Immunization Specialist – Pandemic Preparedness and Response (P-4), PG-Health-Immunization, Outposted in Nairobi (Temporary Appointment 364days) # 00129678

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, … commitment.

COVID-19 pandemic has shown the need to be better prepared in many fronts including diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccination to respond to the challenges of an outbreak/epidemic/pandemic adequately and comprehensively. This is in the realm of global health security so that unknown situations can be identified and confirmed on time and information can be shared in time for the global community to act appropriately and contain the situation. Disease outbreaks are a leading cause of global health threats, and the backsliding resulting from the impact of the pandemic has led to the situation of large or disruptive outbreaks being seen recently. Outbreaks of polio, measles, meningitis, yellow fever, Marburg, and diphtheria have been seen recently, and only time will tell when outbreaks of unknown “X” disease will be reported.

The situation is compounded by many other external factors that include population migration from conflict and other causes, climate change that is already disrupting lives and livelihoods in some communities and urbanization with resultant urban slums and their attendant inequities in access to services. The experiences gained from responding to COVID-19 should be fully explored to build our resiliency for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response including in humanitarian settings. UNICEF is leveraging its experiences with the implementation of COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical measures that was inter-sectoral, as well as the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines from procurement to delivery to the last mile, including in humanitarian settings.

How can you make a difference? 

We are excited to present the opportunity for the role of Immunization Specialist – Pandemic Preparedness and Response at UNICEF. In this position, you will be instrumental in ensuring the efficient mobilization of UNICEF’s resources and expertise in vaccine-related responses. Your responsibilities will include complementing the XVAX Network by integrating UNICEF’s knowledge, networks, and capabilities in the vaccine sector, addressing key bottlenecks identified during the COVID-19 pandemic, and fostering connections and synergies within the broader MCM ecosystem.

As the Immunization Specialist, you will hold a key coordination role, overseeing UNICEF’s vaccine-related programmatic activities. You will work across various UNICEF immunization teams to activate and coordinate expertise and resources during outbreak responses, while also liaising with XVAX-Network partners to ensure a cohesive and effective approach..

In addition, your responsibilities include: 

• At UNICEF, we are seeking dynamic candidates to coordinate and engage on XVAX-Network related work with external immunization stakeholders and other UNICEF HQ teams. This role involves the development of specific components of the pandemic response Playbook, focusing on identifying critical interventions required from day zero. Your contributions will be instrumental in shaping our pandemic preparedness and response strategies.
• Additionally, this position emphasizes knowledge management, capacity building, and innovation. You will have the opportunity to advocate, network, and build partnerships with key partners in the XVAX-Network. We are looking for individuals who are passionate about making a difference in global health and immunization, and who thrive in collaborative, fast-paced environments. Join us in our mission to safeguard children’s health worldwide.. For more detail Job Description can be found: JD – Immunization Specialist – UNICEF Immunization op Nairobi – July2024_Final for VA.docx

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• A medical or advanced university degree in public health, health research, global / international health, health policy and/or management, environmental health sciences, biostatistics, socio-medical, health education, epidemiology or another relevant technical field or another relevant technical field is required.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in public health planning and management, immunization, or health emergency and humanitarian preparedness and response, at either the national or international level is required.

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.

Desirables/Asset:

• Experience working on emergencies and outbreak response are considered as assets.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered 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…

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.

All selected candidates will 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.

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.

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.

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.