The Position:
The Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Specialist provides strategic, technical and programmatic support for the Sahel Women Empowerment and Demographic Dividend project (SWEDD) Regional Technical Secretariat (RTS) and the region in the area of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and nutritional health (RMNCNH), and the link with the Demographic Dividend Roadmap.
The Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Specialist manages UNFPA’s work on sexual and reproductive health and rights, for accelerating achievement of the ICPD Programme of Action and Agenda 2030. You will be part of a regional team that leads technical and policy advice in sexual and reproductive health and rights in West and Central Africa, promote rights-based approaches, position UNFPA’s work strategically within the development and humanitarian sector, and ensure linkages with other UNFPA programmes in the areas of adolescents and youth and gender equality and population dynamics.
Under the overall guidance of the Deputy Regional Director, you will report to the SWEDD Project Director and work closely with the Sexual and reproductive health and Rights unit.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
In response to the regional priority of addressing the high unmet need for family planning, and as a contribution to reducing maternal mortality and advancing gender equality, UNFPA has, through its country offices, been actively engaging with the Governments all countries in west and central Africa region, to enhance the capacities of the health system at the national level to provide high quality reproductive health and family planning services, with a focus on young people and adolescent girls.
Working within the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights unit of the UNFPA Regional Office, you will contribute to efforts to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights through policy advice and advocacy, technical assistance, strengthening partnerships to leverage financial and technical resources for accelerated achievement of UNFPA’s transformative results and the ICPD Programme of Action.
You will coordinate the work on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and will engage with UNFPA Country Offices and other units within the Regional Office.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
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Advanced degree in Public Health, Medicine-Public Health, Health Economics, or related disciplines.
Knowledge and Experience:
- Five years of increasingly responsible professional experience at the advisory/managerial level in managing sexual and reproductive health programmes;
- Demonstrable technical expertise in sexual and reproductive health;
- Strong understanding of reproductive rights and gender equality dimensions in policy and programme formulation, implementation and monitoring;
- Proven ability to engage in high-level policy dialogue and advocacy;
- Proven experience in coordinating/managing a multi-disciplinary team of staff, experts and consultants;
- Familiarity in communicating in a clear and articulated manner, technical and/or complex issues to different types of audiences;
- Demonstrated ability to network at high-levels within the health sector;
- Demonstrated experience in coordination and liaison with government counterparts, nongovernment organizations, UN agencies, private sector, development partners and CBOs.
- Possess excellent interpersonal, emotional intelligence, negotiating, intercultural communication skills and political acumen;
- Ability to work independently and in culturally diverse teams;
- Experience in humanitarian response is an asset;
Languages:
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Fluency in English is required, and French is desirable to enable effective communication with English speaking and French speaking country coordination groups and local organizations (West and Central Africa region).
Compensation and Benefits:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
Disclaimer:
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm
In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
