Chief Health – P5  

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s 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 – 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.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, vaccines

UNICEF has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1982. We are a team of passionate professionals committed to the protection and fulfillment of children’s rights. 

Supporting the Government’s vision of a prosperous  and  empowered upper-middle-income society, the country programme is aimed at contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development that provides all children, including adolescents, with opportunities to fulfil their potential, lead a healthy life, access quality learning and protection and meaningfully participate in society.

For more information about UNICEF Zimbabwe please click here

You can also access and explore all new UNICEF vacancies and create job alerts via the UNICEF Zimbabwe website link below:

https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/work-us

How can you make a difference? 

Reporting to the Deputy Representative-Programmes,the Chief of Health is responsible for the overall management and administration of the development, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the health 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 the expansion of UNICEF- assisted Health interventions, including the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. As Chief of Section, s/he 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 and other crosscutting thematic priorities across the country programme. Contributes to create synergistic partnerships, which reinforce partner initiatives’,– including with other UN Agencies – the SDGs’ strategic direction in areas where UNICEF has primary responsibility or comparative advantage, i.e. interrelated areas of maternal, newborn, and child health. Leads internal incident management and public health outbreak coordination and response working closely with other UNICEF sectors, regional office and HQ units. Works closely, in support of Humanitarian Action, with the Health cluster and other clusters like the WASH cluster, the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG) within the inter-agency standing committee (IASC) and HCT coordination architectures.

Summary of key functions and accountabilities:

1. Timely and quality sectoral analysis, substantive inputs, support and coordination, contribute to the Situation Analysis, its periodic update, and all programme documents to formulate effective Healthand HIV goals, strategy, responses through project planning, design and development, in partnership with key stakeholders and with contribution of knowledge institutions.
2. Integrated Health strategies, methodologies and new approaches are developed and implemented based on results-based approach within a Human Rights framework by broad participation and collaboration with internal and external partnership. Advocacy and technical leadership for System Strengthening with focus on Primary Health care to ensure Universal Health coverage.
3. Effective partnerships are achieved, with the Health Resilience Fund (HRF) stakeholders and follow-up pooled funding mechanisms, the Global Funds, SDG Global funding, multilateral and bilateral agencies, development financial institutions/banks, UN agencies especially WHO and UNFPA and the private sector to formulate a common advocacy position and influence allocation of resources, as well as investment decisions on behalf and in support of Health sector. Coordination with Government, donors, and relevant stakeholders to monitor and leverage domestic resources for health ensuring sustainability. Effective partnerships and collaboration are achieved and maintained to advance technical cooperation, programme coordination, information sharing, and knowledge networking.
4. Technical support is provided to government and non-government organizations at all stages of the programme cooperation implementation cycle, including capacity building of government personnel and beneficiaries, including through back-up partnerships with specialists Health organizations as appropriate
5. Innovative approaches are adopted and integrated in Health programming to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and enable transformations.
6. Monitoring and evaluation of programme performance is properly undertaken for adjustment, acceleration and improvement of program delivery and results attainment, capitalizing on joint global monitoring and evaluation frameworks such as the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group for child health.
7. Work plan and objectives are effectively established, performance is managed, and planned results are timely delivered through the exercise of strong programme management leadership; partnership frameworks that pool competencies and resources developed.
8. The capacities of Country Office staff are strengthened through an effective capacity building programme, which also builds on technical partnerships with collaborating agencies to provide state-of-the-art technical information to staff – in the development, implementation and management of the Health programme.
9. 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.
10. The most relevant and strategic information is provided, including in cooperation with knowledge institutions to support the Health Programme through the effective implementation of integrated programme monitoring system.
11. All required programme reports are timely prepared and shared with concerned partners in compliance with the established guidelines and procedures.
12. Emergency preparedness is maintained focusing on health emergencies (e.g. outbreaks such as COVID-19, Mpox, Cholera etc.) and health in emergencies (e.g. drought, cyclone etc.) emergency responses with effective coordination and incident management is provided, 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).
13. Ensure smooth collaboration of the health programme with other sections in UNICEF to ensure full integration, alignment and efficiency.

Please follow the link below to see the full job description: Chief Health P5-21074 PDF.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• Advanced university degree in of of the following fields is required: Medicine, Health Financing and/or Public Health (preferably with specialized training in health planning, health and nutrition education, health care system management, HIV/AIDS prevention, or epidemiology), Child Development, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or other relevant disciplines

Work Experience:

• A minimum of ten (10) 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.
• Developing country work experience.
• Background/familiarity with Emergency

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s 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: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(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 others 

(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility tendersglobal.net UNICEF.

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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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.

Remarks:

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.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] are encouraged to apply.

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. 

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 applicants’ bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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 found here.

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  • Benefit from free interview preparation by registering for a Job Application Support. 

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