The Position:
The Technical Specialist will be located in the Sexual and Reproductive Branch (SRHB) of the Technical Division of UNFPA’s NY Headquarters. The incumbent will report directly to the Senior Human Resources for Health Advisor and will form part of the core Maternal Health Thematic Fund (MHTF) team.
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:
To support Technical Strengthening of the Midwifery Programme and the Operationalization of the Global Midwifery Acceleration Strategy (2023-2030) to help achieve the 2030 Agenda on promoting health and ending preventable Maternal and Newborn Mortality and Morbidity.
The Midwifery programme is a key component of UNFPA’s Maternal Health Thematic Fund Phase IV, 2022-2025 Strategic Plan, the upcoming Maternal and Newborn Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the UN Secretary General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health.
Midwifery also plays a critical role in the achievement of UNFPA’s three Transformative Results on ending preventable maternal mortality, ending harmful practices such as FGM and child marriage and ending unmet need for family planning. In 2023, UNFPA will launch a new Global Midwifery Acceleration Strategy that is aligned with Agenda 2030 on ending preventable maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity and UNFPA’s Strategic Plan in achieving the transformative results.
The global midwifery programme at UNFPA was launched in 2008. UNFPA is supporting midwifery globally in over 120 countries and 35+ countries receive additional support from the MHTF for strengthening midwifery education, regulation, associations, workforce policies and creating an enabling environment for midwives to practice their profession. The midwifery programme is integrated with UNFPA’s work on perinatal mental health, female genital mutilation (FGM), fistula and other areas of maternal health such as family planning, emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC), HIV, STIs, and maternal, perinatal death surveillance and response (MPDSR).
To further acceleate progress in meeting national midwifery goals, the incumbent will assist and support the Maternal Health Thematic Fund team and the Senior Technical Advisor in the overall technical strengthening of the midwifery programme, building synergies with partners and global coordination. The incumbent will ensure monitoring and high-quality reporting and contribute to knowledge sharing and knowledge generation (technical briefs/guidance) while promoting effective communications and advocacy around midwifery. In addition, the incumbent will support better integration of midwifery within UNFPA’s programmes such as Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care, maternal morbidities, family planning, HIV, STIs, child marriage, gender-based violence and maternal death surveillance and response and support UNFPA led initatives on midwifery such as AIME: Alliance to Improve Midwifery Education. The specific tasks that the incumbent is expected to perform are detailed below.
Education:
Advanced university degree in midwifery; health management; management; health sciences or related discipline. A Bachelors degree in midwifery and a masters degree in a related discipline will also be considered.
Knowledge and Experience:
- At least 7 years of relevant organizational and management experience in SRH, midwifery and maternal and newborn health programmes.
- Experience in teaching midwifery educational programmes and developing midwifery technical guidelines and resources is desired.
- Experience in planning, programming, implementing, and monitoring midwifery programmes.
- Experience in project management including management of grants.
- Experience writing peer reviewed publications and grant proposals.
- Proficiency in current office software applications
- Substantive country and global level experience in midwifery and experience working with UN and other global midwifery partners.
- Strong organizational and project management skills
- Ability to participate effectively in a team-based, information sharing environment.
- Knowledge of women’s and children’s health issues
- Strong analytical skills and sound judgment.
Languages:
Fluency in English is required; knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably French is desirable.
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
