UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save childrenโs lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job โ it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built, we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visitย our websiteย to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
For every child,ย health
UNICEF in the State of Palestine (SoP) works to uphold the rights of children to access services and protection, from early childhood through to adolescence. Our objective is to ensure that every child in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, irrespective of background or circumstance, has an equal chance to fulfil their potential.
In the past years, UNICEF in the State of Palestine has achieved a high reach and engagement through its communication channels. UNICEF-SoP would like to build on this and continue engaging with our audience, who are not only seek information but are willing to have important conversations on crucial issues concerning childrenโs wellbeing and rights.ย
How can you make a difference?
The Health Specialist reports to the Chief of Field Office for general guidance and supervision. S/He is responsible for supporting the Chief in managing the health section and leading the management, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the health programme (e.g gender, maternal, neonatal, child survival/development) within the country programme. S/He provides technical guidance and operational support throughout the programming process to facilitate the achievement of concrete and sustainable results, according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), organizational Strategic Plans and goals, standards of performance, and accountability framework.
Your key functions/accountabilities
- Contribute to UNICEFโs emergency health analysis to define overall needs, map partner efforts and critically, identify of gaps to guide UNICEF response efforts and fulfilment of the Core Commitment for Children (CCC).
- In coordination with partners and other sectors, define and periodically update UNICEF health response (and when relevant recovery) plan, including main response activities as well as contingency plans for additional hazards including disease outbreaks. In doing so, ensure effective cross-sectoral response planning.
- In line with above, provide technical guidance to office efforts in public health emergencies to identify, (contingency) plan, and respond to specific public health, disease threats by providing office briefings, technical clarification and messages on the nature of the event.ย
- Working with WHO, national health authorities and relevant partners, monitor surveillance and disease prevention and control efforts for epidemic prone diseases (measles, cholera, meningitis, yellow fever, etc.) Share information for internal communication and external coordination as needed. Propose UNICEF programming interventions to reinforce overall surveillance efforts as required.
- As required, provide technical support to UNICEF and partners to develop, adapt and share relevant standards, protocols, guidelines, and training materials for effective health emergency response. Support training as needed.
- Where possible, plan and participate in field monitoring missions, systematically track and resolve action points for improved health and cross-sectoral programme response.
- Oversee emergency health supply chain including pre-positioning of stocks in coordination with UNICEF Supply/Logistics and partners staff to provide essential kits, drugs, and commodities. Ensure a responsive and accountable release strategy.
- Provide timely inputs to UNICEF information products related to the response including situation reports.
- Contribute to development of funding appeals, donor reports and project proposals related to the health emergency response (and recovery).
- Represent UNICEF in the health cluster and other relevant coordination meetings as needed.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will haveโฆ
Education:
An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health/nutrition, pediatric health, family health, health research, global/international health, health policy and/or management, environmental health sciences, biostatistics, socio-medical, health education, epidemiology or another relevant technical field.
Experience:
A minimum of eight years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public health/nutrition planning and management, maternal and neonatal health care, or health emergency/humanitarian preparedness. Emergency Experience is an advantage.
Language Requirement:
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language, preferably Arabic, is considered an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEFโs Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter:ย UNICEF Values
The UNICEF competencies required for this post areโฆ
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with othersย (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people.
Familiarize yourself withย our competency frameworkย and its different levels.
This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate.ย
UNICEF is here to serve the worldโs most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children.ย The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer aย wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, andย reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.
Special Remarks: In the current evolving emergency context, this position will be based in Gaza where medical facilities have been negatively affected and individual chronic and/or serious medical conditions cannot be adequately addressed.
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
UNICEFโs active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitableย femaleย candidates are encouraged to apply.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
This is required for all posts requiring a higher education degree. โUNICEF 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/
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
The VA is open to all (internal and external candidates)
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.ย
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicantsโ bank account information.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be foundย here.