Programme Specialist (HIV and child survival and development), P4, FT, Programme Division, NYHQ #99918

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, hope

Under the general guidance of the Chief of the HIV Section and the lead for the Child Health Cluster in Health; and in close collaboration with Nutrition and ECD, the incumbent will provide technical guidance to UNICEF country and regional offices and government counterparts on effective approaches for integrating of HIV elements in health and nutrition services in the context of PHC strengthening. This will include areas such as: promotion of optimal infant feeding practices, integration of HIV testing and care into well and sick child units such as malnutrition treatment programmes and immunization clinics; differentiated paediatric service delivery and the Service Delivery Framework; care for children with chronic illness and non-communicable diseases.

The purpose is also to provide guidance to further development of UNICEF’s integrated strategies for HIV/AIDS, child health, and nutrition within the overall context of UNICEFs work on PHC strengthening. The incumbent will work in close collaboration with key partners1 including the WHO, UNAIDS, PEPFAR and the Global Fund. The incumbent will support the implementation of section work plan elements related to HIV and child health, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD)/Chronic disease management in children and adolescents and nutrition programmes in the context of Primary Health Care including Health Systems Strengthening.

How can you make a difference?

1. Technical Guidance and support:

■ Serves as technical lead on paediatric HIV and child survival in provision of technical guidance for UNICEF regional and country offices in the development of strategies, programming action (such as implementation of the Service Delivery Framework) and identification of new approaches for effective integration of HIV elements in MNCH and nutrition platforms, including improving referral linkages between community-level services and health facilities and strengthening quality of care and HIV results.

■ Provides guidance to improve HIV diagnosis in children through different platforms and access to antiretroviral treatment.

■ Support the development of technical guidance related to infant and young child feeding, integrated case management, NCDs, and chronic disease management, including referral, quality of care and linkages between facility and community-level treatment

■ Support development of systems for longitudinal follow up of children born to women with HIV using child health and nutrition platforms.

2. Implementation of workplan activities and operational research

■ Manage the section work plan and UBRAF activities on paediatric HIV and child survival

■ Introduce innovation and support operational research into programming for HIV and chronic illnesses including TB and NCDs

■ Review scientific articles and draft documents for programme guidance to ROs and COs in the area of Child survival, NCDs Nutrition and HIV.

3. Representation and Partner Leveraging and Reporting

■ Coordinate with PMTCT, Pediatric HIV, child survival partners and nutrition,partners in developing global strategies and guidance and support the regional offices to build their capacity to address child health, nutrition, and HIV integration to improve child survival.

■ Provide technical oversight and partner engagement to support development and implementation of global collaborative action frameworks such as the AIDS free partnership

■ Support resource mobilization to facilitate achievement of programme goals.

■ Participate in UNICEF and partner meetings and activities to leverage HIV results for children.

■ Prepare various programme reports for Management, the UNICEF and UNAIDS Board, donors, budget reviews, programme analysis, etc.

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

• Advanced University degree in Public Health, Nutrition or related technical field and Paediatric training or training in care, support and treatment for children with HIV/AIDS.
• Eight years professional work experience at national and international levels in programme planning, management, monitoring, and evaluation; focusing on integrated case management of childhood illnesses; paediatric HIV/AIDS; and related co-morbidities such as tuberculosis. Experience with facility-based childhood treatment, referral and quality of care is an added asset.
• Fluency in English (verbal and written communication) and another UN Language is required.

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.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (3)
• Works Collaboratively with others (3)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (3)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (3)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (3)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (3)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (3)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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. 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.

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