UNICEF Recruitment for Chief Health and Nutrition

Applications are invited from interested and suitably qualified candidates for United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Recruitment for Chief Health and Nutrition.

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was created by the United Nations General Assembly on 11 December 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II. The Polish physician Ludwik Rajchman is widely regarded as the founder of UNICEF and served as its first chairman from 1946. On Rajchman’s suggestion, the American Maurice Pate was appointed its first executive director, serving from 1947 until his death in 1965. In 1950, UNICEF’s mandate was extended to address the long-term needs of children and women in developing countries everywhere. In 1953 it became a permanent part of the United Nations System, and the words “international” and “emergency” were dropped from the organization’s name, making it simply the United Nations Children’s Fund, retaining the original acronym, “UNICEF” .

Job Description

• Company: UNICEF
• Location: Ghana
• State: Accra
• Job type: Full-Time

UNICEF Ghana seeks the services of a very committed and experienced professional who has passion for the overall leadership, management and administration in the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Health & Nutrition programme in the context of child survival and development within the Ghana Country Office. The incumbent will work as Chief, Health & Nutrition to achieve the strategic goals and objectives of the UNICEF Health & Nutrition programme. She/He will promote Early Childhood Development, with a focus on the nurturing care, early detection of development delays and disabilities, and subsequent interventions. This is a renewable Fixed Term position for initial two years. The position is located in Accra, Ghana which is a very good family duty station. ONLY non-Ghanaians are eligible to apply.

Role

The Chief Health and Nutrition is responsible for the overall management and administration in the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Health & Nutrition programme in the context of child survival and development within the country programme. Accountable for effective technical leadership, management guidance and programme support to facilitate the application and adaptation of UNICEF policies and strategies to achieve programme goals and expansion of UNICEF assisted Health & Nutrition interventions, including the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

As Chief of Health & Nutrition section, leads, manages, develops and enables a competent team of professional and support staff to achieve the strategic goals and objectives of the UNICEF Health & Nutrition programme. Promotes Early Childhood Development, with a focus on the nurturing care, early detection of development delays and disabilities, and subsequent interventions.

Contributes to create synergies and nurture strategic partnerships, which reinforce strategic directions in areas where UNICEF has primary responsibility or comparative advantage, such as interrelated areas of maternal, new-born, child health and nutrition, and early childhood development.

Key End Results

• Timely and quality sectoral analysis, input, support and coordination contribute to the Situation Analysis, its periodic update, and all programme documents to formulate effective Health & Nutrition (including early childhood development) goals, strategy, and project planning and development, in partnerships with key stakeholders.
• Integrated Health & Nutrition and Early Childhood Development (ECD) strategies, methodologies and new approaches are developed and implemented based on results-based approach within Human Rights framework by broad participation and collaboration with internal and external partnership. Partnerships with global funds, multilateral and bilateral agencies and development banks, as well as relations with the private sector enhanced and exploited efficiently, in order to formulate common advocacy position and influence allocation of resources, as well as investment decisions on behalf of Health and Nutrition.
• Technical support is provided to government and non-government organizations at all stages of the programme cooperation, including capacity building of government personnel and beneficiaries, including through partnerships with partners specialized in Health and Nutrition and ECD.
• Monitoring and evaluation of programme performance is properly undertaken for adjustment, acceleration and improvement of program delivery, capitalizing on joint global monitoring and evaluation frameworks such as the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group for child health and nutrition, and with WFP and other partners in the areas of food and nutrition. Gender/sex disaggregated data and inputs relevant to the Health and Nutrition and ECD programming provided.
• Work plan and objectives are effectively established, performance is managed, and planned results are timely delivered through exercise of strong programme management leadership, including in relation to immunisation and stunting/.
• The capacities of Country Office staff are strengthened through effective capacity building programme which also build on technical partnerships with collaborating agencies to provide technical information to staff in the development, implementation and management of the Health & Nutrition programme, including Early Childhood Development, with a focus on the early detection of development delays and disabilities, and subsequent interventions.
• UNICEF, the Government and implementing partners accountability is ensured for supply and non-supply assistance and disbursement of programme funds for the sector; and Government counterparts and implementing partners are orientated and trained in UNICEF supply and non-supply assistance policies and procedures as needed.
• Effective partnership and collaboration are achieved and maintained for advocacy, technical cooperation, programme coordination, information sharing and knowledge networking.
• The most relevant and strategic information is provided to relevant stakeholders including in cooperation with knowledge institutions to support the Health & Nutrition / ECD Programme by the effective implementation of integrated programme monitoring system.
• All required programme reports are timely prepared and shared with concerned partners in compliance with the established guidelines and procedures.
• Emergency preparedness is maintained, and in emergencies, emergency responses with effective coordination are ensured, in line with the Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) in Humanitarian Action; partnerships with the Health and Nutrition humanitarian actors are strengthened in cooperation with the Inter-Agency Working Group on Emergencies.

Requirements

• • An Advanced university degree in Public Health and Nutrition (preferably with specialized training in public health and nutrition planning, health and nutrition education, health care system management, Early Childhood Development, Early detection of developmental delays and disabilities, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunization, or epidemiology), Child Development, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or other relevant disciplines.
  • A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in national and international levels in planning, programming, implementation monitoring and evaluation of health and nutrition programmes relevant to child survival, health & nutrition care and early childhood development, including the early detection of developmental delays and disabilities and subsequent interventions. Professional work experience in a managerial position, or a technical expert position in health, nutrition, child survival & health care and ECD / ECI.
  • Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
  • Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

How to Apply

Interested and suitably qualified candidates should Click here to apply.