Liaise with UNICEF Programme and Supply Divisions and support the vaccine logistics teams at WHO/UNICEF country offices and in MOH to streamline
  • Planning, ordering and arrival of vaccine and consumables (e.g. reverse logistics supplies, AD syringes, safety boxes, finger markers etc.) through international or national procurement and shipment mechanisms
  • Necessary clearances from national regulatory authorities for receiving the vaccine supplies with particular reference to type 2 virus containing OPV (mOPV2, tOPV, novel OPV2)

• Support MOH and GPEI partner teams to build capacity for

  • Proper storage of vaccines and consumables at each level of the supply cold chain. This may include short, medium- or long-term cold chain equipment planning.
  • Optimal distribution and utilization of vaccines and consumables as per SIA macro- and micro-plans
  • Recording of stock balance and timely reporting on vaccine utilization at all levels of the vaccine supply chain after each SIA round. Providing regular reports on vaccine stocks in the country when submitting requests for additional vaccines.

• In addition, in case of SIA rounds using type 2 virus containing OPV (mOPV2, tOPV, nOPV2) in post-switch era, the CCL&VM manager will provide technical assistance to MOH and GPEI partners to ensure that all procedures are followed as per relevant VM SOPs, such as:

  • At end of each round all unusable vials are disposed of as per WHO and/or national guidelines and all usable vials are retrieved at a predetermined level of the supply chain for future use 
  • At end of the final round, all usable and unusable vials are disposed of as biological waste as per WHO and/or national guidelines and MOH attests to restoration of PV2 free status for the country.
• Monitor implementation of all aspects of CCL&VM policies as laid out in the outbreak response plans and the Guidance Note on VM/CCL during polio SIAs. Increasing capacity: Training of staff and partners involved in polio outbreak response on vaccine management and CCL in context of polio SIA per the available Guidance Note and eLearning modules. This includes the rolling out of these training tools and resources in the country.
• Engage with key partners and apply appropriate logistical tactics or special strategies (e.g. pre-positioning, opportunistic low-key campaigns etc.) for making vaccines available in insecure areas.
• Provide frequent and regular reports to the Outbreak Technical Lead on all aspects of CCL&VM and contribute updates for situation reports (SITREPS), bulletins, and newsletters. Prepare reports as per GPEI requirement at end of each round and at end of final SIA round.
• Support outbreak response review assessment teams with information pertaining to CCL&VM aspects of the outbreak response.
• Undertake other outbreak response related assignments and responsibilities as requested by heads of country offices, regional directors, and other GPEI partners to support the successful response to the outbreak.

All candidates screened for the Global UNICEF Polio Outbreak Response Team Roster must meet the basic UNICEF eligibility requirements, competencies and skills as follows:

Education:

First level university degree in combination with qualifying experience.

Additional training in Logistics, Cold Chain or related areas is an asset. (pharmacy, engineer).

Experience:

• Five or more years of working experience in the field of vaccine and cold chain management, with international/UN organization.
• Proven a good track record on Technical knowledge and experience in use of tools in vaccine stock management and cold chain maintenance (including Effective Vaccine Management (EVM) assessment methodologies as per WHO and UNICEF guidelines).
• Experience in undertaking / analyzing inventories of cold chain equipment and suggesting long term plans.
• Experience of working in Emergency context preferred.
• Strong facilitation skills, with prior training experience in immunization supply chain (iSC) management.
• Ability to work independently and to meet deadlines.
• Ability to write clear and concise reports in English.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively work and communicate in a multicultural environment.
• Computer literacy with high ability to use excel spread sheets.

Language Requirements: 

• Fluency in English and French or Arabic is required. Fluency in any other UN language is an asset.

How to apply

Applicants are invited to apply through UNICEF e-recruitment website, with a:

• Completed UNICEF Profile
• Completed P-11 History Form, with CV and Motivation letter
• Indicate a daily fee (mandatory)

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.

 

Remarks:

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

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

“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/”