Country Implementation Support Senior Specialist

Background Information - Job-specific

The RBM Partnership to End Malaria

The RBM Partnership to End Malaria is a global health initiative driving coordinated action against malaria by mobilizing resources, supporting malaria-endemic countries, and building consensus among partners. Its work is organized through Partner Committees focused on advocacy, resource mobilization, and country/regional support, each led by a Manager within the RBM Secretariat. The Country/Regional Support Partner Committee (CRSPC) engages partners to coordinate tailored support for countries and regions in implementing malaria control and elimination programmes.

The consultant shall work for the RBM CRSPC to provide focused implementation support to national malaria control programmes (NMCP) to optimize the quality, effectiveness and impact of country and regional programming of malaria activities. The support will be aligned with national priorities, reflect country ownership, and will be evaluated through the lenses of quality, cost-effectiveness and financial stewardship.

Malaria remains a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa despite progress made through national strategies and donor support. Available funding remains insufficient to reach global and national targets and has become increasingly constrained. To enhance impact, reduce costs, and save lives, there is a need to optimize national Malaria Strategic Plans (NSPs) through evidence-based prioritization, integration with other health programmes, and focus on high-impact, cost-effective interventions. These plans must be operationalized in costed, prioritized plans that guide the strategic deployment of limited resources.

The Country Implementation Support Senior Specialist working under RBM CRSPC will support countries in strengthening the quality and effectiveness of malaria intervention planning, particularly in resource-constrained settings. The consultant will assist Ministries of Health and NMCPs in reviewing and developing evidence-based, costed NSPs, Costed Operational Optimised Plan, addressing implementation bottlenecks, and aligning strategies with broader health priorities to ensure efficient, integrated, and life-saving outcomes. The consultant will also facilitate NMCPs translating these plans into investment cases and funding requests for resource mobilization. The assignment requires highly developed negotiation skills and a proven track record in achieving consensus across multiple stakeholders. The consultant will be expected to visit the country as necessary during the support period.

Assignments could include (but are not limited to) the facilitation of the following:

Comprehensive review of country programme documentation (Malaria programme review and other assessment reports; strategic plans; operational plans, workplans, gap analyses, epidemiological data etc.) to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, duplication, and missed opportunities, and assess alignment with the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria and national health priorities;

Develop Country Operational Optimised Plans (COOPs) that reflect clear prioritisation of how the NSP will be operationalized, financed, and linked to the monitoring and evaluation framework and available funding envelopes;

Identify programmatic and financial gaps, and recommend optimisation strategies (e.g., integration, efficiency gains, or prioritisation);

Provide mentoring and knowledge transfer to national teams to institutionalize the COOP development process;

Facilitate workshops and consultations with senior management, national stakeholders, financial and technical partners to ensure alignment, consistency, and consensus on priority intervention areas, strategic direction, and implementation approaches;

Map potential integration opportunities with other health programmes (e.g. RMNCAH, immunization, community health) and propose practical mechanisms for integration at service delivery and system levels;

Review cost and efficiencies of programs and identify areas for potential resource reallocation and improved return on investment;

Provide technical inputs to the development of high-quality funding applications (e.g. Global Fund funding requests), including integration of cross-cutting components;

Provide technical inputs to the country dialogue and partner coordination processes related to GC8 development.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

Key Deliverables:

To be determined based on the specific assignment, possible examples:

Costed Operational Optimised Plan( COOP) and scenarios, cost analyses report, grant proposal, strategic plan including epi data analysis;

Final report submitted to the NMCP Manager/Director outlining the support provided, with an analysis of results, key lessons learned, and actionable recommendations to inform and strengthen future program implementation and external support coordination;

Final report to CRSPC Manager and co-chairs analyzing support provided including recommendations for improving future support to countries.

Advanced university (master’s) degree desired, preferably in public health, or epidemiology, or social science or related field. A Bachelor’s degree with additional 2 years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of the requirement of a master’s degree.

Experience

Essential:

Minimum seven (7) years of experience in at least one of the following areas is required:

malaria program implementation,

technical coordination,

global health partnerships;

Experience in planning / implementing / evaluating technical malaria control strategies;

Demonstrated experience in developing or supporting national strategic and operational plans development;

Knowledge of international normative guidance (WHO,etc.);

Knowledge of new malaria tools and technologies (e.g. vaccines, diagnostics, vector control products) and expertise in guiding evidence-based decision-making processes for their adoption, scale-up, and integration—ensuring national prioritization and stakeholder buy-in;

Experience working with Ministries of Health and multilateral stakeholders at the national level;

Strong facilitation, coordination, analytical and report writing skills.

Desirable:

Understanding of the RBM Partnership Program

Knowledge of proposal development, malaria funding mechanisms and malaria programming tools (e.g., stratification, geospatial targeting, costing);

Documented experience of working in complex and politically and technically challenging situations to achieve consensus and effectively manage change;

Experience at national and international levels and working with multiple stakeholders;

Ability to work across programmes and stakeholders to promote integration, efficiency, and strategic alignment in malaria control and elimination efforts.

Language

Oral and written fluency is required in English.

Knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

As per UNOPS policy, in duty stations where the NPO (National Professional Officer) category has been established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), a home-based contract may be issued as a Local ICA Specialist position.

Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.

We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.

For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.