United Nations Jobs in Kenya:Chief Health

UNICEF Job Vacancy in Kenya : Chief Health

Purpose of the Position

Under the overall guidance of Deputy Representative, the Chief Health is responsible for the overall management and administration in the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Health programme in the context of child survival and development within the country programme. S/he is 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 interventions, including the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and ESAR priorities.

As Chief of Section, directs, leads, manages, develops and enables a competent team of professional and support staff to achieve the strategic goals and objectives of the Health programme, with a view to integrating gender equality across all aspects of the country programme.

The incumbent will also contribute to create synergy partnerships which reinforce other organizations – including other UN Agencies, Delivering as One (DaO) – SDGs strategic directions in areas where UNICEF has primary responsibility or comparative advantage such as interrelated areas of maternal, new-born, and child health.

Lastly, s/he will work closely, in Humanitarian Action, with the Health clusters within the inter-agency standing committee (IASC).

Key Expected 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 goals, strategy, and project planning and development, in partnerships with key stakeholders including health partners for DaO and with contribution of knowledge institutions.
• Integrated Health 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.
• 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 both at national and county level in devolved government, including through back-up partnerships with specialists Health organizations as appropriate.
• 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.
• Work plan and objectives are effectively established both at national and zonal level, performance is managed, and planned results are timely delivered through exercise of strong programme management leadership; partnership frameworks that pool competencies and resources developed both within UN and outside UN.
• The capacities of Country Office and Zonal Office staff are strengthened through effective capacity building programme – which also build on technical partnerships with collaborating agencies to provide state-of-the-arttechnical information to staff – in the development, implementation and management of the Health programme.
• UNICEF and 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.
• 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 including in cooperation with knowledge institutions to support the Health 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 provided; and in line with the Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) in Humanitarian Action, partnerships with the Health humanitarian actors strengthened within the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC).
• Other assigned duties and responsibilities are effectively accomplished.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

• Advanced university degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Medicine, Public Health, Pediatrics Health, Health Research, Global/International Health, Health Policy and Management, Environmental Health Sciences, Family Health, Biostatistics, Socio-medical Sciences, Health Education, or Epidemiology.
• Ten years of professional work experience at the national and international levels in planning, programming, implementation monitoring and evaluation of health programmes including those relevant to child survival & development.
• Professional work experience in a managerial position, or a technical expert position in health and child survival & health care.
• Experience in knowledge management, gender mainstreaming or a field relevant to international development assistance in Health.
• Developing country work experience and background/familiarity with Emergency an asset.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of a second UN language (i.e. Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) and/or the local language of the duty station is considered an asset.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

• Has highest-level communication skills, including engaging and informative formal public speaking.
• Creates and encourages a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment.
• Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects on-time and on-budget.
• Has high-level leadership and supervisory skills; provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others; recruits staff of a high caliber; provides staff with development opportunities and coaching.
• Sets, develops and revises organizational strategy and develops clear visions of the organization’s future potential.
• Analyzes and integrates diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.
• Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups. Actively nurtures good relationships with people across all organizational levels and boundaries, and with government leaders and stakeholders.
• Identifies urgent and potentially risky decisions and acts on them promptly; initiates and generates organization-wide activities.
• Negotiates effectively by exploring a range of possibilities.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.

How to Apply


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