Deadline: 15 December 2015
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is currently seeking applications from the eligible applicants for the post of Senior Immunization Specialist in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Senior Immunization Specialist will provide technical assistance to regional and country offices primarily in Africa in the design, formulation, management, execution, monitoring and evaluation of routine immunization programs, ensuring that corresponding plans of action and programme activities are in place and funded to improve routine immunization coverage and equity.
UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.
Key Jobs Responsibility
The Senior Immunization Specialist will perform the following functions-
- Assists Regional and Country Office teams in the design, planning, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of routine immunization activities including support for formative research and data monitoring to improve country programme delivery.
- In coordination with HQ immunization colleagues (Communication for Development Immunization Specialist, Immunization Supply Chain Management Specialist and Immunization focal points), regional offices, and country offices, provides technical assistance to governments to identify children in unreached communities, map the barriers to access to immunization, and develop focused strategies to immunize every child.
- Countries receive comprehensive technical support for programme implementation in all aspects of evidence-based routine immunization activities including formative research and management and use of routine monitoring data.
- Priority countries have analyzed and defined communities in which children are not being reached by immunization services, the major bottlenecks are identified, and country strategies and plans updated to address these.
- Undertakes field visits to monitor and evaluate implementation of projects/programme activities, with a special focus on ensuring immunization equity, including effective community based strategies to reach children in underserved populations with multiple lifesaving interventions. Identifies constraints and suggests solutions to relevant counterparts to improve programme delivery.
- Increased community ownership and engagement in routine immunization including the use of participatory community empowerment approaches, are effectively monitored and evaluated. Corrective measures recommended to regions and countries to improve results.
- Assist regional and country office teams with mainstreaming strategies to improve immunization equity as part of wider country processes around annual immunization and health sector planning and coordination of this with health partner support, specifically GAVI Alliance planning and evaluation processes.
- Strategies to address immunization equity are included in country immunization plans and are a coordinated with support from health partners.
- UNICEF is an active partner in immunization partnerships. UNICEF’s goals and objectives are reflected in the outcome of the various regional immunization meetings and plans, both technical and financial.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must have-
- Advanced university degree in public health, or a related technical field required.
- Ten years relevant experience in public health programs, of which at least 6-8 years is in developing countries. Experience in more than one country is an advantage.
- Extensive experience in providing technical assistance to and/or managing a national routine immunization program, especially a developing country context.
- Experience in supporting health and/or immunization programs develop and implement successful strategies to reach out to and actively engage populations containing children who are socially, geographically and economically marginalized from accessing health and/or routine immunization services is desirable.
- Demonstrated experience in health policy development, advocacy and financial/program management, workforce training and presenting at conference/large meetings.
- Technical expertise in epidemiology, disease control and immunization. Peer-reviewed publications on immunization are an advantage.
- Previous work experience in a UN context an asset.
- Fluency in English is required (another UN language, i.e. French is desired)
How to Apply
Applicants must submit their applications through the online process.
For more information, please visit UNICEF.
